Although they had an 11-2 record and won the Sugar Bowl in impressive fashion, Oklahoma had an inconsistent 2013, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Trevor Knight started the season at quarterback, only to get injured in the third game of the season.

Then Blake Bell took over and could never really get the offense in complete synchronization. They had to rely on a strong running game, but even the running back position was unstable, with Damien Williams getting kicked off the team, and fullback Trey Millard suffered a season-ending ACL injury.

However, despite all their offensive woes, they were still able to pull out big wins against Notre Dame, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Alabama, finish ranked in the top-10 and win a BCS bowl game, setting high expectations for 2014.

Top Newcomers

Joe Mixon, Running Back: Viewed by many as one of the top running backs in the 2014 recruiting class, Mixon will have opportunities to play early, as the Sooners lost their top three rushers from last season,and they love to use multiple running backs and relies heavily on its running game, evidenced by their 18th ranked rushing attack in 2013. Mixon is well-built at 6’2” and 195 pounds, plays with power, but also has plenty of speed and elusiveness to make defenders miss.

Michaiah Quick, Wide Receiver: Quick was ranked as one of the best athletes in the country, and will play receiver in Norman. He has game-breaking speed, and a big-play threat. The Sooners have talented players at the top of the depth chart at receiver, so Quick may only the field in special situations, but they’ll find opportunities to use his speed.

Other notable additions: Baker Mayfield (Quarterback, Texas Tech) and Dorial Green-Beckham (Wide Receiver, Missouri) both transferred to Oklahoma, but will not be able to play until 2015.

Top Returning Players

Trevor Knight, Quarterback: Up until the Sugar Bowl last season, the Sooners suffered from inconsistency in 2013 at quarterback, which contributed to much of their struggles on offense. However, against Alabama, Knight had his breakthrough, passing for 348 yards and four touchdowns, leading Oklahoma to the win. Knight has great arm strength, an effortless delivery and is always a threat to scramble. However, he struggles with his accuracy and decision-making, so he will need to clean those parts of his game up to help the Sooners live up to the hype in 2014.

Eric Striker, Linebacker: Striker may be small (6’0”, 221), but he plays aggressively on the edge and makes an impact in the pass rush, finishing 2013 with 10.5 tackles for a loss, and a team leading six and one-half sacks. Striker is very quick, and plays with good flexibility, which allows him to bend the edge against offensive tackles and create pressure.

Positional Breakdown

Quarterback: With Blake Bell converting to tight end and an incredible Sugar Bowl, the quarterback job belongs securely to Knight. Kendal Thompson will resume his role as a formidable backup.

Running Back: Brennan Clay, Damian Williams, and Roy Finch all graduated, so the competition for the starting running back spot will be flexible, between sophomores Keith Ford and Alex Ross, as well as Mixon. All are very talented, and could get a stranglehold on the starting role by midseason with a strong start.

Wide Receiver: The Sooners lost top receiver, Jalen Saunders, as well as Jaz Reynolds and Lacoltan Bester, but return star receiver Sterling Shepard, who caught 51 passes and seven touchdowns in 2013. The voids left by departing players will be filled by youngsters Durron Neal and Derrick Woods.

Tight End: The tight end role did not play a prominent role in the offense in 2013, with tight ends only catching three passes, so it’s hard to expect that to change drastically in 2014, but Taylor McNamara and recently-converted quarterback, Blake Bell, do offer physicality along the line, and the ability to be a safety net, as Knight continues his development.

Offensive Line: The Sooners lost center Gabe Ikard, but return the other four starters, including both tackles, Tyrus Thompson and Daryl Williams. All will be key in protecting Knight and opening holes for the stable of running backs.

Defensive Line: In a full transition to a 3-4, the defensive line will be able to be aggressive in attacking gaps. The middle will be filled by 341-pound nose tackle Jordan Phillips, and returning starters Charles Tapper and Chuka Ndulue will play on each side of him.

Linebacker: Oklahoma is loaded at linebacker, and defensive coordinator Mike Stoops’ new 3-4 scheme will use that to the team’s advantage. Frank Shannon and Big XII defensive freshman of the year Dominique Alexander will fill the inside linebacker roles. Meanwhile, Striker and Geneo Grissom, who, like many other Sooners, had an incredible Sugar Bowl, will be the primary pass rushers.

Cornerback: The Sooners lost Aaron Colvin to the NFL, but return Zack Sanchez, who is a star in the making. Sanchez excels in off-coverage, with an ability to get incredible breaks to the ball.

Safety: Quentin Hayes, who had six passes broken up and two interceptions,  returns at free safety for the Sooners to help build on the Sooners top-30 finish in pass defense. Gabe Lynn, the team leader in interceptions last season, graduated, so they will need to replace their strong safety, but sophomore Hatari Byrd has the potential to fill the role very well.

Special Teams: Oklahoma returns one of the top kickers in the country, Michael Hunnicutt, who made 24 of his 27 field goal attempts in 2013, and hit 47 of his 48 extra points. Jed Barnett, who averaged a net punt of 41 yards last season, also returns.

Biggest Strength

Oklahoma’s biggest strength is in their front seven. They return five starters from last season,including Striker, Tapper and Alexander. In the new 3-4 front, they will have the ability to clog running lanes and bring pressure through any gap and from the edge with the players they have in place.

Biggest Weakness

Though, on paper, the Sooners have no real weakness, the inexperience in the backfield is concerning. Though Knight had an incredible Sugar Bowl, he only started five games last season, and the top three running backs only have a combined 26 career carries at the college level. There will be some growing pains, but they will get a lot of help from the four returning starters along the offensive line.