Only Three Oklahoma Players Land on Preseason All-SEC Teams

In Year Two as a member of the Southeastern Conference, Oklahoma should be a little more competitive.

OU’s talent on the field says so.

Still, only three Sooners were named on Friday to the 2025 Preseason All-SEC Team.

Led by transfer running back Jaydn Ott, edge rusher R Mason Thomas and long snapper Ben Anderson, the Sooners expect to be better on offense, just as strong on defense and improved on special teams. Ott and Thomas were named to the All-SEC second team, while Anderson landed on the third team.

The team was selected by SEC media at this week's Media Days in Atlanta.

Ott, a senior from Chino, CA, who rushed for 1,315 yards and 12 touchdowns at Cal in 2023 before limping through most of last season with an ankle injury, complements Mateer’s explosive dual-threat talents with a powerful yet elusive style out of the backfield.

In three seasons at Cal, Ott rushed for 2,597 yards and 24 TDs and caught 95 passes for 736 yards and six scores. Ott logged 1,638 offensive snaps with the Bears, according to Pro Football Focus, and posted overall grades of 85 or better in each of his first two seasons, including 90.1 as a true freshman in 2022.

Thomas, a senior from Fort Lauderdale, was second-team All-SEC last season when he recorded 9 quarterback sacks along with 12 1/2 tackles for loss, 11 QB hurries, two forced fumbles, two fumbles recovered and a touchdown.

Thomas earned first-team snaps each of his first two seasons but struggled to stay healthy. In his first full-time opportunity last season, Thomas played 529 snap and recorded Pro Football Focus grades of 72.3 overall, 64.4 against the run and 93.2 in true pass rush — the latter of which ranked No. 2 nationally among all edge rushers.

Anderson, a fourth-year junior from Charlotte, NC, was named third-team All-SEC last season in his third year as the Sooners’ long-snapper.

Anderson is a three-year starter at the position after redshirting in 2022. Also in 2024, he was a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award as the nation’s top long snapper.

Just as interesting as who's on the All-SEC team for an Oklahoma squad looking to improve on last year's 6-7 record is who didn't get recognized.

Transfer quarterback John Mateer, a fourth-year junior from Little Elm, TX, joined offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle in moving from Washington State to Oklahoma last December after Mateer led the nation last year with 44 total touchdowns and ranked fifth in total offense.

Mateer, who became the starter last season after two years as understudy to 2024 Heisman finalist Cam Ward in Pullman, exploded onto the scene with 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns passing to go with more than 1,000 yards (826 net, including sacks) and 15 touchdowns on the ground.

Sophomore cornerback Eli Bowen, a sophomore from Denton, TX, who earned freshman All-America status last season, broke into the starting lineup at midseason and finished tied for eighth on the team with 30 tackles.

Bowen was strong in pass coverage as well, with four passes defensed and an interception. Opposing teams went at him frequently due to his age and inexperience, but he posted the Sooners’ highest overall PFF defensive grade (81.9), best grade in pass coverage (78.7), and was third on the team in run defense grade (89.4).

Sophomore defensive tackle Jayden Jackson, a sophomore from Indianapolis via IMG Academy in Florida, also earned Freshman All-America accolades last season after finishing with 30 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.

Jackson played in all 13 games last season and logged 387 snaps. Per PFF, he graded out at 69.2 overall, which ranked fifth among OU’s interior linemen.

Senior safety Robert Spears-Jennings, a senior from Broken Arrow, OK, was second on the team last season with 66 total tackles (47 solo) behind Danny Stutsman (109).

Spears-Jennings finished 2024 with five TFLs, 2 1/2 sacks, one interception, two fumble recoveries and was tied for fifth nationally with four fumbles forced.

Junior linebacker Kip Lewis, a fourth-year junior from Carthage, TX, was third on the squad last season with 65 tackles (51 solo), including four TFLs. Lewis also turned in two of the biggest defensive plays of the year with interceptions he returned for touchdowns against both Auburn and Alabama — coined “Kip Sixes.”

Lewis played 470 defensive snaps and posted remarkably consistent PFF grades of 68.5 overall, 66.2 against he run, 69.5 in pass coverage and 65.6 as a pass rusher.