Three months ago, the Oklahoma football team received a significant boost on defense when star linebacker Danny Stutsman announced his 2024 return, reestablishing his role as the team’s undisputed defensive leader. This Wednesday, the Sooners received another significant boost. As reported by Rivals’ Parker Thune, defensive back Justin Harrington has won his appeal with the NCAA, securing a seventh year of eligibility, marking a crucial moment for the team.
It does not happen every day that a player receives a seventh year of eligibility. Yet, in recent memory, Harrington is one of many to achieve this feat. Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Alan Bowman, who started under head coach Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech in 2018, will also grace the field in 2024, making it a unique occurrence in college football.
Oklahoma Sooners DB Justin Harrington: Looking for Healthy 2024
The Sooners’ Justin Harrington will return to college next season. The six-foot-two, 212-pound defender started two games last season but suffered a partially torn ACL, prematurely ending his season. He finished the 2023 season with six tackles and an interception of SMU Mustangs elite passer Preston Stone.
BREAKING: Brent Venables has announced that #Sooners defensive back Justin Harrington has won his appeal for a seventh year of eligibility.
He’d broken camp as OU’s starting cheetah in 2023 before suffering a season-ending knee injury in September. ⤵️https://t.co/tfabiaAsqi
— OUInsider (@OUInsider) March 6, 2024
Harrington started his career with Bakersfield Junior College, where he spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons before joining the Oklahoma football program. An injury sidelined the third-level defender in 2020, and he did not record a tackle during the 2021 season. However, Harrington appeared in 13 games in 2022, collecting 23 tackles and defending two passes. He also intercepted Kent State quarterback Devin Kargman early in the year.
Oklahoma Football: Eyeing Continued Defensive Improvements
In 2023, the Sooners posted some of their best defensive stats in the last decade. They allowed 23.5 points per game, the 49th-best average in the NCAA, while playing the 16th toughest schedule, per College Football Reference. Star defenders Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman will return to the program next fall. Stutsman recorded a team-best 104 tackles last season, while Bowman had six picks and three touchdowns. Edge rusher Ethan Downs, who posted 4.5 sacks in 2023, will also return to Norman for the 2024 season.
Offensively, the Sooners will usher in a new era with quarterback Jackson Arnold and offensive coordinator Seth Littrell. Arnold, a former five-star prospect, will take over for Dillon Gabriel as the latter heads to Oregon. Meanwhile, Littrell will call the offensive plays with former offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who is filling the head coaching vacancy at Mississippi State.
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