Jul 212 min read

Oklahoma Sooners Fully Snubbed on Top 100 CFB Players

The College Football Network put out its annual list of Top 100 players in college football. Among those 100 prominent names, 29 currently reside on rosters in the Southeastern Conference.

The Alabama Crimson Tide led all SEC schools with 7 players on the list. The other SEC schools that are represented are:

Georgia—4
LSU—2
Ole Miss—4
Kentucky—3
Missouri—1
Texas—4
Texas A&M—2
South Carolina—1
Tennessee—1

SEC schools not represented on the Top 100 list are Auburn, Arkansas, Florida, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and new SEC member Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Sooners Snubbed

The Oklahoma Sooners finished 10-3 a season ago and return 15 starters (including transfers) in 2024. However, quarterback Dillon Gabriel transferred to Oregon and offensive lineman Caden Green moved back home to Missouri. Among those returning starters are four players who arguably could have been among the Top 100 players in college football this season. An argument that, it appears, has fallen on deaf ears.

LB Danny Stutsman

Stutsman led the Sooners in tackles with 104 and in tackles for loss with 16. He was a first-team All-Big 12 Conference selection. In 4 games last season, Stutsman posted double-digit tackles, including a season-high 17 stops in a win over SMU.

DB Billy Bowman

Like a thief in the night, Bowman terrorized opponents’ passing routes and picked off 6 passes (and returned 3 for TDs) last season.

That was good enough to lead the Big 12 and tied for No. 3 in the country. In addition, Bowman racked up 63 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and 4 pass breakups. For his efforts, Bowman earned first-team All-Big 12 honors.

WR Deion Burks

Burks transferred in from Purdue and will create a formidable duo with fellow receiver Nic Anderson. Burks caught 47 passes for 629 yards and 7 touchdowns for the Boilermakers in 2023. He was named second-team All-Big Ten.

WR Nic Anderson

In 2023, Anderson caught 38 passes for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns. Anderson averaged 21 yards per catch, which was good enough for No. 5 in the FBS.

2024 Season

What does this say about Oklahoma as it enters the SEC for the first time? Does the Sooner Schooner have a busted wheel? A 10-win team last season with 2 outstanding players on a defense that ranked third in the Big 12 in rushing defense. It also tied for No. 11 in the FBS in tackles for loss and ranked No. 2 in the country in interceptions. They also have 2 talented wide receivers. But none of them were tabbed as one of the Top 100 players in college football.

Fans will see this as a slap across the face mask to one of college football's blue bloods. Do the Sooners use it as motivation this season and get better? We shall see. The riders in that rickety old Sooner Schooner better hold on tight. It is going to be a wild ride in the SEC in 2024.