Before the 2024 college football season officially begins in late August, thousands of games will have been played and countless Group of 5 dynasties established. Of course, I’m talking about the return of EA’s College Football 25. It’s been 11 years since NCAA 14 was released and college football fans everywhere have been patiently awaiting its return. The full game was revealed on May 17 and has a release date of July 19. There are sure to be plenty more announcements before the game comes out, including a glimpse of rosters and player overalls. But for now, here’s a stab at projecting the ten highest overall players on Oklahoma’s team in CFB 25.
Projecting Oklahoma’s Best Players in College Football 25
Billy Bowman, Safety – 93 overall
Bowman was named a First Team All-American as a safety following his breakout 2023 campaign. He finished with 63 total tackles and three tackles for loss while registering four passes defended and collecting six interceptions. But the icing on the cake is that he also had three pick-sixes and led the country in interception return yards with 238. He is going to be one of the Sooners’ most important players in 2024 and he should be among not just the best safeties in the country, but also in the video game.
Danny Stutsman, Linebacker – 91 overall
Stutsman also made the All-American roster as a member of the Second Team and had a very impressive season. He was the heart of OU’s defense and played a gritty, hard-nosed type of football that is hard to find in a linebacker these days, so OU was incredibly lucky that he decided to return to Norman for 2024. He led the team in tackles with 104 and also had 16 tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles. Stutsman might be the best returning inside linebacker in the country and his talent should be reflected in his rating.
Deion Burks, Wide Receiver – 88 overall
Burks burst onto the scene in Oklahoma’s Spring Game, gashing OU’s defense for five catches, 174 yards, and two touchdowns. Oklahoma was in need of a bonafide number-one receiver, and they seem to have found one in the Purdue transfer. With the Boilermakers in 2023, Burks caught 47 passes for 629 yards and seven scores. He will be one of Jackson Arnold’s go-to targets in 2024 and should be incredibly fun to play with in CFB 25.
Damonic Williams, Defensive Tackle – 88 overall
Williams is arguably the most important transfer that Brent Venables and the Sooners landed this offseason. Oklahoma desperately needed defensive line help, and Williams was the best defensive tackle on the market. The former TCU Horned Frog racked up 4.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss in two seasons. He was also a true freshman starter on TCU’s national runner-up squad in 2022 and was named an Honorable Mention to the All-Big 12 team in 2023. Williams should anchor OU’s defensive line this year and help lead the defense into the physical SEC.
Gavin Sawchuk, Running Back – 87 overall
Sawchuk might not be the most heralded running back recruit on the roster, but his performance to end 2023 cemented him as OU’s top back heading into next season. He finished with 744 rushing yards and nine scores, averaging 6.2 yards per rush. He ended the season with five straight games of 100 rushing yards or more and was an extremely prominent part of the offense in the second part of the season. He should be the featured back once again and will also benefit from extra rest afforded to him by the Sooners’ talented stable of running backs.
Nic Anderson, Wide Receiver – 86 overall
With Drake Stoops locking down the middle of the field and intermediate routes, Anderson was Dillon Gabriel’s favorite deep threat last season. He was named to the Freshman All-American team after hauling in 31 catches for 725 yards and nine touchdowns. He led the country in yards per reception with 23.4 and also caught the game-winning pass in Oklahoma’s thrilling Red River victory. Anderson will benefit from having Deion Burks lining up with him and he’s expected to play a big role for Oklahoma in 2024.
Gentry Williams, Cornerback – 85 overall
Williams has struggled with injuries during his young career and he missed spring practice due to labrum surgery. Even though he missed three games last season with injuries, he still had 30 tackles, four for loss, a fumble recovery, and three interceptions. He has the ability to be a number-one corner, he just needs to avoid the injury bug.
Ethan Downs, Defensive End – 84 overall
Downs may not have the star power of Stutsman or Bowman, but he’ll probably be one of the unsung heroes of the Sooners’ defense in 2024. In 13 games last year, he led the team with 4.5 sacks and was second in tackles for loss with 6.5. He’ll certainly be tested by some of the talented offensive linemen in the SEC, but he has the chops to be a real difference-maker for this Sooner squad.
Jackson Arnold, Quarterback – 83 overall
Now we arrive at the name you’ve all been waiting for: Jackson Arnold. He played in seven games last season, with his lone start coming in OU’s Alamo Bowl loss to Arizona. He made some great throws in that game but also made way too many mistakes. He finished with 361 passing yards and two touchdowns, but also threw three picks and lost one fumble; but he was just a wide-eyed freshman, so we’ll give him a pass. There are big expectations for Arnold in 2024 and everyone involved with the program believes he’s the real deal. Arnold may not start with an impressive overall rating, but if the game has a “potential” attribute, you can expect Arnold to have an A+.
Jalil Farooq, Wide Receiver – 83 overall
There are probably quite a few players who could fit in this slot, but we’ll cap off this list with another receiver. Farooq played in 13 games last season and had 45 receptions for 694 yards and two touchdowns. He was also used frequently as a rusher, much to the frustration of Sooner fans, and finished just shy of 100 rushing yards on the season. Oklahoma will have one of the best and deepest receiver rooms in the country in 2024, and Farooq could easily have a breakout season playing alongside the likes of Deion Burks and Nic Anderson.
Main Image: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
