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College football 2018: Biggest Achilles’ heel for every Top 25 team

By Cody Williams

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) celebrates and holds up the CFP Trophy after the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs on January 8, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) celebrates and holds up the CFP Trophy after the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs on January 8, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images /

5. Oklahoma

Achilles’ heel: Almost entirely new defense

Losing a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback is never easy, and that’s what Lincoln Riley and the Oklahoma Sooners are up against heading into 2018. Baker Mayfield was the heart of this team a season ago, both on the field and in the locker room. His prowess in both regards is ultimately why the Cleveland Browns made him the first-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

However, the Sooners aren’t hurting at the position. Kyler Murray — a dual-sport star and first-round MLB draft pick this season — seems like the natural successor to Mayfield in Norman, and if so, he’s a dynamic athlete that could provide an immediate spark for an offense needing it in the wake of losing Mayfield. Even if it’s not Murray though, Austin Kendall is coming off a redshirt year and showed glimpses of talent when on the field in 2016 that makes you think he too could be ready to lead.

Where the Sooners could truly be hurting this season is on the other side of the ball. This isn’t to say that Oklahoma was the greatest defensive team in the world last season — they weren’t. Most games for the Sooners seemed to devolve into shootouts, staying on brand as they were coming out of the Big 12. However, that could be even more the case in 2018.

Oklahoma lost eight starters from their defense last season. That’s an absurd number for any team to deal with. While the Sooners have recruited well, bringing in that much new blood to this unit could result in some growing pains as it pertains to stopping opponents.