Tech date revealed, rest to follow?
The Big 12 Conference granted Texas Tech the “authority” to announce its conference schedule dates Wednesday morning, suggesting the Sooner conference could be revealed soon, too.
Tech will travel to Norman on Oct. 22. Here’s the rest of their schedule:
Sept. 3 – Texas State
Sept. 10 – Open
Sept. 17 – at New Mexico
Sept. 24 – Nevada
Oct. 1 – at Kansas
Oct. 8 – Texas A&M
Oct. 15 – Kansas State
Oct. 22 – at Oklahoma
Oct. 29 – Iowa State
Nov. 5 – at Texas
Nov. 12 – Oklahoma State
Nov. 19 – at Missouri
Nov. 26 – vs. Baylor (Arlington)
As of now, Tech is the only conference school to release its schedule.
-JT
Sooners add another walk-on kicker
OU has added yet another preferred walk-on kicker.
Sherman (Texas) High School kicker Eric Hosek will be joining the Soooners this summer, the Sherman Herald Democrat reported.
Hosek’s mother, DeDe, told the Herald Democrat that an OU scout saw Hosek play against Texarkana High last fall and contacted Sherman coach Gary Kinne. Bob Stoops apparently reviewed Hosek’s highlight videos and extended him an invitation to join the program.
Hosek was also invited as a preferred walk-on by TCU and Tulsa .
Hosek received all-state, all-DFW area, Herald Democrat All-Texomaland and all-district honors for both the 2009 and 2010 football seasons.
-JT
Bill could make penalties stiffer for lawbreaking agents in Oklahoma
Legislation that would hit agents with stricter penalties for breaking the law passed the Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday.
“Athlete agents need to have skin in the game,” said President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, who co-authored HB 1586. “Currently, agents breaking the rules have little more than a slap on the wrist while there have been many cases where an agent has ruined the student athlete’s college career.”
The bill will allow the Secretary of State or the Attorney General to issue subpoenas for materials relevant the Uniform Athlete Agents Act, which require agents to register with the Oklahoma Secretary of State and university of the student-athlete before contacting the student-athlete.
The bill will return to the House for consideration of Senate amendments.
If passed, first infractions will be a misdemeanor subject to fine’s of no less than $10,000 and second infractions will be felonies subject to fines no less than $50,000. Agents would be required to register a bond with the Secretary of State as a condition to remain eligible to represent athletes.
Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder and Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione both issued statements Tuesday praising the Senate.
“We thank Sen. Bingman for his leadership on this important issue and we are pleased to see legislation that will restrict the actions of sports agents and their representatives,” Holder said. Through the implementation of these increased restrictions and penalties, the commitment by the Secretary of State’s and Attorney General’s office, and the assistance of athletic departments, the state of Oklahoma should experience greater control over those individuals in the sports agent industry that put the well-being and eligibility of our student-athletes at-risk.”
-JT
Q&A with DE Frank Alexander
Senior defensive end Frank Alexander will finally be full-time starter on the OU defense, after spending the last two seasons as a part-timer.
After a promising sophomore campaign, Alexander regressed somewhat in 2010 as a junior. A preseason ankle sprain caused him to miss the opener; however, even after returning, Alexander was almost a non-factor the first half of the season.
But Alexander closed the year strong with eight tackles for loss and three sacks in OU’s final three games, and so far has had a banner spring camp. I spoke to him after Thursday’s practice:
Frank, how much are looking forward to this season, not having the kind of year last season you had hoped to have?
“I’m always looking to get better. I feel like I coulda did a lot more, just had a lot of issues last year. I’m ready to get out there and showcase my talent.”
You still had three huge games to close the year, did that give some momentum heading into the offseason?
“Oh yeah. By that time last year, things started to get back right. Started feeling more confident on the ankle and stuff. That was a big step. I’m ready to just keep going.”
What were the issues?
“High ankle sprain, strain on my Achilles tendon. Trying to turn a corner or bend, it was always aching. It’s a lot stronger now.”
Were the injuries your primary hindrance?
“Not just putting it on injuries. Just could have been a lot better in a lot more things. Basic stuff. Pad leverage. Technique. Bunch more stuff I could do better.”
With Jeremy Beal gone, you’re going to be getting a lot more attention from defenses. You looking forward to that challenge?
“I’m ready for it. The work in summer and work in two-a-days, I’ll get a lot better and be ready for it. I’m looking forward to it.”
-JT
Breaking down Red-White rosters
Tuesday, the Sooners split up into Red and White squads for Saturday’s spring game. A few thoughts:
* The Red team is stacked at running back, with Roy Finch, Brandon Williams and Brennan Clay. The White counters with Jonathon Miller and walk-on Dominique Whaley. Miller has had a solid spring, but the Red holds a decisive firepower advantage here.
* On paper, the Red also holds a big edge at LB, with Travis Lewis, Austin Box, Tony Jefferson and Corey Nelson. However, this edge could turn into a liability depending on how much seniors Lewis and Box are allowed to play.
* The White combats the Red’s advantage at LB, with starting ends Frank Alexander and Ronnell Lewis and talented redshirt freshman Geneo Grissom. This trio could put a lot of pressure on Red QB Drew Allen.
* What receivers are the Sooners going to throw to? Doesn’t look like Ryan Broyles is going to participate. Kenny Stills (hamstring), Trey Franks (foot), Justin McCay (knee), Sheldon McClain (clavicle) are all banged up and Dejuan Miller just recently was cleared coming off season-ending knee surgery. Jaz Reynolds and walk-ons Ryan Caro, Derrick Bradley and Nyko Symonds should get plenty of opportunities to shine. The Red team could also line up any 3 of their RBs in the slot, too, another advantage.
* The White is clearly banking on QB Landry Jones carrying them to victory, which worked last season for the White in a rout. Look for Jones to try and work the ball to tight end James Hanna.
* The offensive lines are about even. Daryl Williams and Lane Johnson of the White and Tyrus Thompson and Adam Shead of the Red should get several snaps.
-JT
Red-White rosters set
The rosters for the Red-White Spring Game have been set. Here they are:
RED TEAM
Quarterbacks
Drew Allen
Cayden Cochran
Ben Sherrard
Kendal Thompson
Running Backs
Brennan Clay
Roy Finch
Brandon Williams
Fullbacks
David Driskell
David Welchert
Receivers
Ryan Caro
Sheldon McClain
Dejuan Miller
Jaz Reynolds
Kenny Stills
Tight Ends
Austin Haywood
Offensive Tackles
Jake Reed
Donald Stephenson
Tyrus Thompson
Guards/Centers
Tyler Evans
Ben Habern
Drew Serruto
Adam Shead
Defensive Tackles
Eric Humphrey
Torrea Peterson
Casey Walker
Defensive Ends
David King
Chuka Ndulue
R.J. Washington
Linebackers
Jaydan Bird
Austin Box
Aaron Franklin
Donald Franklin
Erik Lee
Travis Lewis
Corey Nelson
Defensive Backs
Jesse Bell
Beau Davis
Quentin Hayes
James Haynes
Demontre Hurst
Tony Jefferson
Gabe Lynn
Zach Montana
Sam Proctor
Dillon Schooley
Elijah Sigler
Julian Winters
Kickers/Punters
Patrick O’Hara
Jimmy Stevens
Deep Snapper
Kelton Miller
WHITE TEAM
Quarterbacks
Blake Bell
Landry Jones
Daniel Rossi
Running Backs
Jonathan Miller
Dominique Whaley
Fullbacks
Marshall Musil
Joel Ossom
Receivers
Derrick Bradley
Trey Franks
Justin McCay
Nyko Symonds
Tight Ends
Jarrett Brown
James Hanna
Offensive Tackles
Josh Aladenoye
Lane Johnson
Daryl Williams
Victor Craven
Guards/Centers
Stephen Good
Gabe Ikard
Bronson Irwin
Damon Williams
Austin Woods
Defensive Tackles
Marquis Anderson
Jamarkus McFarland
Stacy McGee
Daniel Noble
Defensive Ends
Frank Alexander
Geneo Grissom
Ronnell Lewis
Mitch Williams
Linebackers
Rashod Favors
Caleb Gastelum
Joseph Ibiloye
Londell Taylor
Tom Wort
Defensive Backs
Aaron Colvin
Jordan Finch
Lamar Harris
Javon Harris
Walter Henderson
Hesse Paulsen
Joseph Powell
John Sosanya
Julian Wilson
Kickers/Punters
Michael Hunnicutt
Tress Way
Deep Snapper
James Winchester
-JT
McCay injured?
Freshman wideout Justin McCay apparently has suffered an injury. McCay put this Twitter post up: “Trying to rest. And hoping tomorrow the doctor tells me good news. Pray for me and my recovery.”
Speculation is that McCay suffered some kind of knee injury, but more will be known after his visit with the doctor.
McCay, formerly the No. 1 prospect in OU’s 2010 recruiting class, was vying for a spot in the Sooners’ contested rotation at receiver. As long as an MRI shows no tears, McCay should be back in time for next season.
-JT
Report: Sooners nab JUCO PG
Lon Kruger apparently has picked up his first recruit as Oklahoma’s new coach.
The Web site OUHoops.com reports that junior college point Sam Grooms has committed to the Sooners after taking an official visit to OU over the weekend.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Grooms is out of Chipola J.C. in Marianna, Fla. He is believed to be one of the top points guards in the junior college ranks. Grooms is rated the No. 11 overall JUCO prospect by the Rivals site JucoJunction.com.
-JT
Bedlam set but two questions remain with OU schedule
Friday, the Big 12 announced that Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will play Dec. 3, a move most of us saw coming. Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe has said the league needed a marquee game to fill the void of no conference championship game, and with OU-Texas cemented at the October Texas State Fair, Bedlam was the second best option.
That date should be good for both schools. It will give the Sooners the chance to make a statement to BCS voters right before the final BCS Standings come out.
And it will give OSU wideout Justin Blackmon and quarterback Brandon Weeden and OU wideout Ryan Broyles and quarterback Landry Jones a huge stage to impress Heisman voters should any of the four be in the race at the end of the season.
But two significant questions still remain with the Sooner conference schedule, that will have a bearing on the season.
Will OU play a league game the week before Florida State? And Will OU play on Thanksgiving Weekend?
At the moment, the Sooners have an open date Sept. 10, the week before they travel to Tallahassee for what figures to be a clash between Top 10 teams.
An advantage to not playing the prior week would give OU an extra week of preparation for the Seminoles, who have already indicated they’ve been pointing to the OU game for some while.
But, there’s advantage in also staying crisp by playing the weekend before. The risk here, though, is what if the Big 12 schedules Missouri or Texas A&M or Texas Tech the week before Florida State. Not only does an extra week of prep go out the window, but the Sooners would have the unenviable task of having to play back-to-back tough games. Missouri and A&M have to come to Norman, but don’t forget, both teams defeated the Sooners last season. OU should be favored by double digits in both cases. But the Sooners can’t afford to look past either of those teams, either.
If OU plays a Thanksgiving game, we can rule out the entire Big 12 South as possibilities. Baylor and Tech are playing in Arlington that weekend. Texas-Texas A&M will play Thanksgiving day night. And the Sooners will play OSU the following weekend.
That leaves, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State as the only possibilities.
OU-Missouri would be the most attractive matchup, both for Sooner fans and for TV. But KU and Missouri might prefer to keep their annual rivalry game on Thanksgiving Saturday.
Also, in the first version of the Big 12 standings, K-State and Iowa State are actually scheduled to play one another Thanksgiving Saturday, something I can see being attractive for both schools, with their primary football rival, Nebraska, now gone.
What does all this mean?
The chances of OU playing Thanksgiving Weekend this year are not great.
-JT
Sooners could land pair of special recruits in 2012
IN 2004, OKLAHOMA SIGNED two of the top four players in the country in QB Rhett Bomar and RB Adrian Peterson. Bomar lasted only two years in Norman and was booted off the team for accepting payment for work he didn’t do. But Peterson went on to finish second in the Heisman race his freshman season, and is now an All-Pro with the Minnesota Vikings.
In 2012, the Sooners have the chance to sign two of the nation’s top prospects. Possibly the nation’s top two overall recruits.
Wednesday, MaxPreps/CBS Sports recruiting guru Tom Lemming unveiled his Top 100, and at the top of the list are wideout Dorial Green-Beckham and quarterback Gunner Kiel, two players who appear to be strongly considering the Sooners.
Kiel, who seems destined to be the consensus No. 1 QB, is actually in Norman today, visiting OU for the second time in two months. Kiel, a native of Columbus, Ind., is also considering Notre Dame, where his uncle played QB. Alabama, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee and Wisconsin are also in the mix for Kiel, but this could come down to the Sooners and Irish. If he chooses one of those two, Kiel will get the chance to play the school he spurned. OU and Notre Dame are scheduled to play in 2012 in Norman and 2013 in South Bend.
Snagging Green-Beckham won’t be an easy task for the Sooners. Just about every premier program in the country is recruiting him. Late last month, he visited Alabama.
“Football-wise, I don’t think there’s any question Alabama meets the criteria he’s looking for,” his coach, John Beckham, told Rivals.com after the visit. “He wants to play at a school where he’s going to be challenged, be able to play in big games and maybe play for a national championship.”
The Sooners meet that criteria, too, and will get their shot to woo the likely consensus No. 1 overall recruit in 20120.
THE BATTLE FOR THE NO. 2 quarterback job continues, with Drew Allen and Blake Bell duking it out. So far, Allen appears to hold the edge.
“The way I see it is I come every day to compete. I come to compete like there’s not a set guy,” he said. “I come to compete and come to play. Every day I’m getting better at something else. Every day as an offense I think we’re getting better at something else. Everybody is making strides just like I’m making strides every day.
“In being the backup, you just always have to be ready. You never know when they are going to call on you. You just always have to be ready.”
Allen said he’s come a ways since last spring, which he capped with a decent showing in the Red-White Spring Game.
“Physically and mentally, a lot,” he said. “I’ve put on some weight. Mentally it has helped a lot. The offense is becoming second nature. I feel like I’ve earned some respect from everybody on the offense and I feel like I can lead them. It’s been a really good thing having everybody around me and bonding with the offense.”
Sooner fans know how pivotal it is to have a reliable backup at QB. Jason White, Nate Hybl, Paul Thompson and Landry Jones have all been put on the spot due to injuries (or suspensions) to the starter.
“I’ll be ready when the time comes,” Allen said. “And that all comes with confidence. I’m playing with a lot more confidence than I was in the fall.”
IT’S NOT ALL THAT UNTHINKABLE that four different running backs — Roy Finch, Brennan Clay, Jonathon Miller and true freshman Brandon Williams — will have a role in the offense next season.
Finch is the most proven of the bunch, but he’s still only at “80-85 percent” coming back from surgery to repair a recurring stress fracture.
That has given Miller and Williams plenty of time in the backfield, and both have been impressive. Miller’s powerful style is a nice foil to Finch and Clay, both scatbacks.
“Jonathan is somebody that I know if we had to play tomorrow, I could count on Jonathan to know what he has to do besides just getting the ball in his hand,” said running backs coach Cale Gundy, who is giving each back about 25-30 reps each practice. “He knows our system, he’s learning and he’s almost one of those guys that always knows what he’s supposed to be doing.”
“He’s been here for two years. He’s watched a lot of film and Jonathan is a smart young man.”
Williams is proving that he can be a significant factor in the offense next season, despite being on campus for a total of three months.
“I’ve been really surprised at how quick he’s been able to adapt because our system is complicated,” Gundy said. “There are a lot of responsibilities, but he is really learning the concepts of the pass plays and understanding pass protection. The more reps he gets, he’s going to be better at it. He’s made good progress in the practices we’ve had.
“Is he there? No. But he’s probably made more progress than I thought he would.”
QUARTERBACK Landry Jones has always been brutally honest about his performance in closed scrimmages. So you can believe him when he says that Saturday’s scrimmage “went pretty good.”
“Couple series, missed some shots in our two-minute, drill,” he said. “But I thought I played pretty well.”
The Sooners were especially strong on the goal line in the scrimmage, a place they struggled at times last year. Jones, physically, usually doesn’t do much in the goal line attack. He doesn’t block. Doesn’t run. But Jones has a part to play, something he’s been working at.
“It’s more of leadership down there, telling the guys we’re going to make this play,” Jones.
JONES STARTED out strong with his new Twitter account the last couple of months. Landryjones12 posted 88 tweets and had 1,604 followers in a day. But he has lost considerable social networking steam since the start of spring ball.
“My twitter game has gone awry totally, man” said Jones, who turned 22 this week. “My creative juices have just run out.”
GUARD Bronson Irwin has taken advantage of OU’s strength and conditioning program. He came in at 330 pounds, and now weighs 295.
“A lot of StairMaster,” he said.
Irwin is battling Stephen Good and Adam Shead for one of the backups job at guard.
“Just like anything else, you have to earn it,” he said. “It’s up me to what happens and how hard I work and how hard everyone else works as well.”
THE FOOTBALL CAREER of Jameel Owens amazingly appears to be over. The former Muskogee High School standout and 4-star prospect, who left OU after two seasons and played last year at Tulsa, left the Hurricanes this week.
Owens had been on a leave of absence from the Hurricanes during spring drills, after catching 18 passes for 246 yards and six touchdowns last season, including a TD reception in Tulsa’s 62-35 win over Hawaii in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.
Citing sources, the Tulsa World reported Owens was “burned out” on football.
-JT
