Tampa is empty. The circus left. With the SEC media days wrapped up, we are officially staring down the barrel of another college football season. On Friday, the league’s press corps released its annual preseason All-SEC team. Last year, the media treated Oklahoma like an afterthought, handing them a measly three selections. This year? The scribes were a bit more generous.
Only two Sooners cracked the first team. Yes, they are both specialists. Kicker Tate Sandell, who already has a Lou Groza Award on his mantle, made the cut. Joining him is Ben Anderson, a long snapper who has quietly spent his career proving he is one of the best in the business at a thankless job. It is a start.
The real crowd is on the second team, where eight Sooners landed. Wideout Isaiah Sategna III got the nod after showing off his speed last fall. Left tackle Michael Fasusi, who survived the trial by fire as a true freshman starter, is there too. Up front on defense, breakout linemen David Stone and Taylor Wein made the list, alongside veteran linebacker Kip Lewis, the emotional anchor of this unit. The secondary features the Bowen brothers, Eli and Peyton, while Grayson Miller rounds out the group after locking down the punting job last season.
Naturally, some guys got left out in the cold. Quarterback John Mateer, defensive tackle Jayden Jackson, linebacker Owen Heinecke, and defensive back Courtland Guillory all had decent arguments for a spot. The media disagreed. That’s the business.
None of this matters once the hitting starts. Fall camp opens in less than two weeks. The real show begins Friday, September 4, when UTEP rolls into Norman for a 7 p.m. kickoff. We’ll see.
