There have been some important answers to questions this spring as football practice wraps up. Even though the practices have been slowed because of all of the injuries, you can tell Bob Stoops is a happy camper right now.
“I know we had all of the injuries that slowed us down. But we’ve accomplished quite a bit. I’m really happy with what I’ve seen.”
The biggest reason for optimism has been the play in the defensive secondary. During the spring game the Oklahoma receivers just couldn’t find separation (which may not be a good thing for the offense). But it certainly made the defensive coaches happy. In fact one boldly predicted, “Our secondary definitely has a chance to be better this year than it was last season.”
The reason for all of the optimism was the play of the young DB’s such as Jonathan Nelson, Sam Proctor, Desmond Jackson, Dominque Franks and Jamell Fleming. This group played extremely well.
The player who has gotten the most praise has been cornerback Brian Jackson. The Sooners thought he could be a special player when they signed him a copuple of years ago from the Texas prep ranks. However, Jackson has been slowed with injuries.
Late last year this 6-1, 190-pounder began to make a lot of progress, Now the Sooner coaches will tell you they think he can be a standout cornerback.
Another guy they think can be speical is linebacker Keenan Clayton. “He made great progress for us. He can really be a good player for us,” said Stoops. “Every practice he’s been good.”
Negatives? How about the play of the wide receivers. There were too many passes that were drooped. It didn’t seem like this group could get a lot of separation from the defensive backs. The Sooners were hoping that Quentin Chaney could make a statement. He was too inconsistent.
Someone who didn’t go through spring practice needs to step up in August. Could it be Adron Tennell, who was one of the most ballyhooed wide receivers in the prep ranks two years ago. He hasn’t done much since he’s been in Norman, but the Sooners say he has a lot of promise. He sat out the entire spring recovering from surgery.
Ryan Broyles was out with a broken collar bone. Remember the Sooners were going to play him as a true freshman last season until he got into off the field problems. He could really help at the slot receiver spot.
And then there’s incoming freshman Jammel Owens of Muskogee. He’s big and fast and is a great athlete. But can he make an impact right away? It may be critical that he can make an immediate impact.
Subscribe to RSS
