2024 SEC Media Days Wrap-Up

DALLAS — Oklahoma's turn at conference football media days meant a little more this year as the Sooners debuted at the 2024 SEC Football Kickoff event at the Omni Hotel in downtown Dallas. Head coach Brent Venables, quarterback Jackson Arnold, defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. and linebacker Danny Stutsman represented OU at the program's first SEC Media Days on Tuesday.

Venables, Arnold, Bowman and Stutsman met with the media in various capacities for about four hours Tuesday. Segments of the day can be viewed on SECSports.com.

See highlights from the day below and via X and Instagram (@OU_Football) and Facebook (Oklahoma Football).

First class has its perks ????#OUDNA x @EASPORTSCollege pic.twitter.com/h6poS0FCvK
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) July 16, 2024

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Oklahoma football at 2024 SEC Media Days in Dallas, Texas.

Gallery: (7-16-2024) 2024 SEC Football Media Days

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Head Coach Brent Venables

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The success of OU, combining with the success of the SEC -- with all your past history, how ready is OU to take on this challenge?
"I really don't know how to answer that, other than we're excited for the challenge. As competitors, as a football program, you know, Oklahoma isn't intimidated as a football program. We're running towards the SEC. I think that goes without saying. We've looked forward for the last several years for this partnership, to be a part of an amazing conference, the best conference in college football.

"How ready we are, we're excited for the challenge. I think you have to go through it. I think it's probably -- as a coach, I think going through it gives you the best litmus test. There's nothing that you can read about or even watch on tape, to be honest with you. We know the challenges from a roster standpoint, you know. The trenches is where this conference is decided usually year in and year out, incredibly challenging from that standpoint. The length, the speed, the play at quarterback, the coaching acumen from top to bottom. Again, you're not going to sneak up anywhere, any week in any venue and show up and luck up and win. And so it's a conference that's about earning what you get, and I think going through it a season, you'll figure that out. You'll figure out what was good, what wasn't good, the areas of your program, your roster that need improvement so that you can match up and have an opportunity to compete for championships."

Sophomore Quarterback Jackson Arnold

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Coach Venables and your teammates have both mentioned how important it is to stand well in the trenches in this SEC schedule. You lose obviously a lot of starting offensive linemen. How do you feel about your group after this spring going in and being able to handle those rigors of the SEC week to week?
"I feel great about that group. They've been busting their tail all spring and all summer. It's a young group. It's a new group. We know we also brought in guys from other places that have played a ton of ball. Branson (Hickman) is a great example. Played three years at SMU, starter there. We don't have guys that have never played ball before. We brought in guys that are new to the OU culture, but I feel like they adapted really well, and I feel good about that group.

Senior Defensive Back Billy Bowman Jr.

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I know you've been asked this question a lot, but team leadership is so important. You, Danny, Ethan Downs on that defense, how much have you embraced that over this off-season this summer going into fall camp? You can talk about it all you want, but how important as you embrace this over the summer?
"I embraced it full speed, head on. I'm a guy, any room I step into, I'm going to work hard. I'm going to try to be that head guy, that top dog. Trying to be a leader on this team, it means a lot. I truly worked to be here where I am. A lot of people don't see that. They just see the results. But there's work put behind it. So it's great to be a leader of this team, and it's great to be able to create more leaders. That's what makes a leader great. You can create more leaders. I just want to leave Oklahoma better than I entered it, and I entered it in a pretty good situation. So I want to leave it better than I found it."

Senior Linebacker Danny Stutsman

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What does year three look like under the Brent Venables system regardless of the conference change?
"Year one was learning it, kind of getting the general understanding, finding what I need to do. Year two was kind of more so understanding, having a deeper sense of confidence, finding myself. Year three is more so been teaching it. Having the young guys come in there, running meetings, being a little mini defensive coordinator. I have it all go through me. I want to be the main gate.

"Everything Coach Venables has taught me and Coach Alley as well, he's been a great addition to myself. It's helped me play faster than I've ever been before. Having a sense of understanding and play with a sense of anticipation so you're one step ahead of everyone else."

That's a wrap ??#OUDNA x @SEC pic.twitter.com/oWvXqw2EMX
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) July 16, 2024

PHOTO GALLERY

QUOTABLE

Head Coach Brent Venables

Sophomore Quarterback Jackson Arnold

Senior Defensive Back Billy Bowman Jr.

Senior Linebacker Danny Stutsman

Players Mentioned

Jackson Arnold

Billy Bowman Jr.

Ethan Downs

Danny Stutsman

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics