Which Under the Radar Sooners Could Make a Big Impact Against South Carolina?

These Sooners are flying under the radar, but they could shape Saturday’s road contest with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Oklahoma running back Xavier Robinson rushes the ball in the Sooners' road victory over Temple. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

LB Kendal Daniels

Oklahoma linebacker Kendal Daniel pressures Texas quarterback Arch Manning in last week's Red River Rivalry contest. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

South Carolina has enough dangerous weapons on offense to win this game. But one thing that will bury the Sooners for sure is quarterback LaNorris Sellers scrambling out of trouble and picking up third-down conversions. Arch Manning did it to perfection last week, and the Sooner defense started pressing too much and played tight on key downs in the second and third quarters, missing 10 tackles in the process. Sellers is a way better runner than Manning, so it’ll be on Daniels to fall back into almost a “spy” role to help keep Sellers in the pocket or at least be nearby to limit the damage if Sellers breaks contain. 

— John E. Hoover

WR Elijah Thomas

Oklahoma receiver Elijah Thomas celebrates a big play on special teams in the Sooners' victory over Michigan. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Elijah Thomas could have a huge role to play on Saturday — on special teams. Questions as to why he hasn’t been given a real shot to make an impact on offense are legitimate, but it’s not likely to suddenly change this week. But Thomas has played the second-most snaps on special teams this year behind defensive back Michael Boganowski, and he’s made four tackles on the kickoff and punt coverage teams. Those roles will be key on Saturday. The 2025 Gamecocks have struggled in many areas, but they’ve lived up to the Beamer Ball moniker so far. Defensive back Vicari Swain has returned three punts for touchdowns this season, and the Sooners can’t afford to let South Carolina support a struggling offense with defensive touchdowns or punt returns. Look for Thomas and Boganowski to both race down the field on every kick, as their ability to beat the ball down the field could be the difference between a fair catch and a potentially dangerous return. 

— Ryan Chapman 

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RB Xavier Robinson

Oklahoma running back Xavier Robinson carries the ball in OU's season-opener against Illinois State. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Sooners have yet to find a consistent rhythm on the ground, and they’ve also yet to unleash Xavier Robinson. The sophomore running back has run for 50 yards on only 16 carries in 2025. Robinson came on late in the second half of 2024, finishing the year with 233 yards and four touchdowns on 49 carries. He also caught 13 passes for 119 yards. His best performance came in OU’s 24-3 win over Alabama, when Robinson rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns. The Sooners rushed for only 48 yards and averaged 1.6 yards per carry against Texas. Robinson rushed only three times and caught two passes in the loss. OU is dying for any production on the ground, and with Robinson’s versatility, he could give the Sooners another outlet for creativity in the rushing attack.

— Carson Field

LB Kip Lewis

Oklahoma linebacker Kip Lewis reacts after a play during OU's victory over Auburn. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

It's hard to call Lewis truly under the radar, as he's leading the Sooners in tackles, but just two of his 29 tackles have gone for a loss with just 0.5 sacks. Lewis came up with monster plays last season against Auburn and Alabama, and while one of those would be nice, he'll also need to play a sound game overall to help the Oklahoma defense contain South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Sellers didn't do a ton against the Sooners last season, but he didn't need to, as the defense did everything the Gamecocks needed to ice the game early. That doesn't figure to be the case this time around, which means there'll be more chances for Sellers to hurt the OU defense. If Lewis is on top of his game, the Sooners should be able to severely limit South Carolina's already struggling offense.

— Ryan Aber

TE Jaren Kanak

Oklahoma tight end Jaren Kanak celebrates after moving the chains against Michigan. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaran Kanak has been quiet the last few games. Save for a strong second half against Auburn, when John Mateer remembered he was open over the middle of the field, the Sooner tight end hasn't been involved in the struggling offense much since the Temple game. By now, you've seen the two plays against Texas where Mateer missed Kanak wide open for easy gains and first downs. Expect OU to take advantage of a South Carolina defense over the middle. Kanak's involvement usually leads to an Oklahoma offense with a faster tempo, which can then improve the running game, but that's another story.

— Brady Trantham