2008 Oklahoma Sooners Preview

Oklahoma keeps racking up wins and championships. And, lately, season-ending disappointments. So it is in the Sooner Nation, where just getting to BCS bowls isn’t nearly good enough. Winning is expected. Demanded. And those are expectations the Sooners will gladly lug into the 2008 season, built again to win and win big, maybe even win late — as in Jan. 8, BCS title game late.

Two Minute Drill

A Quick Look at the Sooners

Oklahoma’s 11–3 finish in 2007 featured a Big 12 championship, its conference-high fifth since the inception of the league. The Sooners became the first to go back-to-back for titles in conference history. Still, the team and its fans crave something more: an eighth national championship. The Sooners should be in the conversation if the offense picks up where it left off and the defense doesn’t reveal too much of its youth and inexperience. The schedule offers few potential roadblocks, with Missouri off the slate for two years. There’s an early non-conference road game at Washington, the annual Red River Rivalry with Texas in the Cotton Bowl and conference road games at Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. OU should be favored in all. Quarterback Sam Bradford combined poise and playmaking skills to emerge as one of the nation’s elite freshmen a year ago. There’s reason to believe he’ll be even better this fall, able to pick and choose from an array of weapons spread all across the field. The pressure is on the defense to grow up fast, particularly the back seven. Lingering uncertainty at linebacker and in the secondary left the Sooners with much work to do in August. If the defense is slow to come around, the Sooners could slip in the Big 12 South. If the defense arrives on time, OU could play for No. 8 in ’09.

All the sting from a second consecutive Fiesta Bowl defeat — and a fourth BCS bowl loss in as many tries — was salved by the realization that 14 starters would return for another run this fall, including record-setting quarterback Sam Bradford and every man up front on an offensive line that ranks as one of the nation’s best.

“In the end, you have to go at it again,” says OU coach Bob Stoops. “I will say we have been pretty consistent in going after the Big 12 championship, and we look to do that again next year.

“Hopefully, we can finish the year a little bit better.”

The Sooners aren’t without issues. Key losses at linebacker and in the secondary left the defense with question marks that weren’t fully answered in the spring.

Three top players — wide receiver Malcolm Kelly, cornerback Reggie Smith and linebacker Curtis Lofton — jumped to the NFL after their junior years, tempering some of the offseason optimism.

Still, Bradford figures to be even better as a sophomore. Reliable weapons run deep at every skill position. The massive and physical offensive line offers protection and clear passage for all.

“You don’t have a crystal ball,” says offensive line coach James Patton. “You never know what’s going to happen. But we’ve got great depth. And we’ve got guys who are willing to work and keep that motivation.

“They want another championship.”

Quarterbacks

After emerging from a tight competition, Bradford produced one of the greatest freshman years in history. He led the nation in passing efficiency and set the NCAA freshman record with 36 touchdown passes. Now what? The natural assumption is that Bradford will be even better in his second season. But it’s not always that simple. Still, Bradford’s demeanor and confidence and quest for perfection suggest that a sophomore slump won’t be an issue. His biggest struggles as a freshman came on the road, where the Sooners were upset at Colorado and Texas Tech. Needed for more of a leadership role, Bradford will need to show more consistency in his play outside of Norman. “Sam was a great leader in his actions last year, but now with more experience, I think more of that will come,” Stoops says. “In everything he is doing, I think he will just get stronger with his arm and more precise with his steps. He has a lot of room for improvement, but I am sure that he will make it.” Backups Joey Halzle and Keith Nichol are mostly unproven. Halzle is the better passer of the two, while Nichol offers some versatility in the running game.

Running backs

A late-season knee injury derailed DeMarco Murray’s debut season, but he still averaged six yards per carry in running for 764 yards and a team-high 13 rushing touchdowns despite missing the final three games of the season. Elusive and fast, Murray is a potential difference-maker. He needs to develop more of an inside running presence, or risk sharing carries with Chris Brown, who ran for 611 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago. Mossis Madu is a shifty option who can also play the slot. And Jermie Calhoun, one of the nation’s top recruits, could challenge for immediate playing time. Fullbacks, when used, are almost strictly blockers. Matt Clapp is the favorite in that role, although tight end Brody Eldridge has also spent time in the backfield.

Receivers

Kelly’s early exit was a blow, leaving the Sooners without a clear go-to receiver on the outside. Maybe now they’ll lean more inside — to tight end Jermaine Gresham. Big and fast, Gresham is a match-up nightmare — too swift for safeties, too big for cornerbacks. Gresham’s 11 touchdown grabs as a sophomore were the most ever by a Sooner tight end. Juaquin Iglesias did enjoy a breakout year in 2007, leading OU with 68 catches for 907 yards. But the attention paid to Kelly helped create openings for Iglesias. Manuel Johnson is another returning starter, but he’s more of a possession receiver. Coaches would like to see senior Quentin Chaney finally pay off on his potential. Chaney has had moments of brilliance, including the past two Fiesta Bowls when Kelly was hurt, but has mostly seen his career defined by inconsistency. “This is my time,” Chaney says. “I feel like I’m ready.”

Offensive linemen

This is where it all starts for the Sooners. All five starters return, including top pro prospects in guard Duke Robinson and tackle Phil Loadholt anchoring the left side of center. They make a massive pair, with Robinson 6'5", 330 and Loadholt 6'8", 350. “The first time I met Phil,” says Bradford, “I thought, ‘I hope this guy’s on my team.’” Center Jon Cooper, entering his third seasons as a starter, is underrated in the middle. Brandon Walker is a third-year starter at right guard, and OU has two capable right tackles in Trent Williams and Branndon Braxton. For the first time in years, the Sooners can boast of depth on the line as well. If there’s a weakness among this group, there were times last year when it seemed to thrive more in pass protection and less as power run blockers.

Defensive linemen

Like the offense, OU’s defensive strength stretches across the front. The Sooners are deep at all four spots, with star power everywhere. Tackles Gerald McCoy and DeMarcus Granger are a load in the middle. Backup Cory Bennett is a senior who has started. The ends feature Auston English, who finished 15th nationally with 9.5 sacks a year ago, and a pair of players with starting experience in Jeremy Beal and Alan Davis. Redshirt freshman Frank Alexander has impressed and is pushing the veterans for playing time. The Sooners got a boost when John Williams was granted a sixth season by the NCAA after an Achilles’ injury. In a league that has seen so many teams shift to the spread offense, pressuring the passer is at a premium.

Linebackers

The Sooners must overhaul at linebacker, where Lofton stunned coaches with his decision to jump to the NFL after recording 157 tackles. Ryan Reynolds has started, but his time at OU has been hampered by injuries. And he’s being asked to shift from outside to the middle. He’s heady enough to handle it all. The question is, can he stay healthy? Keenan Clayton, a former safety, made the move down and played well in the spring. Redshirt freshmen Travis Lewis and Austin Box are talented, but raw, which is why defensive coordinator Brent Venables is counting on junior college transfers J.R. Bryant and Mike Balogun to arrive and make an immediate impact. “I like our group of guys,” Venables says. “But some of them I don’t even know yet.”

Defensive backs

There are more job searches taking place in the secondary, where both corners and a safety must be replaced. But there are proven players and plenty of potential, too. Nic Harris is an All-America candidate, a vicious hitter capable of playing either safety spot or the nickel. Lendy Holmes offers similar flexibility as a safety or corner. Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson carry an edge into the fall at the corner spots, with Jonathan Nelson and Jamell Fleming in the backup roles. Junior college transfer David Sims and redshirt freshman Sam Proctor could also work their way into the secondary picture. Youth and inexperience are cause for concern, especially in a now-freewheeling league with so many potent quarterbacks and receivers.

Specialists

The Sooners led the nation in kickoff returns a year ago and return their top options: Iglesias and Murray. Johnson and Franks are both threats returning punts, although that area lacked sizzle in ’07. Mike Knall is one of the Big 12’s best punters, in terms of both yardage and hang time. There’s a search to replace Garrett Hartley, who left as one of the most productive kickers in school history. Redshirt freshmen Jimmy Stevens and Matthew Moreland will compete with incoming freshman Tress Way for the placekicking and kickoff duties.

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