Breakdown of Oklahoma Sooners Football's Official Depth Chart Ahead of Week 1 vs. UTEP

Oklahoma has put out its first official depth chart of the season, and it mostly confirms what camp had already started to show. A few jobs are locked. A few are still unsettled. The defense looks stacked from top to bottom. The offense has talent at the skill spots and more questions up front.

Quarterback

John Mateer, fifth-year senior

Whitt Newbauer, junior OR

Bowe Bentley, freshman

Mateer is the clear starter and the most important player on the roster. He is healthy again after last year’s thumb issues, added strength in the offseason, and needs to stay available more than anything else. When he is right, the entire offense changes. Newbauer has the early edge for the backup job because of his experience at Mercer, though Bentley is in the mix as the freshman option. There is no real quarterback controversy here. It is Mateer’s show.

Running Back

Lloyd Avant, junior OR

Xavier Robinson, junior

Tory Blaylock, sophomore OR

Jonathan Hatton Jr., freshman

Avant is listed first and should get the Week 1 start after earning positive reviews from new running backs coach Deland McCullough while Robinson and Blaylock worked back from injury. That does not mean Avant is the long-term answer by himself. Robinson still has the higher upside for a lot of people around the program, and Blaylock remains part of the rotation once fully healthy. Hatton is the young piece to watch. This room should become more of a committee as the season goes along. Right now availability is winning.

Tight End

Hayden Hansen, fifth-year senior OR

Rocky Beers, sixth-year senior

Jack Van Dorselaer, sophomore

Trynae Washington, sophomore

This is a brand-new room under first-year tight ends coach Jason Witten. Hansen is the top option and the most likely to see consistent snaps as a traditional in-line tight end with SEC experience. Beers gives them another big body and red-zone presence. Van Dorselaer is next up, with Washington providing depth. Oklahoma completely rebuilt this position, so the early weeks will show how Witten wants to use the group. Expect multiple tight ends to play, with Hansen as the safest bet for a steady role.

Wide Receiver

X: Parker Livingstone, junior OR Elijah Thomas, sophomore / Jer’Michael Carter, senior

Slot/H: Isaiah Sategna, fifth-year senior / Mackenzie Alleyne, junior OR Jacob Jordan, junior

Z: Trell Harris, fifth-year senior / Manny Choice, sophomore

Sategna is the clear top option after a First-Team All-SEC season and remains Mateer’s most trusted target. Harris and Livingstone give the Sooners a real top trio. Harris brings physicality and production. Livingstone has the size and speed to stretch the field. That group should create matchups if the protection holds up. After those three, the experience drops off. Alleyne, Thomas, Carter, Choice, and Jordan will fight for the remaining snaps. Depth is workable but not overwhelming if injuries hit the top of the room.

Offensive Line

LT: Michael Fasusi, sophomore / Peyton Joseph, sophomore / Fred Hinton, junior

LG: Eddy Pierre-Louis, junior / Heath Ozaeta, senior / Sean Hutton, sophomore

C: Ryan Fodje, sophomore / Caleb Nitta, senior / Gunnar Allen, fifth-year senior

RG: Heath Ozaeta, senior OR Noah Best, freshman

RT: E’Marion Harris, fifth-year senior / Deacon Schmitt, freshman / Fred Hinton, junior

This is still the biggest question mark on the roster. Fasusi has the highest ceiling of the group and could develop into one of the better left tackles in the country if he keeps progressing. Pierre-Louis gives the left side a physical presence. Center remains unsettled with Jake Maikkula still working back from the MCL injury suffered in camp, so Fodje is listed first with Nitta also in the mix. Ozaeta can play multiple interior spots, and E’Marion Harris anchors the right side. The left side looks stronger on paper. Continuity and health will decide how much this unit can improve the run game and keep Mateer clean.

Defensive Line

LDE: Taylor Wein, senior / Wyatt Gilmore, junior / Kenny Ozowalu, junior

DT: David Stone, junior / Bishop Thomas, fifth-year senior OR Nigel Smith II, junior / Tank Carrington, freshman

DT: Jayden Jackson, junior / Trent Wilson, sophomore OR Nigel Smith II, junior

RDE: Adepoju Adebawore, senior OR Danny Okoye, junior / Jake Kreul, freshman

This is Oklahoma’s strongest position group. Stone has top-10 draft buzz and can disrupt both the run and the pass. Wein is a proven producer off the edge. Jackson continues to ascend inside. Adebawore has the length and athleticism to take a real jump. The rotation behind them has enough bodies to stay fresh, including young pieces like Carrington and Kreul. If this front plays up to its talent, the entire defense benefits.

Linebackers

Mike: Owen Heinecke, sixth-year senior / Cole Sullivan, junior / Dane Bathurst, freshman

Will: Kip Lewis, fifth-year senior / James Nesta, junior

Sam: Cole Sullivan, junior / James Nesta, junior

Cheetah: Reggie Powers III, junior / Jeremiah Newcombe, junior OR LeBron Bauer, freshman

Heinecke is back in the middle and will handle the green-dot communication again after a Second-Team All-SEC season. Lewis has All-American potential and remains one of the more physical players on the roster. Sullivan gives the staff flexibility after arriving from Michigan and can work in multiple spots. Powers is a solid depth piece at the Cheetah position. This group has experience, toughness, and enough versatility to handle different packages.

Secondary

LCB: Courtland Guillory, sophomore / Trystan Haynes, sophomore OR Dakoda Fields, junior

SS: Peyton Bowen, senior / Omarion Robinson, sophomore OR Markel Ford, freshman

FS: Michael Boganowski, junior / Omarion Robinson, sophomore OR Niko Jandreau, freshman / Reed DeQuasie, senior

RCB: Eli Bowen, junior / Jacobe Johnson, senior OR Dakoda Fields, junior

Guillory has star potential after an outstanding freshman year and is the top underclassman corner Oklahoma has had in a long time. Eli Bowen brings playmaking ability on the other side. Peyton Bowen is the leader at strong safety and one of the more reliable pieces in the back end. Boganowski held off challengers at free safety. The top of the secondary is strong. Depth will matter over a long SEC season, but the starters give the defense a chance to play aggressively.

Special Teams

Kicker/Kickoff: Tate Sandell, fifth-year senior

Punter: Grayson Miller, fifth-year senior

Kick return: Lloyd Avant, junior / Jonathan Hatton Jr., freshman

Punt return: Isaiah Sategna, fifth-year senior / Jacob Jordan, junior / Trell Harris, fifth-year senior

Long snapper: Ben Anderson, fifth-year senior

Holder: Jacob Ulrich, senior

Sandell is one of the best specialists in the country after winning the Lou Groza Award and earning First-Team All-American recognition. Miller gives Oklahoma a strong leg at punter. Sategna is a natural fit in the return game. Anderson remains a steady veteran at long snapper. This group should be a strength rather than a concern.

Overall

The defense looks loaded from the front four through the secondary. The skill positions on offense have enough talent to make life easier on Mateer if the line holds up. The offensive line and early running back situation remain the main variables. Mateer staying healthy is still the single biggest factor for everything Oklahoma wants to do this season.

Depth charts change with injuries, performance, and matchups. For now, this is the group the Sooners are taking into the opener. The talent is there. The questions are familiar. The answers will start showing up on Saturdays.