TULSA WORLD HOMEPAGE | Wednesday, February 10, 2010 | WIRELESS
CONTACT US | SUBSCRIBER SERVICES | SIGN IN SIGN OUT | MY PROFILE PAGE | MY ACCOUNT

Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on RSS
Sports Extra!
Follow us on ...
OU | OSU | TU | ORU | HIGH SCHOOLS | COLLEGE FOOTBALL | COLLEGE BASKETBALL | NFL | FANTASY | OUTDOORS | GOLF | PROS | ALL




SPORTS EXTRA BLOGS
    Sports Editor
Mike Strain
Sports Columnist
Dave Sittler
The Picker
Entertaining & Infuriating

LOCAL PROS

ALL SPORTS

PHOTOS & VIDEOS

OUTDOORS

FIND A STORY

EMAIL ALERTS

SOCIAL MEDIA

RSS FEEDS

CONTACT US
BUY PHOTOS & PAGES

TULSA WORLD

ADVERTISE ON SPORTS EXTRA



Newspaper View Newspaper View      Print this story Print      Email this story Email     
Share      Bookmark Bookmark

OSU options are plentiful for next QB
Brandon Weeden may be the front-runner, but freshmen could be factors.

Texas High quarterback Nathan Sorenson(center) is expected to arrive in Stillwater inJune. EVAN LEWIS / Texarkana Gazette

 
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
Published: 10/1/2009  2:28 AM
Last Modified: 10/1/2009  1:13 PM

 STILLWATER — Only a few games remain in Oklahoma State's Zac Robinson era. The 2010 spring-practice period should be compelling as coach Mike Gundy presides over a wide-open competition for the No. 1 quarterback job.

Returning veterans Brandon Weeden and Alex Cate will be challenged by Clint Chelf, currently redshirting as a Cowboy freshman. Sand Springs' Johnny Deaton, the first player to commit to OSU for the 2010 recruiting class, plans to graduate early from Charles Page High School, enroll in January at OSU and participate in spring drills.

Deaton is sidelined this season because of a broken right collarbone.

Nathan Sorenson, an extremely athletic left-handed quarterback from Texas High School in Texarkana, also has committed to the Cowboys and originally had planned a mid-term enrollment at Oklahoma State. However, Sorenson has reconsidered and plans to stay at Texas High for the spring semester, running sprints for the track team and playing for the Tigers' defending Texas Class 4A state championship baseball team.

Because of their familiarity with OSU's no-huddle spread offense, Weeden, Cate and Chelf will have an immediate advantage over the rookies. With two touchdown passes and his overall management of the offense, Weeden impressed the Cowboy coaches during the second half of last week's Grambling State game.

Weeden may enter the spring as the front-runner, but Deaton and Sorenson are highly regarded recruits.

"One of the first discussions between (the OSU coaches) and my family was about whether I would graduate early," Deaton said. "Everything was in order (academically), so I decided to do it.

"I'll be going to a lot of OSU's games this season, so I'll be watching the offense closely. I want to learn as much as I can. When (spring practice) starts, I want to compete right away."

Asked whether a first-year freshman can be an effective, winning quarterback in the Cowboy offense, Gundy replied, "I'm not saying you can't. I'm saying you would have to really work at it."

Being with the Cowboys for spring practice "would greatly increase your chances," added Gundy.

As a fifth-year senior, Robinson has a five-year relationship with the Cowboy offense. He needed only 24 games to become OSU's career total-offense leader.

"If a (first-year freshman) comes in during the spring and learns it, and if he's really a smart guy and studies it and has a good feel for the game, I think it is possible (to win the starting job)," Robinson said. "But if somebody doesn't show up until the summer and tries to learn it, that's probably too much.

"Spring ball would be very important. You see (first-year freshmen) playing at USC with Matt Barkley and at Michigan with (Tate) Forcier, and you saw it last year at Baylor with Robert Griffin. That first spring can really help you out — not only with learning the offense, but getting acclimated with college life."

As a Sand Springs junior last season, Deaton had 1,718 passing yards and 1,665 rushing yards. In this year's opener against Enid, he sustained a broken collarbone. Deaton underwent surgery and his rehabilitation begins next week. He remains ranked by Rivals.com as the nation's No. 6 dual-threat quarterback prospect.

"Johnny wants to play so bad later this season, but it's my recommendation that he not play at all," Sand Springs coach Dustin Kinard said. "I know this isn't what Johnny wanted for his senior year, but when he arrives at OSU, he won't be banged up. He'll be healthy and hungry."

Kinard predicted that OSU coaches will be intrigued by Deaton's arm strength and speed.

"Man, he's fast," Kinard said. "That first 10 or 15 yards, he's as fast as he wants to be. Just a great player. Strong arm. Very strong arm."

Through four games this season, Sorenson has completed 61 percent of his passes for nine touchdowns against zero interceptions.

"Nathan will bring as much athleticism to the (OSU) program as anybody," Texas High coach Barry Norton said. "When I was sending Nathan's tapes out (to college programs), a lot of coaches said that he reminded them of Zac Robinson. Nate has a really good arm, and you couple that with his ability to run — it makes him an exceptional quarterback.

"And our offense here is comparable to what they do at Oklahoma State. We do a lot of shotgun, zone-read and quarterback runs. There are a lot of similarities."



Quarterback candidates

When Oklahoma State begins spring practice in March, five scholarship quarterbacks are expected to compete for the starting job:

Alex Cate

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Currently: Fourth-year junior at OSU

Breakdown: A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, Cate was designated the No. 2 QB during August camp. He has been on the field for one play this season. Hit hard by a Grambling State defensive end, Cate lost a fumble and took a shot to the head. He was unable to return to the game. In his career, Cate has attempted five passes.

Brandon Weeden

Height: 6-4

Weight: 225

Currently: Third-year sophomore at OSU

Breakdown: Weeden, soon to turn 26, spent five years as a right-handed pitcher in professional baseball (with the Yankees, Dodgers and Royals organizations). During the second half of last week’s victory over Grambling, he was 4-of-7 passing for 77 yards and two touchdowns.

Clint Chelf

Height: 6-3

Weight: 205

Currently: First-year freshman at OSU

Breakdown: In two seasons as Enid’s starting quarterback, Chelf passed for 4,124 yards and 34 touchdowns. He rushed for 1,449 yards and 22 TDs.

Johnny Deaton

Height: 6-3

Weight: 205

Currently: Senior at Sand Springs. Verbally committed to OSU. Expected to enroll at mid-term and participate in spring practice.

Breakdown: Rivals.com rates Deaton as the nation’s No. 6 dual-threat quarterback prospect. As the Tulsa World’s All-Metro QB last season, he passed for 1,718 yards and rushed for 1,665. Deaton sustained a broken collarbone in this year’s opener against Enid and is not expected to play the rest of the season.

Nathan Sorenson

Height: 6-3

Weight: 200

Currently: Senior at Texas High School in Texarkana. Verbally committed to OSU. Sorenson is not expected to arrive in Stillwater until June.

Breakdown: Rated by Rivals as the nation’s No. 34 dual-threat QB recruit. The left-handed Sorenson is an all-around athlete, having run the third leg of Texas High’s Class 4A championship 800-meter relay team and having been the designated hitter on Texas High’s 4A state championship baseball team. In football, he passed for more than 2,200 yards last season.

NOTE: Deaton and Sorenson are verbally committed to OSU. Verbal commitments are non-binding. Recruits may enroll at mid-term or sign national letters of intent in February.

Bill Haisten 581-8397
bill.haisten@tulsaworld.com
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer

Newspaper View Newspaper View      Print this story Print      Email this story Email     
Share      Bookmark Bookmark


COMMENTS 
      Add your comment Show: Most Recent Comment First

9 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
Report Comment Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you.  -- Web Editor Jason Collington
 

 
Report Comment
dcood, (10/1/2009 9:36:20 AM)
October 1 and we are already talking spring ball and who the next QB is?? Classic Aggie, choke it off early (houston)... there's always next year.
Report Comment
what now brown cow, (10/1/2009 10:31:22 AM)
If I remember correctly, many years ago a certain freshman came in at a half time and ran the team very sucessfully for the rest of the year and for three more years. someone named Gundy, Mike Gundy, if I recalled correctly. that seemed to work out ok.
Report Comment
bull, (10/1/2009 11:05:29 AM)
dcood, not to defend the aggies, but it is the TW writing this not their fans
Report Comment
Poke4life, Tulsa (10/1/2009 1:47:16 PM)
Don't forget about Josh Fields going into Norman as a freshman in winning that game.
Report Comment
Arbythree, Tulsa (10/1/2009 1:52:52 PM)
I forgot him Poke4life. LOL!!
Report Comment
CowboyBobDog, Neamh (10/1/2009 1:56:54 PM)
Ed Fudley from East Cupcake High in New Jersey.

(Bobdog understands Ed can chunk it a mile and run like a grayhound and kick like a mule.)
Report Comment
OutPickMyNose, (10/1/2009 2:38:57 PM)
Your right dcood, all of us "aggies" wrote this article.

What a moron you are.

Enjoy your day flipping burgers, OU fan.
Report Comment
happy8003104b, Tulsa (10/1/2009 3:52:49 PM)
Dcood

Can you say B Y U
Report Comment
Rhymeister, Tokyo, JPN (10/1/2009 11:46:19 PM)
Classic Land Grabber fan comment there, dcood. Stay classy!
 

 
Add Your Comment 
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.

 
Post Your Comment
 



Home | About Tulsa World | Advertise With Us | Privacy | Usage Agreement | FAQ and Help | Contact Us | Today's Headlines
Copyright © 2010, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.