Which Oklahoma football players have most to gain as Sooners start spring practice?

NORMAN — Spring football practice gets underway for OU on Monday.

The Sooners return plenty from last season’s 10-3 team, but with the offensive line undergoing an overhaul, Jackson Arnold taking over for Dillon Gabriel at quarterback, and Zac Alley taking over as defensive coordinator, there is plenty of intrigue on both sides of the ball as OU makes the leap into the SEC.

Sooners beat writers Ryan Aber and Colton Sulley answer some of the biggest questions ahead of the Sooners’ spring start:

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Which OU offensive returner has the most to gain this spring?

Sulley: Jaquaize Pettaway, WR

The Sooners’ wide receivers room is loaded with returners such as Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq, Jayden Gibson and Brenen Thompson, and newcomers like Purdue transfer Deion Burks and early enrollee freshman Zion Kearney.

But I think Jaquaize Pettaway, a former four-star in the 2023 recruiting class, has a chance to take a significant leap in 2024.

He appeared in just nine games last season, finishing with 11 catches and 70 yards but his talent popped each time he touched the ball. His speed and agility alone makes him dangerous in open space, which could come in handy with Andrel Anthony still nursing a knee injury and the loss of veteran Drake Stoops.

Brent Venables said Wednesday during his press conference that Pettaway was “really good” during winter workouts. If OU gets the best of Pettaway in the spring, the wide receivers room could be a legitimate threat in the SEC.

Aber: Jackson Arnold, QB

I think Pettaway’s a strong choice, as he has the opportunity to go from a guy on the fringes of the rotation to a guy who can be a consistent contributor.

But it’s got to be Arnold.

He got a taste of being QB1 in the lead-up to the Alamo Bowl, and had a mostly positive performance there, but that was a bit of a whirlwind situation.

Now that he’s gotten a chance to settle in more as the starter there, Arnold needs to make significant strides all around — decision-making, accuracy, running the football, etc.

Arnold’s future is plenty bright but this is a critical spring for the sophomore.

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Which OU defensive returner has the most to gain this spring?

Aber: Dasan McCullough, cheetah

McCullough was an interesting case last season, as he missed out on the starting job before the season to Justin Harrington, then didn’t make as big of an impact as many expected after being thrust into the starting role with Harrington’s injury.

He finished with 30 tackles, 3.5 for loss, and broke up three passes.

Part of McCullough’s numbers was that Kendel Dolby emerged as the Sooners’ primary playmaker at the spot during pass situations, but McCullough is also a bit of a tweener in the Brent Venables (and presumably Zac Alley) defense.

McCullough struggled at times in coverage, especially late in the season as he finished with three consecutive coverage grades of 60.0 or lower, according to Pro Football Focus.

He might be better served to be an outside linebacker/rush defensive end type unless he can make strides in coverage.

With Harrington returning for next season, but out for much of the spring as he continued to recover from injury, this is an opportunity for McCullough to prove that he can be not only a starter but a difference-maker for the Sooners.

Sulley: Adepoju Adebawore, DL

The five-star trio of Adepoju Adebawore, Arnold and safety Peyton Bowen entered 2023 with expectations to be a major piece of the Sooners’ future.

Arnold will get his shot this season and Bowen was an immediate force last season, playing in all 13 games and totaling 36 tackles, one sack, five pass breakups and a forced fumble. He also led the Big 12 with two blocked kicks.

But while Adebawore appeared in every game as well, his impact wasn’t felt nearly as much.

While some of that might be the position he plays, this upcoming spring is important for his development and the future of OU’s defensive line.

An already young group lost veteran Jacob Lacey, who announced he’s medically retiring last week, and is in need of young players to step up.

Like Pettaway, Adebawore oozes with talent and I expect him to make some noise this spring.

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Who is the spring most important for among OU’s newcomers?

Sulley: Deion Burks, WR

Burks was one of the best overall players in the transfer portal and should be an immediate contributor for Seth Littrell’s new offense.

Arnold will most likely look to some veteran pass catchers early on and Burks has a chance to fill in for Stoops and be Mr. Reliable.

A second-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2023, Burks is looking to break out in the SEC and find his way into the NFL next season.

I expect him to quickly be one of the leaders of a stacked position group and if he returns similar production to a year ago and Arnold is the real deal, watch out for the Sooners’ offense.

Aber: Dezjhon Malone, CB

While I expect Burks to be the most impactful of the transfers, Malone was a unique opportunity in the spring.

With Gentry Williams expected to miss time, Malone has a chance to make up some ground and potentially be in a position to earn a starting spot in the secondary alongside Woodi Washington.

Burks earned first-team all-Mountain West honors a year ago at San Diego State, with 47 tackles and seven pass breakups with one interception.

He also returned three punts for the Aztecs.

The Sooners’ secondary needs to be better as they make the move to the SEC and addings Malone to the room was part of that.

While there are plenty of talented newcomers he’ll be competing against, Malone’s experience figures to give him a leg up in the spring and if he takes advantage of this opportunity, he’ll be much better positioned to be a regular rotational player.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football: Which Sooners have most to gain during spring practice?