Tulsa World: Five questions heading into OU fall camp

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Five questions heading into OU fall camp

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Published: 8/3/2008 2:13 AM
Last Modified: 8/3/2008 2:44 AM

How is everybody feeling?

DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown, OU's two featured tailbacks, both sat out spring practice with knee injuries. Adron Tennell, expected to help fill Malcolm Kelly's void, is battling his own knee issues. Auston English and Ryan Reynolds, arguably the Sooners' most important players on defense, have both struggled to stay healthy. English, in fact, will miss the start of two-a-days after undergoing a recent emergency appendectomy. Austin Box, who should contend at both middle and outside linebacker, is coming off a dislocated elbow. Not to say the Sooners are a medical mess, but they won't want any more injures between now and the season opener, particularly at linebacker.

What about linebacker?

Curtis Lofton, after his 157-tackle 2007 season, is in the NFL. Lewis Baker, last year's strongside linebacker, has graduated. Reynolds replaces Lofton in the middle, and the Sooners hope his knee problems of the past two years are behind him. Converted safety Keenan Clayton looked very comfortable at strongside 'backer last spring. Box and fellow redshirt freshman Travis Lewis are in the hunt at the weak side, unless the Sooners shift Box to the middle to spell Reynolds. Junior college transfers Mike Balogun and J.R. Bryant are other possibilities, although the last highly touted juco candidate at middle linebacker, Mike Reed, didn't work out so well. Should be interesting to see how the depth chart shakes out this month.

Is the no-huddle here to stay?

Staff members turned heads last spring by announcing the move to a faster-paced offense, designed to take advantage of both the 40-second clock now running between plays and all of OU's weaponry. Since that announcement, however, the Sooners have backed off somewhat. Coach Bob Stoops called the no-huddle "a work in progress" after an interception-marred Red-White Game last April. At the recent Big 12 Media Days, Stoops declared how much the Sooners go no-huddle is "still to be determined." Sam Bradford and his receivers spent much of the summer getting comfortable with no-huddle nuiances. If they show that comfort during two-a-days, they'll at least experiment with the faster-paced attack in the '08 opener against Tennessee-Chattanooga.

Can the new corners cut it?

The Sooners are set in the middle of their secondary, thanks to senior safeties Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes. The inexperience is outside, where Brian Jackson and Dominique Franks must replace Reggie Smith and Marcus Walker. Jackson, Franks and backup Jonathan Nelson all turned in terrific spring games last April, picking off some passes and breaking up others. Together with redshirt freshman safety Sam Proctor, the group was the hit of spring practice in general.

It was an encouraging sign, but coaches must see much more of the same this month to feel secure about the next one and beyond. With an array of quarterbacks second to none, the Big 12 is truly a passing league. It falls to Jackson and Franks to make it tougher for Graham Harrell, Colt McCoy, Zac Robinson and Todd Reesing to find open receivers.

Who's the kicker?

Garrett Hartley was one of the most dependable Sooners the past four years regardless of position.

He delivered on 32 of his last 35 field goal attempts, became a Groza Award finalist, and left OU as the program's third most prolific kicker in history. Now comes the battle to replace him. Jimmy Stevens, who set the national high school career field goals record at Oklahoma City Heritage Hall, is coming off an inconsistent spring and might get pushed by Tress Way. The Union freshman was last seen hammering a 50-yard field goal to help Oklahoma beat Texas in the Oil Bowl last June.

SOONERS REPORT SUNDAY

Members of the Oklahoma football team will report Sunday and begin fall practice Monday. The Sooners open the regular season at 6 p.m. Aug. 30 at home against Tennessee-Chattanooga.

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer

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