Practice report (8-10-09)
A lot of good tidbits came from Monday’s practice, the first in full pads this preseason.
The biggest story line was tight end Brody Eldridge being forced to play first-team center with starter Ben Habern and top reserve Brian Lepak both battling injuries. Eldridge is the team’s emergency center, though Habern should be back in practice later this week. Lepak is out for the next 1-2 weeks with a high ankle sprain.
The other most interesting nugget was offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson basically saying that Cameron Kenney and freshman Jaz Reynolds would be ahead of sophomores Jameel Owens and Dejuan Miller if he had to fill out the depth chart at wide receiver today. Kenney is not too shocking, but Reynolds has been a pleasant surprise. Reynolds apparently has blazing speed, which has the Sooner coaches salivating. He could carve out a decent role for himself this season. Owens and Miller, meanwhile, were supposed to have breakout seasons this year. That won’t happen if they don’t make it onto the field. Remember, the Sooners also have Mossis Madu, Ryan Broyles, Brandon Caleb and Adron Tennell at receiver as well, not to mention running back DeMarco Murray and tight end Jermaine Gresham, who will be flexed out or placed in the slot often.
Other notes:
* As customary with all football teams the first day of pads, the Sooners ran the “Oklahoma Drill.” Among the players who impressed Bob Stoops were Auston English, Jeremy Beal, Trent Williams, Gerald McCoy and backup right tackle Jarvis Jones.
Said Stoops, “The Oklahoma Drill was wild. Guys were getting after it, which you like. It carried right into our inside drill where we did a lot of short yardage. It was really physical.”
* Stoops really praised cornerback Demontre Hurst, which has got to kill OSU fans. Hurst, remember, was committed to OSU for a long time, but switched his verbal late to OU before signing with the Sooners. Stoops said Hurst is “as good a young guy as we’ve ever brought in here.”
* Off. coordinator Kevin Wilson admitted the o-line “struggled” Monday against the Sooner def. line. Not surprising. OU’s d-line will make a lot of teams struggle.
* Safety Kevin Brent is out with a shoulder injury. He was, however, doing fairly well before getting hurt, and should be back on the field before too long, Stoops said.
-JT
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- Dejuan Miller
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- Brody Eldridge
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- Auston English
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Comments
Owen’s needs to show Stoops his press clippings from HS,
so he can be a starter. In his mind he’s to good to ride
the pine. He’s a star.
If getting Hurst away from OSU hurt them, what about Ryan Broyles. He was committed to OSU until he change on the last day of recruiting. How hard would Dez and Broyles be to handle.
Stoops talks about the “Oklahoma Drill”. Part of that drill
is beating Texas and winning your Bowl, and in that dept.
the “coach” is 3-3 & 1-5 since Mike Stoops left. Thats the
important part of the “Oklahoma Drill”. Not getting “Drilled