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‘Those kids grew up watching him’ Murray brings youth, experience, talent to new role CALEB MCCOURRY

@CalebMac21

Hopewell High School head coach Ricky Irby had a busy week in January. In just a couple of days after jan. 27, Irby hosted visits from Alabama’s Nick Saban, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and Ohio State’s Ryan Day. They were all interested in then-junior running back TreVeyon Henderson, a class of 2021 four-star recruit who ranks as the No. 3 running back in the country on Rivals.com.

On Jan. 30, Oklahoma played its hand by flying its new running backs coach DeMarco Murray to Hopewell, Virginia. Murray talked with Irby and his staff for an hour, and he wanted to know more about how Henderson is on and off the field. After the meeting, Murray signed autographs and took pictures with teachers and students who recognized him.

“He played in the league, and the high school kids know who he is,” Irby said.

“It gives (Oklahoma) instant credibility. It’s a pretty big deal.

“It’s a pretty big hire.”

That Thursday in Hopewell was Murray’s second day on the job after being named an Oklahoma assistant on Wednesday, Jan. 26, after spending one year as a running backs coach at Arizona. He’s one of the flashiest OU hires in recent memory, if not the flashiest.

As he walked the halls of Hopewell High School, Murray carried impressive accolades from the college level and from the NFL.

Murray ran for 3,685 yards and 50 touchdowns in his four years of eligibility at OU, where he’s had two seasons of running over 1,000 yards.

With the Dallas Cowboys, he ran for 4,526 yards and 28 touchdowns. In 2014 alone, he rushed for 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns, tallied 2,261 scrimmage yards, and won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.

He finished his seven-year NFL career with 7,174 rushing yards and 55 total touchdowns, sealing his fate as one of the most dominant running backs of the decade.

Now, he’s back in Norman to lead the next generation of Oklahoma running backs, with a locker room that includes junior T.J. Pledger and senior running back Rhamondre Stevenson.

Mu r ray ha s s e e n t h e best of both worlds when it comes to experience in college and in the NFL. His experience will be critical for molding current and future running backs for a school that boasts alumni from the likes of himself, Adrian Peterson, Billy Sims, Joe Washington and a slew of other notable names that competed in Norman.

But what will arguably be just as important as his experience is his name itself.

Kids currently coming out of high school and nearing the beginning of their college careers most likely watched Murray play, which brings star power to OU’s recruiting tactics.

“A lot of those kids grew up watching him,” said former OU running back Jacob Gutierrez, a teammate of Murray’s in 2007, the year he was a captain on the team.

“To have him walk in your door and tell you, ‘I want you at my program,’ and to be able to be coached by him ...

he lived it. He was there and walked those halls and sat in those (locker rooms), and he went through what he’s trying to get you to go through.

“That’s a lot different than someone who has no ties to a program and never played the position. It’s, ‘I’ve done this. Come do it with me.’ I think that’s huge.”

Murray is two years removed from his playing days, after announcing his retirement in 2018. A month later, he joined Fox Sports as a college football analyst before starting his coach-

the shock went away, and the transition made sense.

Peete, who has over 30 years of coaching experience in college and in the NFL, remembers going over game plans and watching him study before games.

“He was almost preparing himself each week as if a coach would prepare himself,” Peete said. “So, it doesn’t shock me that he’s coaching.

“He has obviously tremendous experience at the position. The knowledge that he’s gained over the

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

Running backs coach DeMarco Murray during OU Pro Day on March 11.

ing career at Arizona under head coach Kevin Sumlin, a former Oklahoma assistant from 2003 to 2007.

When Murray took the Arizona job, current Dallas Cowboys running backs coach Skip Peete called him to see if it was true after hearing from colleagues he wanted to try his hand at coaching. Peete, who was coaching running backs for the Los Angeles Rams at the time, coached Murray for his first two seasons with Dallas, and admits he was surprised.

They still communicate to this day.

But after some thought,

years, he could obviously pass along to younger players that can help them develop into top-flight college players and potentially pro football players.”

With the amount of experience Murray has, he still wanted advice from his first NFL position coach. Peete told him that his experience, although it will be massively helpful, can also be an obstacle, since Murray — as much of a sensational athlete as he was — adapted to the college and NFL level rather effortlessly.

“The most difficult thing that you’re going to have is,

you caught on to things very quickly,” Peete recalls telling Murray. “It came very easily to you. And now, you’re going to be explaining that to younger guys ... and you can’t get frustrated if they don’t get it right away.”

Peete also admits that Murray probably has one of the best learning abilities he’s ever coached, and ranks him in his top three of that category. The other two running backs who Peete ranks with Murray are Todd Gurley — formerly with the Rams — and the now-retired Matt Forte, who played for the Chicago Bears and the New York Jets.

Former teammates of Murray’s didn’t stay surprised at his move to coaching either. From words of encouragement to intense lecturing that football players all over the country have experienced, those close to Murray say those abilities were present in Murray as a young player.

“He is definitely very capable of getting in someone’s face,” said James Hanna, a former tight end f o r O k l a h o ma a n d t h e Dallas Cowboys. For both teams, he was playing with Murray. Hanna, who caught for 374 yards and a touchdown for Dallas, recollected a time when Murray tried to push him during a preseason game. “I was very tired and I was showing it. I was not being mentally tough.

I came off the sideline and he let me have it. I kind of let him have it back.

“Having that ability to be vocal is important.”

Former OU tight end Trent Ratterree, after seeing Murray in this new chapter of his life, has memories of the encouraging side of his former teammate. Ratterree, who was a walk-on and

played for the Sooners from 2008–11, remembers Murray giving him team meals back when there were strict NCAA rules about free meals from the program, along with recollections of Murray’s ability to boost team morale.

“I think ... the same expectations that he sets for himself, he sets for others,” Ratterree, who now works for U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn, said. “And he expects them to rise to those. And I would say if any player can get even close to his expectations, then they’re going to be a special player.”

Murray was hired at 31 as the youngest coach on OU’s staff, which is already a noticeably young staff. At the time, no one on the staff was older than 47.

With Murray at an age that’s considered a playing age for an athlete, his football days are still fresh.

He’s got the experience, the name, the ties to a school he had immense success at, and age is on his side.

The flashy hire has certainly raised interest in the OU community, and time will tell if Murray’s experiences and coaching ability rubs off on the next generation of running backs.

Sooner fans are hopeful, and those who know him best can’t see any reason to doubt him.

“He’s a rising star when it comes to coaching, because he gets it,” Ratterree said. “He knows the game.

He’s a really smart person.

And he was obviously a very talented athlete. So I think whenever you have all those things combined, there’s no question that you can be an extremely successful coach.”

Caleb McCourry

caleb.a.mccourry-1@ou.edu

3

Sooners rally around unity, BLM Riley leads team in wake of national social activism CALEB MCCOURRY

@CalebMac21

On Aug. 28, former OU running back and director of the Varsity O Club Joe Washington got on social media and liked what he was seeing from his alma mater.

He saw head coach Lincoln Riley marching on OU’s South Oval in a public demonstration against racial injustice with his entire team — all dressed in black — behind him, while locking arms with defensive back Chanse Sylvie to his right and center Creed Humphrey to his left. Riley led his team to the Unity Garden where, after saying a few words, the team had a 57-second moment of silence in honor of the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington led by Martin Luther King Jr. The scene resonated with Washington, who’s been staying in Maryland since March, as he watched the fourth-year head coach s e n d a m e ssag e t o t h e community, but he admits Riley’s unflinching leadership is something he always saw in him.

“I like what I saw from the moment he stepped foot on campus,” Washington said in an interview with The Daily. “He communicates real well with the kids, which is what being a leader is all about. He treats the kids with the type of respect with what you would want as a kid — you are not yet a total adult on your own but you’re close. I know Lincoln takes that under consideration. He knows he has 4

OU football head coach Linocln Riley walks with OU football players during the march for unity on Aug. 28.

these people, these kids, they all have parents and family who’ve entrusted them into his care. So he gets it all, he understands what it’s all about being a coach.

He really does.”

Since March, Riley has led the Sooners through the COVID-19 pandemic while also uniting his players through the nationwide Black Lives Matter movement, which resurged in prominence after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Tayor, Ahmaud Arber y a n d ma n y o t h e r Bl a c k Americans at the hands of law enforcement. While Americans have taken to public demonstrations,

these injustices sent shockwaves throughout the sports world as well.

Although he’s considered to have one of the brightest minds in college football, Riley’s message that Friday morning wasn’t one full of confident answers. Instead, he told the media and spectators that he, as a white man coaching a team of different races, is willing to learn from his team about race in America and the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I grew up a white male,” Riley said after the march. “I have not lived or had to experience some of the things that a lot of my players have had to. As much as you want

to read about it, this or that, it’s different when it hits home and when it’s somebody that you care about.

It’s absolutely been a learning experience for me. Every step of it. It’s definitely made me more aware. ... I hope it will (help) us to continue to do a better job of leading (our players).”

Riley’s message hit home with renowned activist George Henderson.

“What he said was spoton from my perspective,” said Henderson, who was hired by OU in 1967. “The point that he takes is that he’s not Black. He’s a white American and there’s much to learn and he’s willing to

PHOTOS BY TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

learn, but not just learn — he also is willing to have a program that will provide optimum opportunities for the Black athletes to be scholars, to be students and athletes and to be an integral part of our university and society.

“I was delighted that another generation of young African American athletes not only have found their voice, but they’re using it and also using their platform to provide changes in the university and communities.”

Though they were separated from March through June due to the COVID-19 pandemic, among those publicly demonstrating

and using social media to advocate for equality were Sooners, who have used their following to speak out against police brutality against Black people. Riley has repeatedly been vocal in his support of Black Lives Matter, but what’s most noticeable about the team’s activism is how multiple players have taken it upon themselves to use their prominence to bring attention to the movement.

Since June, Humphrey has tweeted thoughtful posts in support of Black Lives Matter to his over 18,000 followers. H-back Brayden Willis started a voting registration drive in his

M

hometown of Fort Worth, Texas, to spread awareness of not only the presidential election, but local elections that directly affect community members.

“A lot of times, just speaking in general with youth and people of my race, they don’t know a lot about voting,” Willis said in a Zoom conference Sept. 3. “I wanted to get some knowledge out to my community about voting, regardless of whoever you vote for. I don’t care, I just want to make sure that you know what’s going on and how your voice can be heard.”

In Norman and other cities around the country, OU players have been participating in public demonstrations. Sylvie and fellow defensive back Justin Broiles have both been prominent figures on their team when it comes to activism.

Sylvie, a graduate student with a degree in political science, has written a list of steps he thinks law enforcement should take to properly reform. After the 700-word document, released May 31, gained traction on social media, Sylvie announced he was starting a coalition of “like-minded individuals” to promote social change.

“I just don’t want to make media toexcuses and post about poality werelice brutality and about jusave usedtice for George Floyd,” said to speakSylvie, who’s now pursuing brutalitya master’s in global affairs, ple. Rileyin an interview with The een vocalDaily in June. “No, I want lack Livesto actually bring the justice. most no-So I’m sitting back thinking, team’s ac-‘I have this platform, and I iple play-have the ability to be blesson them-ed because of the University r promi-of Oklahoma. … Am I just ention togoing to blame and complain, or am I going to go out umphreyin the community to look for oughtfulan outcome and look for a of Blackchange? … How can I bring his overthis change?” . H-back Weeks later, Norman ted a vot-Mayor Breea Clark invited ive in hisSylvie to a Zoom conference

PHOTOS BY TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

OU football prayers pray together in the Unity Garden on the South Oval during the march for unity on Aug. 28.

Linocln Riley (middle) locks arms with redshirt senior defensive back Chanse Sylvie (left) and redshirt junior offensive lineman Creed Humphrey on Aug. 28.

to discuss his ideas. In an Oklahoma City demonstration May 31, Broiles grabbed a megaphone and spoke to hundreds of protesters, saying to millennials, “This is our problem now. We must educate ourselves. … We must make a change.” Fellow Sooners linebacker Jamal Morris and wide receiver Jadon Haselwood were protesting there as well.

Days later — on June 6 — Broiles also spoke on campus in front of Evans Hall,

where a large crowd ended a march that started at Norman High School, where fellow student-athletes and basketball players Ashlynn Dunbar and Ana Llanusa joined as well.

“They have an unbelievable platform to do these things,” Washington said.

“They can speak the truth and they can show the truth.

So, I think that it’s been something that has made a big difference in our society, especially this particular

Linocln Riley speaks to his team about unity in the Unity Garden on the South Oval on Aug. 28.

time, and for our athletes.”

Behind the Sooners is Riley’s support in their decisions. As players take to their respective communities and attempt to provoke change, discussions of racial equality happen within the program as well. The team constructed a racial justice task force, led by fifth-year senior linebacker Caleb Kelly, safety Pat Fields and Sylvie.

Riley has also discussed the change that is possible from a voting booth. Right

after the Aug. 28 march, Hu mp h re y a n n ou n c e d Riley encouraged his team to make sure every member is registered to vote.

Si n c e Ma rc h, R i l e y ’s coaching staff has had to reconsider how it needs to lead the Sooners. Cornerbacks coach Roy Manning said he and his counterparts have had to step away “from football mode, and step back into human role and just be willing to be a little bit vulnerable and transparent.”

The march was Riley’s biggest display of support for his players in his young head-coaching care er.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban has also been vocal in support of his players advocating for the Black Lives Matter, even leading a similar march with his team Aug. 31. It’s demonstrations like these that represent a growing momentum of coaches supporting student-athletes in wanting to make a positive change in the nation, not just in the world of sports.

In 2015, when football players boycotted practice after a video of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity chanting a racial slur went viral, Riley was OU’s offensive coordinator under then-head coach Bob Stoops. The team walked out of the practice facilities in black T-shirts that read “Stronger together.”

Moments like that likely helped Riley develop into a mentor for his players, but he also cites his upbringing when explaining why he advocates for racial equality, and it’s moments like the march that bring the Sooners closer together as they embark on the 2020 season.

“I’ll definitely stand with my players,” Riley said on June 3. “And it’s not just because they’re my players. It’s a fundamental belief. I was very fortunate I was raised in a household that taught me that no one is better than anyone else because of the color of their skin. I’ve been lucky enough to be in locker rooms and to support teams all my life.

“I’ve seen how awesome it can be when everybody takes an approach of, ‘We’re all on the same playing field, we’re all equal,’ and how beautiful that is.”

Caleb McCourry

caleb.a.mccourry-1@ou.edu

5

Rattler to make long-awaited start Current, former coaches remark ‘Spencer has moxie’ CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac12

After Mike Brown watched Iowa State score 20 unanswered points in OU’s 42-41 win over the Cyclones in 2019, he thought it was a close game for the Sooners to be having at home.

So he texted then-backup Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler, and let him know what he thought.

“I said, ‘Hey, that was a close game,’ and he said, ‘Yeah, Coach, if I had been in, we would’ve killed them,’” Brown remembers. “That’s Spencer.

He truly believes that, and that’s a good thing.”

Brown, offensive coordinator for Pinnacle High School, admits he was half-kidding, but the response isn’t surprising to him. In coaching Rattler’s junior and senior seasons at Pinnacle, Brown has witnessed Rattler’s unflinching confidence and his ability to sometimes speak things into existence.

Former Pinnacle backup and Michigan commit JD Johnson is another witness to Rattler’s abilities. Johnson, who sat behind and learned from Rattler for three years, was alongside Rattler in some of his most spectacular high school moments, and heard that kind of talk from him.

Rattler’s invite to the 2018 Elite 11 quarterback competition is just one of many examples of his determination.

“When he got invited to the Elite 11, he’s like, ‘JD, I’m gonna win it,’” Johnson said, “and he went there and lit it up and he ended up winning it.”

Those who know him understand that Rattler’s sheer belief in what he can do on the football field can be mistaken for

6

JACKSON STEWART/THE DAILY

Then-freshman quarterback Spencer Rattler throws a pass before the game against Houston Sept. 1, 2019.

arrogance. Rattler is possibly the greatest high school quarterback to come out of the state of Arizona and holds the state high school passing record, tallying 11,083 career passing yards. As a phenom who started on varsity as a freshman, the things he was able to do on the gridiron probably wouldn’t have been possible without him first believing he could accomplish them.

“A lot of people take it that he comes across real arrogant. Spencer has moxie,” Brown said. “You’ve got to have that, especially at that position. You’ve got to be a cool customer.”

And now, having only played in three collegiate games, Las Vegas oddsmakers have Rattler third in preseason Heisman odds behind standout quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence, a national champion, and Justin Fields, who made the trip to New York for the Heisman ceremony in 2019. Rattler has yet

to start a game for the Sooners.

But OU’s recent history suggests the expectations of Rattler aren’t totally crazy. Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley’s offensive system has produced two Heisman winners, two No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks and, most recently, a Heisman runner-up. If Rattler is going to reach the heights the college football world expects of him early in his career, Oklahoma seems the likely place for making it happen. Riley announced Sept. 1 Rattler will make his first collegiate start on Sept. 12 against Missouri State.

On top of that, as the Sooners head into an still-uncertain future due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is the pressure of Rattler having big shoes to fill as a second-year Sooner quarterback.

The last two Oklahoma redshirt freshman quarterbacks to be thrown into the starting spot were 2014 Sugar Bowl hero Trevor Knight and Heisman winner and No. 1 overall NFL

Draft pick Sam Bradford, one of the most storied OU quarterbacks in school history.

But Rattler spent his entire career up to this point jumping headfirst into challenges.

Those who know him best and have seen him play in Arizona say he’s been preparing for the chance to be a starting quarterback for a blue-blood program.

And if Rattler believes he’s winning the Heisman this year and fully embraces Riley’s top-tier offense, he’s likely not listening to any arguments or speculation against him doing so.

“I just think the mentality that kid has, I see very rarely,” Johnson said. “And that kid’s ability to run and make plays with his arm, and how smart he was on and off the field, watching film and in the classroom, I just think he’s the all-around total package.

“And I know that this year he’s a top contender for the Heisman, and it absolutely

would not surprise me if he won that.”

‘HE’S JUST BETTER THAN EVERYBODY’ Rattler garnered attention early in his life. With his natural athletic ability and how he competed at his grade level with ease, he stood out.

Quarterback coach Mike Giovando was told he had to see Rattler play. He got a call from the Scottsdale Firebirds, a youth football team, asking him to come and watch a thensixth-grade Rattler. Giovando, who’s been training quarterbacks for over 20 years, was set on training Rattler after watching him play for just one quarter. While noticing a natural throwing ability that superseded Rattler’s age, Giovando can’t forget the moxie and the confidence the young passer had, and still has.

Giovando approached Rattler’s parents and invited

the young quarterback to come train with him. Rattler trained with Giovando on a weekly basis until he got to OU. Giovando also saw pretty quickly that Rattler needed to be challenged to improve.

Rattler, right out of elementary school, first started throwing with ninth graders. He flourished in that competitive environment, but the challenge still wasn’t enough. By the time he was in seventh grade, Rattler was training with Giovando’s high school varsity athletes.

“I thought pretty quickly, ‘We’re gonna have to move this guy up to the high school kids,’” Giovando said. “He’s just better than everybody. I mean, he could throw the ball 20 to 30 yards further. He could throw the ball harder. He could just do everything. … We’re gonna have to start challenging him pretty early on.”

Because of his training, Rattler had a head start for high school football when he arrived at Pinnacle in 2015. But it still wasn’t head coach Dana Zupke’s plan to start a freshman quarterback on the varsity squad. During preseason practice, Zupke had a junior quarterback on deck for the season. With just weeks before Pinnacle’s first game, their starter quit for personal reasons, leaving Rattler, an inexperienced player, as the team’s best option.

In his debut, Rattler threw three interceptions in a 56-10 loss to eventual state champion Chandler High School. Rattler’s first taste of varsity football was his worst game statistically in his entire high school career.

It wasn’t until he played his second game, against Saguaro High School, that he hit the ground running. Rattler was nowhere near putting up the best numbers of his career, but Zupke insists the transition from his first game to Pinnacle’s 20-12 win over the Sabercats is one of his favorite memories of

Rattler, who threw for 134 yards and two touchdowns that night.

“He did a complete 180,” Zupke said. “(Saguaro) came after him, they were bringing pressure. … He looked like he’d been doing it his whole life.

“I was blown away. … Here’s a freshman kid that’s probably, at some level, he’s got to be scared to death because I would have been. I think most freshmen starting on varsity would be, and he was sitting in the pocket, trusting linemen, taking shots and he’s throwing the ball down the field. It was unbelievable to watch.”

After the Saguaro game, Rattler was ready to take on the rest of his career with a bolstered confidence. In his freshman year, he tallied four separate games with more than 300 passing yards.

Fast forward to his senior year on homecoming night, in a game against Sandra Day O’Connor High School, a night where Rattler’s legendary career reached new heights. It was Rattler’s birthday and he was close to beating the all-time career Arizona high school passing yards record. Brown knew none of these things fazed Rattler, so he approached his quarterback and gave him another challenge.

“Before going into the game I said, ‘Let’s do something special,’” Brown said. “I said, ‘Look, you’re gonna throw for a few, you’re gonna run for one and you’re gonna catch one.’”

Rattler, never willing to back down from a challenge, accepted. He threw for 343 yards and three touchdowns, led the team in rushing with 84 yards and a touchdown and snagged a 4-yard touchdown pass. He broke the career passing record of 10,489 yards. Rattler finished his high school career with 11,083 career passing yards.

When asked if Rattler is one of the best high school quarterbacks to ever come out of Arizona, Johnson didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Easily, I’d say the best.”

‘THIS KID’S GOT IT’

After the COVID-19 pandemic sent students home for the rest of the spring semester in March, Rattler returned to Phoenix and went back to training with Giovando two to three times a week.

Training alongside him were multiple high school and college quarterbacks like Purdue’s Jack Plummer. To help train and catch passes were NFL running backs Jamaal Williams and Ronald Jones II. In his workouts, Giovando often has his quarterbacks make unorthodox throws under pressure to prepare them for uncomfortable situations in the pocket.

After training Rattler for approximately eight years, Giovando — and anyone who’s seen him play — is certain Rattler can make any throw he wants. Whether avoiding a defensive end or having to use a side-arm pass, Rattler is known for making plays with his arm.

Giovando knew Rattler was a once in a lifetime caliber of talent, but it wasn’t until the last game of Rattler’s freshman season that he felt compelled to put him on college coaches’ radar. In Pinnacle’s overtime loss to Brophy College Prep in the playoffs, Rattler threw for 420 yards and five touchdowns.

Giovando started calling college coaches right away.

“I’m like, ‘Alright, you know, this kid’s got it,’” Giovando said. “‘I got no problem picking up the phone and calling some of my contacts.’”

One of those contacts was former Oklahoma inside linebackers coach Tim Kish, a family friend of Giovando.

Kish looked at the footage and reported his findings to Riley, who was in his first season as OU’s offensive coordinator.

What they saw was a freshman making any throw he wanted. From long accurate throws under pressure to making quick short passes, Rattler had all the tools from what Brown describes as a “Godgiven, innate ability.”

“There’s a lot of people with a strong arm,” Brown said. “There’s a lot of people with an accurate arm. But his

combination of it is just something that you can’t coach, you can’t teach.

“He can put the velocity on the ball and with accuracy where it goes exactly to where that guy is going to use his body and catch the ball, and nobody else can get to it. And he can make that decision within milliseconds. … You can’t teach that.

You can’t teach that at all.”

On top of Rattler’s naturally athletic ability, Brown remembers when he learned a new offensive scheme on short notice multiple times. In his junior year, Rattler had to miss

who was already committed to OU. Brown knew Rattler would be able to put on a show in front of Riley and gave him a few days to prepare. Rattler threw for 393 yards and five touchdowns that evening. Pinnacle won, 77-29, as Rattler made his signature effortless-looking throws. Brown remembers Riley leaving the game being very impressed with his future quarterback.

“I’ll be honest, I think he’s the next Patrick Mahomes,” Brown said. “He reminds me so much of him, just arm strength, the pocket presence, the accuracy.

“And the swag, too.”

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Then-freshman quarterback Spencer Rattler after the game against Kansas Oct. 5, 2019, in Lawrence.

almost half a week of practice after getting his wisdom teeth taken out. At the same time, to prepare for a game against Desert Mountain, Brown drew up a scheme Rattler had never played with, while Riley, then going into his first year as OU’s head coach, was scheduled to watch.

For most quarterbacks, Brown would’ve stuck with what they were comfortable with — but not with Rattler,

‘INTO THE FIRE’ To warm up before every Thursday practice during the 2019 season, Rattler stood at the 50-yard line and threw balls at the goal post.

Attempting to hit one of the uprights, Rattler would throw 10 to 15 times, usually hitting it multiple times per session. In his first season with the Sooners, Rattler took any chance he had to either throw

the ball or learn anything he could.

His efforts included soaking in everything Alabama transfer Jalen Hurts was doing in his lone season with Oklahoma, even if it just meant getting in a game of catch together before a game. The session would often escalate to the two standing 40 yards apart and using only one hand.

Rattler’s one season of learning under Hurts could prove to be imperative for his 2020 season. His predecessors Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Hurts all had multiple years of playing at the highest level of college football, while Rattler has just three collegiate games under his belt.

Former Oklahoma wide receiver Lee Morris played with all three of those quarterbacks.

Asked who had the most expectations and pressure going into their first season, Morris said it’s close between Murray and Rattler — who’s being put into a storm of high expectations at a much faster pace than the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner.

“I don’t think Kyler had this kind of pressure that Spencer had this early,” Morris said.

“Kyler had a couple of years to sit out and wait behind Baker, but Spencer is now being thrown into the fire just after a year of college.”

Rattler’s one season with Oklahoma was behind the ever stoic Hurts, a national champion whose experience captivated a team that spent two previous years just one step away from a national championship.

“I’m sure he learned how to handle himself on and off the field from Jalen,” Morris said, “because obviously Jalen’s top tier when it comes to that — all business and staying focused on the goal, which is championships.”

Rattler is a part of one of Oklahoma’s best recruiting classes in recent memory.

Ranked No. 5 nationally on Rivals.com, the 2019 squad featured four five-stars — Rattler and wide receivers Theo Wease, Trejan Bridges and Jadon Haselwood. All four have

already seen playing time, with Rattler’s first college touchdown being a 9-yard pass to Bridges in OU’s 70-14 win over South Dakota.

Morris saw firsthand how the 2019 class molded together. An already talented class of players heading into their second season, Morris says the group can really turn into something extraordinary in 2020.

“I think (Rattler, Wease, Bridges and Haselwood have) the potential to actually be really special,” Morris said. “Being all together in the same class and then just all the talent they have together. The potential they have, they can do something really special next year or year after.”

Undoubtedly, Rattler will face obstacles in his second college season. OU’s offense is down two experienced teammates to start the year, with Bridges set to miss multiple games to start the season due to an NCAA violation in 2019, and Haselwood expected to miss significant time with a lower-body injury in the spring.

OU’s schedule has also changed multiple times already, with its season-opener being moved up a week, then having its entire schedule changed and moved back because of concerns of the season’s viability in light of COVID-19.

Though Rattler is looking straight into a year that holds unprecedented unknowns, OU has an unprecedented talent in its backfield — a talent that has convinced not just himself, but everyone around him he can do whatever he sets his mind to.

“I think everybody who’s ever seen him throw a football, they’re like, ‘Wow,’” Zupke said.

“But what comes with that is the moxie, the confidence and the air that is Spencer Rattler. And there’s a lot to be said for that. I don’t think there’s anybody that has more, you know, just (belief in) themselves and wants to win and is more competitive than somebody like Spencer.”

Caleb McCourry

caleb.a.mccourry-1@ou.edu

7

‘Perfect storm’ center stays at OU Creed Humphrey cites OU legacy for skipping NFL draft CHANDLER ENGELBRECHT

@ctengelbrecht

Creed Humphrey’s dream of playing in the NFL started when he was 6.

The Shawnee, Oklahoma, native recalls that even though he hadn’t spent too much time on a football field at that age, he knew it was something he wanted to pursue for the rest of his life.

And that’s exactly what he did. From there, Humphrey dominated at every level of the game. Whether it was against youth, junior high, high school or collegiate competition, he always stood out as one of the best players on the field — making his dream of playing in the NFL look more and more like a reality each day.

However, though his NFL dream is one of his oldest, it wasn’t his first.

His first dream was to become a Sooner.

Growing up less than 50 miles away from Norman, trips to watch OU play at Owen Field came often for Humphrey. This instilled him as a die-hard fan of the team long before Oklahoma offered him in April 2016.

Though Humphrey originally committed to Texas A&M a few months later, he eventually decommitted and signed with Oklahoma due to his lifelong dream of playing there.

The two dreams coincided after Oklahoma’s 2019 season came to an end with a 63-28 loss to LSU in the College Football Playoff.

Now eligible for the NFL Draft and viewed as a first round selection by draft 8

Then-redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Creed Humphrey before the Big 12 Championship game on Dec. 7, 2019.

experts, Humphrey was faced with the choice of achieving his professional dream or staying at OU for another year.

“I was excited for whatever he decided to do,” H u m p h r e y ’s m o t h e r, Melissa, said. “It was his decision (and) we gave him space to make it. He knew we would support him in any decision he made.”

Following days of family discussions, self thought and prayer, the now-redshirt junior decided he wasn’t content with having his OU career end in disappointing fashion.

“After the game (against) LSU, I took a couple days (to meet with) my family and really talk through everything,” Humphrey said.

“I felt like at that point there wasn’t a wrong decision for me to make as far as leaving or staying — but at the end of the day, I felt I had more to accomplish here.

“For every season, our goal is to be able to win a national championship. No, it hasn’t happened yet, but I feel like we’re on the right track. I feel like we’re doing the right things as a program and as a team. I think we have really good leaders

on this team this year. I feel like we’re ready to make that next step.”

H u m p h r e y ’s r e t u r n d o e s n ’ t ju s t b o o s t t h e Sooners’ odds at a fourth consecutive playoff appearance — it gives him another season to cement himself as one of Oklahoma’s best centers of all time.

So far in his Sooner career, Humphrey was an imperative part of the offensive line that took home the 2018 Joe Moore Award — annually given to college football’s best offensive line — and was a one of three finalists for the 2019 Rimington

Trophy, which recognizes the country’s best center.

Various injuries plagued the Sooners’ offensive line early on last season, causing five different starting lineups during OU’s first seven games. Still, Humphrey’s efforts of 93 knockdowns and zero sacks allowed in 799 plays led the team to semifinalist status for the 2019 Joe Moore Award.

For the upcoming season, he was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team and to the Outland Trophy Watch List, which is awarded to the best interior lineman in college football.

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

“My dream has always been to be one of the best players to play at OU,” Humphrey said. “Obviously, (becoming one of OU’s best players ever) crosses my mind just because I have so much love for this program and I want to be able to give it my all.”

Former Oklahoma center Jon Cooper, now the tight ends coach at Arkansas, would arguably make the list of the Sooners’ best linemen in program history. The former Sooner won the Big 12’s Offensive Lineman of the Year award in 2008, had a 42-12 record

U

as a starter and helped guide OU to the 2009 BCS National Championship game against Florida.

Cooper believes there’s something that separates Humphrey from the rest of OU’s former centers. “(Humphrey’s) got some tools I don’t think (some of OU’s best centers) had,” Cooper said. “He’s been under the tutelage of (coach Bill Bedenbaugh) for years.

I think he might be the only one that’s had one O-line coach (during his OU career). That helps him. He’s got the physical tools that none of us had, whether it’s size, strength, (or) athleticism.

“All those sorts of things have contributed to his success, and I think he’ll have a long (NFL) career.”

Hu m p h re y ’s p l a y i n g c a re e r ha s a l s o d raw n the attention of another former Sooner center in Vince Carter, who suited up for Oklahoma from 2001–04. Though Carter puts Cooper as his all-time favorite Sooner, he puts Humphrey as one of the best Oklahoma’s ever had. “(Cooper) was a phenomenal athlete at the center position,” Carter said. “But I think what separates Creed /THE DAILYfrom the rest of us is the strength that he plays with.

Guys don’t overpower him.

He might find himself in a compromising position … he could still overcome and win that play based on his strength. That’s impressive to watch.

“He’s consistently and constantly trying to help the guys that are around him. That’s the point of what you do as a center. The best ones, they have more to present because they’re more aware of what’s going on. The attention to detail that I’ve seen from him and the fact that he’s rarely ever caught out of position (or) caught in a bad position, and you see the guys that

Creed Humphrey gets ready for the game against Baylor Nov. 16, 2019, in Waco, Texas.

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Creed Humphrey wears the Golden Hat trophy after the Sooners won the Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl Oct. 12, 2019.

are playing next to him … they’re rarely ever caught in a bad position. I think that’s one of the things that not only makes him great but makes those guys around him better.”

Cooper sees Humphrey’s extra year with the Sooners paying off for both OU and whichever NFL team picks him up.

“It’s always good to have (an experienced) center,

and especially a player of Humphrey’s caliber, come back,” he said. “Playing with a guy who’s as good as he is, and is as smart as he is, (will) help their offense more than anything. And I think he can earn value coming back because he’s still got a lot of things he can get better at.”

This offseason, Humphrey has dedicated himself to finding those areas of improvement.

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

JACKSON STEWART/THE DAILY

Creed Humphrey during the Big 12 Championship game against Baylor Dec. 7, 2019.

He’s done so by attending the Lineman Performance Association, a camp for offensive linemen that’s run by former Tulsa guard Clint Anderson.

Anderson, who’s worked with the likes of current Philadelphia Eagle and former Sooner tackle Lane Johnson, is more than impressed in what he’s seen in Humphrey.

“He’s really bought into

the details,” said Anderson, who was a two-year starter for the Golden Hurricanes from 2009 to 2010 before starting the LPA in 2017. “A lot of these guys are Godgiven athletes. You look at (Humphrey), you look at Lane (Johnson), they’re just freaks athletically.

“They can do anything athletically that you want them to do, it’s just about dialing them in to why the

little details will help them more than anything. He’s really buying into that aspect of it. He’s asking a bunch of questions, working on his mobility, core work, breathing techniques — he’s buying into the details for sure.”

Anderson believes one of Humphrey’s biggest contributions to his team will be his leadership. So far, he’s right. Even with COVID-19 threatening the Sooners’ season, Humphrey hasn’t shied away from making sure both new and old guys are as determined as he is.

“I reach out to (our guys) all the time to make sure they’re doing what they need to be doing to be prepared for the season,” Humphrey said. “In this time of uncertainty, we don’t really know exactly when that’s going to be, but we have to be prepared for whenever we do have (our season).”

Above all, Anderson sees nothing but the utmost potential in Humphrey. But it’s not just because of his physical skillset. It’s also because of how Humphrey approaches the game mentally.

“You can’t teach a guy to have that switch mentality of ‘blood’s in the water, it’s time to play,’” Anderson said. “You either got it or you don’t. Creed’s got it. …

He’s really diving into the mental aspect of the game.

He’s constantly clocked in. … He’s bought into the fact that he’s still able to get better and work on his craft.

And for him to realize that, it’s kind of scary because the sky’s the limit.

“There’s not a lot of centers that come out like Creed. Genetically, it’s hard to find a guy that’s that big and strong, and that can move that quick and fast as well — it’s a perfect storm for a center.”

Chandler Engelbrecht

chandler.engelbrecht@ou.edu

9

Riley aims for offensive efficiency

“Lincoln Riley is the best offensive coach in football. He’s fearless. The best compliment I can pay him is that, if I were given the chance, I would have loved to play for him.”

-Joel Klatt, former Colorado QB and current Fox Sports college football analyst.

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

Coach Lincoln Riley before the Big 12 Championship game in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 7, 2019.

OU’s head coach set to continue historic dominance STEVEN PLAISANCE @stevenplai

Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley is about to embark on his fourth season at the helm of an offense that has remained in elite company since the Sooners hired him in 2015.

While the method to Riley’s madness has changed since his days 10

as a student assistant at Texas Tech, his mission hasn’t. He’s bent on having the best offense in the nation, and so far he’s living up to that standard.

As he looks to account for the departures of Jalen Hurts and CeeDee Lamb to the NFL, and Kennedy Brooks opting out for the season, Riley will rely on new quarterback Spencer Rattler and Co. to keep the output on pace.

In 2018, Riley’s offense recorded the highest single-s eas on p oints p er drive in FBS history with 4.13, and has shown no

signs of stooping below average.

A comparison of team passing percentages shows Riley has opted for a more balanced approach to offense than that of his Texas Tech mentor and now Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach, an air raid aficionado.

After heavily favoring the pass during his days as offensive coordinator at East Carolina, Riley has gone to the run more often at OU. Even while producing top-notch running back talents Joe

Mixon, Samaje Perine and Rodney Anderson, Riley balances his offense by creating Biletnikoff contenders like Lamb, D e d e We s t b r o o k a n d Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.

I f t h e r e ’s a n y t h i n g Riley has proven during his tenure in Norman, it’s that he will always defy expectations. Don’t expect OU’s offense to regress by much — if at all — in 2020.

Steven Plaisance srplaisance@ou.edu

Comparing Offensive Tendencies What percentage of play-calls are passes?

Coach

Period

Passing Percentage

Mike Leach

2000-09, 12-19

70.63%

Kliff Kingsbury

2013-18

58.91%

Dana Holgorsen 2011-19

48.49%

Art Briles

2008-15

43.50%

Lincoln Riley

2015-19

42.32%

Chip Kelly

2009-12, 18-19

40.36%

Stats from Sports Reference.

GRAPH BY MEGAN FOISY/THE DAILY

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Season Previews Sooners expect winning season despite difficult opponents

By Caleb McCourry // @CalebMac12

MISSOURI STATE, SEPT. 12 The Sooners open their 2020–21 campaign Sept. 12 with a home bout against the Missouri State Bears of the FCS. Oklahoma last played an FCS team in 2019 when the Sooners routed the South Dakota Coyotes, 70-14, in Norman.

Missouri State finished the 2019 season with a 1-10 record, and hasn’t had a winning season in over a decade. Coming into this season, the Bears will be entering their first year under new head coach Bobby Petrino, one of the most experienced head coaches in college football.

Petrino previously coached at Louisville, Arkansas, Western Kentucky and the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL. During his second tenure at Louisville, Petrino coached quarterback and future NFL MVP Lamar Jackson during his Heismanwinning season in 2016.

Though Petrino will be one of the more veteran coaches the Sooners will face in 2020, the Bears will likely not provide much of an issue against Oklahoma in their opening game. Sooner fans should expect to see plenty of Sooners getting playing time in this one.

@IOWA STATE, OCT. 3 Under head coach Matt Campbell, Iowa State loves being the black horse that flies under the radar. But with quarterback Brock Purdy returning for his junior year, the Cyclones are looking to have a breakout season.

Despite finishing 7-6 in 2019, Iowa State narrowly lost to OU in Norman, 42-41. In that game, Purdy threw for 282 yards and five touchdowns on 19-30 passing. The Cyclones scored 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, almost completing the comeback after being down 35-14 at halftime.

Norman native and Iowa State tight end Charlie Kolar could’ve had the winning catch on a 2-point conversion if Purdy had seen him in the back of the end zone. He caught a 13-yard touchdown that put the Cyclones in a position to go for the win while down 42-41.

In his redshirt junior season, Kolar is primed to have a standout year with the Cyclones.

Sophomore running back Breece Hall and redshirt junior wide receiver Tarique Milton will also be returning. In 2019, Hall ran for 110 yards against the Sooners and Milton caught for 67 yards and a touchdown against OU.

TEXAS, OCT. 10 KANSAS STATE, SEPT. 26 During his time so far as the Sooners’ head coach, Lincoln Riley has never lost to the same team in back-toback seasons.

Kansas State has the opportunity to be the first to break that record when the Wildcats visit Norman Sept. 26.

K-State upset the Sooners, 48-41, in Manhattan Oct. 26, 2019, and went on to finish the regular season with an 8-5 record. The Wildcats faced No. 23 Navy in the 2019 Autozone Liberty Bowl, where they fell to the Midshipmen, 20-17.

Among Kansas State’s returning talent is senior quarterback Skylar Thompson, who completed 18-of-28 passing attempts for 213 yards and rushed for four touchdowns against Oklahoma in the Wildcats’ win. Thompson finished the season with 11 rushing touchdowns, tied for second-most among Big 12 QBs in 2019.

The Wildcats also return senior running back Jordon Brown, who was the team’s third-leading rusher last season with 380 rushing yards on 84 carries.

Kansas State’s leading tackler, Elijah Sullivan, will be returning to the team as well. The then-junior linebacker had 65 total tackles, one sack and one interception in 2019.

Look for Kansas State to make more noise in the Big 12 this season in the Wildcats’ second year under head coach Chris Kliemen.

12

October at the Cotton Bowl — the pencil-in game Sooners fans have been accustomed to seeing every year — provides one of the most storied rivalries in all of sports.

Shootouts, upsets and defensive battles — the Red River Showdown has seen it all over the years, and 2020 will be the fourth and final year of senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger — the epitome of Texas football and one of the best to ever play quarterback for the Longhorns.

Last season, the Sooners showcased their new and improved defense under Grinch, tying a single-game school record with nine sacks in a 34-27 win over Texas.

The Sooners held Ehlinger to just 210 passing yards and -9 yards rushing — the first time Ehlinger didn’t account for at least 380 total yards of offense against OU in his career.

Texas ended the 2019 season with a 38-10 win over then-No.11 Utah in the Alamo Bowl, finishing the year with a big victory and playing to the team’s true potential, like many expected to see in 2019 after the Longhorns defeated Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to end the 2018 season.

The Longhorns also return junior running back Keaontay Ingram, who carried the ball 144 times for 853 yards in 2019, and has accumulated nine career rushing touchdowns.

Still, Texas will have a tough time replacing All-Big 12 first team receiver Devin Duvernay and fellow wideout Collin Johnson, who were recently drafted to the NFL, but could be replaced by sophomore Jake Smith and former four-star recruit Jordan Whittington.

Although expectations for Texas aren’t quite as high as last season, there’s always a chance for a win in the Red River Showdown. Watch for a talented Texas team to be a tough-out in the Big 12 Conference.

@ TCU, OCT. 24 Head coach Gary Patterson has only defeated the Sooners once since joining the Big 12, but that hasn’t stopped TCU from giving OU fits and almost ruining their chances at a College Football Playoff.

TCU opted with sophomore Max Duggan at quarterback for the majority of the 2019 season, and he became just the second true freshman to start under Patterson.

Duggan displayed flashes of his potential at times last season, and was named an honorable mention for Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year.

Despite going 5-7 in 2019, TCU managed to lose only one game by a deficit larger than seven points.

TCU’s season was highlighted by a 37-27 win over then-No.15 ranked Texas in which Duggan had 345 total yards of offense and three touchdowns, and was named the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week for his efforts.

Against OU, TCU held the Sooners to just 28 points — tied for Oklahoma’s lowest scoring total all season — and held former Sooner quarterback Jalen Hurts to just 145 yards passing.

The Horned Frogs will have to find a replacement for their most experienced offensive players from last season. Wide receiver Jalen Reagor was drafted in the first round, and TCU’s two top running backs in carries were signed as undrafted free agents by the Dallas Cowboys.

However, TCU signed five-star running back Zach Evans, who is the first five-star recruit in program history and could be an instant impact player for the Horned Frogs. Many believe Evans to be a generational talent, and some have said he’s the best Houston-area prospect since Adrian Peterson.

TCU seems to be in a transitional phase for the 2020 season, but look for Patterson and Co. to find ways to sneak into wins and stay competitive in the Big 12.

@TEXAS TECH, OCT. 31 The Red Raiders finished 4-8 under first-year head coach Matt Wells, and lost to the Sooners in Norman, 55-16. The team also comes in at No. 9 in the Big 12 Preseason Poll.

With the departure of quarterback Jett Duffey, sophomore quarterback Alan Bowman looks like a lock for the Red Raiders’ 2020 starting job. In 2019, Bowman threw for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns in three games.

The Sooners were able to tally 644 yards of total offense on Texas Tech’s defense. But despite the Red Raiders’ shortcomings, the team finished the season with 324.7 passing yards per game.

Among the receivers returning for Texas Tech are Erik Ezukanma and T.J. Vasher, who caught for 664 and 515 yards, respectively, in the 2019 season.

KANSAS, NOV. 7 Kansas finished the 2019 season with a 3-9 record and just one Big 12 win in coach Les Miles’ first full season at the helm of the program.

The Jayhawks will have to find a new quarterback since Carter Stanley graduated, but they return First Team All-Big 12 running back Pooka Williams, who torched the Sooners for 137 rushing yards in 2019. The year before, he ran for 252 yards against OU’s defense as a freshman.

But it’ll take more than just a spectacular running back for the Jayhawks to overcome Oklahoma. Kansas has placed dead last in the Big 12 Preseason Poll every year since 2011, and the upcoming season is no different.

Coach Miles has a national championship win with LSU and two SEC titles under his belt as a head coach. He was able to beat Oklahoma in his first two years of being head coach at Oklahoma State (2001-04), but out of 15 matchups in the 21st Century, Kansas has yet to win once against the Sooners, and is still a long way from doing so.

OKLAHOMA STATE, NOV. 21 The Big 12 has become known for explosive offenses in years past. Looking at who the Cowboys have returning in 2020, that perception doesn’t appear likely to change any time soon.

Oklahoma State brings back an electric trio in quarterback Spencer Sanders, wide receiver Tylan Wallace and running back Chuba Hubbard. All three led OSU in their respective categories of passing, receiving and rushing yards in 2019 Perhaps the largest obstacle the Cowboy trio faces heading into this season is health.

Sanders tallied 2,065 passing yards and 16 touchdowns in 11 games for the Cowboys while battling a thumb injury.

Before missing the last five games of the season with a torn ACL, Wallace caught 53 receptions for 903 yards and eight touchdowns, and all three were team highs.

Hubbard, who finished eighth in the 2019 Heisman race, was the lone Cowboy star to appear in all 13 of OSU’s games last season. He rushed for 2,094 yards — the most of any running back in the country — and 21 touchdowns on 328 attempts in 2019.

If all three can replicate their performances from 2019 and stay injury-free this season, the 2020 Bedlam matchup could be one of the rivalry’s most high-scoring games to date when the Pokes visit Norman on Nov. 21.

@WEST VIRGINIA, NOV. 28 A season removed from suffering a 52-14 loss in Norman, West Virginia ranks No. 8 in the Big 12 Media Preseason Poll.

The Mountaineers finished 2019 with a 5-7 record. Former Oklahoma quarterback Austin Kendall threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns in his return to Norman last year. The redshirt senior transferred from Oklahoma in January 2019 following the arrival of Alabama transfer Jalen Hurts.

Kendall threw for 1,989 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2019, but fourth-year quarterback Jarret Doege will be taking the starting job for the Mountaineers’ 2020 season. In his three season playing college ball, Doege threw for 4,859 yards and 46 touchdowns, and threw for 818 yards and seven touchdowns in four games last season while sharing playing time with Kendall.”

The Mountaineers have Dante and Darius Stills, two prominent defensive tackles.

Darius was named the Big 12 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year for the 2020 season, and the brothers combined for 69 tackles and 14 sacks in the 2019 season.

Redshirt senior wide receiver T.J. Simmons is another name to watch out for in this matchup. He caught for 74 yards and two touchdowns against the Sooners in 2019.

BAYLOR, DEC. 5 The Sooners and Bears gave college football fans two of the most exciting games in the Big 12 last season.

Just three weeks after Oklahoma pulled off an unforgettable 34-31 comeback victory over Baylor in Waco on Nov. 16, the two teams needed overtime to decide the winner of the 2019 Big 12 championship on Dec. 7. The Sooners would go on to win that game, 30-23.

The Bears finished their season with an 11-3 record, their best since 2014. Though it ended with a loss to No. 5 Georgia in the 2020 Sugar Bowl, Baylor’s season was a testament to how far the program had come in just three years under head coach Matt Rhule. The Bears went 1-11 in Rhule’s first season in 2017.

With Rhule departing from Baylor to become head coach of the Carolina Panthers in the NFL, the biggest question surrounding the Bears in 2020 is if new head coach Dave Aranda can build on the program’s recent success.

Aranda, who served as LSU’s defensive coordinator from January 2016 until January 2020, will benefit from the return of Baylor’s passing leader, rushing leader and tackling leader from a season ago. He also has the experience of slowing down the Sooners, as his defense at LSU held OU to 28 points in the 2020 Peach Bowl, which was tied for Oklahoma’s lowest-scoring performance in 2019.

When the Bears visit Norman on Dec. 5, expect Baylor to give the Sooners some trouble as they look to spoil Oklahoma’s Big 12 title aspirations.

13

14

Offensive players to watch

By OU Daily Staff Reporters

RB T.J. PLEDGER

PR DRAKE STOOPS

TE/HB AUSTIN STOGNER

With Kennedy Brooks opting out, Trey Sermon transferring to Ohio State and Rhamondre Stevenson awaiting word on his suspension from last season, it seems increasingly likely that junior T.J. Pledger steps into a prominent role in the Sooners’ running backs room.

Pledger hails from high school powerhouse IMG Academy and has played a reserve role for OU the past two seasons, seeing most of his playing time as a kick returner. He has 40 carries for 244 yards in his career, with his lone touchdown coming against LSU in the 2019 Peach Bowl.

Coach Lincoln Riley has raved about Pledger in the offseason, saying he’s confident and in great shape.

Pledger is the most experienced eligible running back on the roster.

The 5-foot-9 running back was a four-star recruit per Rivals.com, and was the No. 5 running back in the nation.

A familiar name could make an impact in Norman next season, and it’s not Bob. Redshirt sophomore Drake Stoops is the son of former head coach Bob Stoops — the winningest coach in OU history. Despite multiple scholarship offers, Stoops opted to play for OU in 2018.

Stoops could take over as the next punt returner, with the departure of first-round pick and former All-American Ceedee Lamb.

Despite only returning one punt last season, Stoops was the only player to take a punt other than Lamb in the 2019 season.

Stoops caught his first punt against UCLA in Lamb’s absence.

Stoops played in all 14 games as a redshirt freshman, catching eight passes for 95 yards in a reserve role for the Sooners.

Stoops’ highlight of the year was a 19-yard reception in the fourth quarter against LSU in the Peach Bowl. He shed a tackle, made a spin move and was pulled down on the 1-yard line, just shy of a touchdown.

The Norman-native was a three-star recruit ranked No. 18 in the state of Oklahoma in the 2018 recruiting class, per Rivals.

At Norman North High School, Stoops accumulated 201 receptions for 3,390 yards and 39 touchdowns in his career.

It wasn’t until late in the 2019 season that freshman tight end and H-back Austin Stogner got significant snaps on offense. He finished the year with just seven catches and 66 yards.

But Stogner revealed his ability to make big plays in OU’s 34-31 comeback win against then-No. 13 Baylor, which saw the Sooners crawl back from a 31-10 deficit at halftime. Stogner was targeted twice that night, catching both passes for touchdowns.

Now, going into his sophomore year, he’s expected to have more chances to contribute to head coach Lincoln Riley’s offense. His 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame — comparable to that of former OU tight end Mark Andrews — is a useful threat when combined with his reliable hands.

Stogner also spent a lot of his freshman season on special teams, registering his first college touchdown when he jumped on a blocked punt in the end zone during OU’s 52-14 win over West Virginia.

The Plano, Texas, native was listed as the No. 11 tight end of Rivals’ class of 2019 rankings and was a four-star recruit coming out of Prestonwood Christian Academy.

RT ADRIAN EALY

QB SPENCER RATTLER

WR THEO WEASE

Coming into the 2019 season, Oklahoma replaced four of five starters on its 2018 offensive line, which won the Joe Moore Award given to the best offensive line in the country.

With only center Creed Humphrey returning for the Bill Bedenbaugh-coached group, the unit experienced a few growing pains, and on top of that, struggled to stay healthy at points. Oklahoma had five different starting OL lineups in the first seven games of the season due to injuries.

However, that didn’t stop the Sooners from reaching semifinalist status for the 2019 Joe Moore Award.

Oklahoma’s offensive line surrendered just under two QB sacks per game while helping the Sooners reach over 3,300 rushing yards and 38 rushing touchdowns on the year. Oklahoma also tied for the highest amount of yards before contact on runs in 2019, allowing its rushers an average of three yards of open space per attempt.

One of the most promising performers on OU’s young O-line was Adrain Ealy, who started at right tackle in 12 games for Oklahoma in 2019. Ealy concluded his redshirt sophomore season with second-team All-Big 12 honors after helping the Sooners win their fifth-consecutive Big 12 championship.

Listed at 6-foot-6 and 328 pounds, Ealy has the size that could allow him to join former Sooners Orlando Brown Jr., Bobby Evans and Cody Ford at the professional level if he has a breakout season in 2020.

Under Lincoln Riley’s reign as head coach, the Sooners have benefited mightily from more-than experienced quarterbacks at the helm of Riley’s offense. Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts all had multiple seasons of development prior to taking over as Oklahoma’s starting QB. On Sept. 12 a redshirt freshman will be starting at quarterback for the Sooners for the first time since 2014, marking the first time in the Lincoln Riley era that his starting QB won’t be one of the most experienced players on the field.

However, whatever Spencer Rattler lacks in on-field experience, he makes up for in talent. The Phoenix, Arizona, native put together a historic career during his time at Pinnacle High School.

Rattler threw for 11,083 yards in his four years at Pinnacle, breaking an Arizona state record. He also accumulated 116 passing touchdowns, over 1,000 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns in his career. As a recruit in 2019, Rattler was a five-star prospect according to 247Sports and Rivals.

With offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Texas, Arizona and others, Rattler was the consensus No. 1 quarterback in his class. He appeared in three games for the Sooners last season, which included a 7-of-11 passing performance for 81 yards and a touchdown against South Dakota. He last appeared in OU’s Peach Bowl loss to LSU, where he went 1-of-3 for 8 yards.

If there’s any redshirt freshman in the country that can follow in the footsteps of three-straight Heisman finalists, Rattler has the resume that suggests he’s up for the task.

Oklahoma’s biggest star last season was undoubtedly CeeDee Lamb, whose unique playmaking ability and seemingly infinite catch radius made him the first Sooner taken off the board in April’s NFL draft.

The 2019 Biletnikoff runner-up was a key contributor to the Sooners’ offense during his three-year career, so his departure certainly leaves big shoes to fill.

Luckily, Oklahoma won’t have to look too far to find Lamb’s replacement — after all, wide receiver Theo Wease has done that before.

When Lamb was sidelined with an injury against Baylor on Nov. 16, Wease stepped up. The then-freshman provided a huge spark to the previously-struggling Sooners’ offense in the second half of Oklahoma’s 34-31 comeback victory.

The Allen, Texas, native recorded two receptions for 31 yards against the Bears, which included a shifty 19-yard touchdown grab that cut the Sooners’ deficit to one score in the fourth quarter. Wease was the only Sooner wide receiver with a TD reception in the game.

While that touchdown is perhaps Wease’s best highlight from a rather quiet freshman year, that play alone could foreshadow how Lincoln Riley might utilize his athleticism in the 2020 season.

With fellow wide receiver Jadon Haslewood set to miss at least the beginning of the season with a lower leg injury, Sooner fans should expect Theo Wease to receive a much bigger role in his sophomore year.

15

Sooners set for Speed D success Alex Grinch’s track record suggests year 2 breakthrough MASON YOUNG

@Mason_Young_0

Alex Grinch spent a good portion of the 2020 offseason surrounded by red brick walls, sitting at a spartan white countertop with only a few bottles of wine and his collection of sports memorabilia to keep him company.

With COVID-19 terminating the majority of spring practices and recruiting trips and keeping players and coaches out of team facilities into the summer, Grinch, like others, was forced to adapt.

He set up his television, laptop, and iPad at the counter inside his home bar, flipping his Norman house into a makeshift office. From his in-home headquarters, he was able to accomplish almost anything he could have done at his desk inside Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium — be it film study sessions, Zoom conferences or virtual recruiting visits. But while his inner sanctum hosts countless rings, trophies, footballs and even his fan-favorite 1990 World Series champion Cincinnati Reds Wheaties box, there’s just one thing missing — national championship hardware.

Entering his second season as defensive coordinator and safeties coach at OU, Grinch is attempting to continue a resurgence that saw his squad jump to 38th in the nation in total defense in 2019, after ranking 114th the year before his arrival.

His introduction of fast, aggressive, effort-based coverage bent on disruption and turnovers — known as Speed D — has slowly begun 16

to reverse public opinions about Oklahoma’s ability to quell opposing offenses.

The continued evolution of that defense will be key if the Sooners hope to reach — or win — the FBS title game they’ve fallen one contest short of in four of the past five seasons.

In a year unlike any other, with a pandemic altering the college football landscape, Grinch remains determined to do what he’s always done — overcome any obstacles to exceed expectations. 2020 is by no means a typical second season for any coach or athlete, but while some might write it off as a lost year for improvement due to COVID-19, don’t count Grinch among them.

“He handled it as positively as anyone could,” Alex’s father Greg said. “He’s not going to sit around and mope.

“He’s not built that way.”

defense amid his playing career, while also honing his football intellect.

“Alex’s main asset is his intelligence,” Kehres said. “So he knows how important it is to combine preparation — which intelligence allows you to prepare well — with skill and talent … and then he understands the impor-

mentality that every down, quarter, half and game matter just as much as the previous or the next.

He’s taken that mindset to every school he’s coached at, continually establishing maximum effort as the catch-all solution for a multitude of defensive mistakes.

“Every practice we were

‘RUN NOW OR YOU RUN LATER’ Grinch didn’t lose very often in college.

During his days as a safety at Division III powerhouse Mount Union, the Grove City, Ohio, native went 54-1 and won three national championships while roaming the secondary in nearby Alliance.

Grinch’s love of football and unwavering competitiveness drove him to a winning program, and there, his experiences — such as his key interception in a 10-7 title victory over Saint John’s in 2000 — shaped him into the coach he’s become.

His former head coach and the current Mount Union athletic director Larry Kehres said he believes Grinch came to understand the concept of a unified

JACKSON STEWART/THE DAILY

Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch claps during practice Aug. 12, 2019.

tance of being one member of a unit in terms of each defensive player’s role.”

Grinch’s time as a Purple Raider also taught him to concede nothing to opponents. Mount Union’s separate 55- and 54-game winning streaks epitomize the

running to the ball,” said Isaac Dotson, a former defensive back at Washington State, where Grinch coached from 2015–17. “He’d always say, ‘You either run now or you run later,’ so in practice we’d be booking it to the ball on every play, and if we

weren’t we’d run after practice as punishment. And when it came game time, you could really see how it transferred. He would pull up the film on Sundays and show us what it looked like to really swarm to the ball as a defense, and we executed that pretty well while he was there.”

Second only to Grinch’s hunger for effort is his thirst for turnovers.

At each program he’s been to, Grinch has mathematically emphasized to his players and the media that 24 takeaways is proportional to nine wins in a season. Things were no different in his first year at Oklahoma, where he demanded two turnovers per game from his defense. “(Turnovers have) always paid off in the past,” Greg said. “He’ll continue to emphasize that. That’s never going to go away.”

While Gr inch’s players didn’t get 24 takeaways in 2019, the mentality of O k l a h o ma’s d e f e n d e r s c ha ng e d . Th e S o o n e r s bought into Grinch’s philosophy, resulting in an onfield product that looked nothing like it did the year prior. In light of his progress in year one, those who know Grinch best say the sky’s the limit for what he could potentially accomplish in year two at OU. “He wants to have the best defense in the nation,” said Gary Pinkel, former Missouri head coach and Grinch’s uncle. “He’s just wanting to get better and better ... and I think certainly everybody I know is going to be pretty optimistic on where this thing can go.”

‘WHERE THE HARD WORK WENT’ When Grinch’s defense sacked Texas quarterback

Sam Ehlinger a program-record nine times in a 34-27 win on Oct. 12, 2019, Sooner fans learned what OU’s new defensive coordinator was capable of.

One year removed from an ugly 48-45 loss to Oklahoma’s rival that resulted in the firing of then-defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, Grinch, while primarily using players recruited by his predecessor, flipped the tables on Texas with a defensively dominant win the next year.

The restoration of a prominent defense was a long time coming for a program and a fanbase that endured a fair amount of heckling for prior failures. But beyond that momentary satisfaction, some might have wondered what additional wizardry Grinch would be capable of in year two.

History indicates Grinch is no stranger to second-year success.

At other schools he’s used his sophomore slate to produce immediate improvement and to prepare for advancement down the road.

He made waves in his second years in both Columbia, Missouri, and Pullman, Washington, delivering undeniable success for the Tigers and Cougars and setting the stage for the squads to roar in subsequent years.

In 2013, he served his second season as safeties coach under Pinkel at Missouri. In Grinch’s first go-around with the Tigers in 2012, the squad ranked No. 58 in the nation in total defense, allowing 390.7 yards per game.

During his second year, the team regressed to No. 81 in total defense, ceding an average of 417.7 yards per contest, but made up for a fluctuation in yardage in other ways.

“That particular year there

s

was a huge emphasis and we tried to do some extra things and different things for turnovers,” Pinkel said. “Because obviously, that’s a statistic that can dictate the outcome of a game.”

Missouri’s defense tallied 20 interceptions in 2013 — the 5th best in the nation — after having just seven in 2012. The team also garnered 12 fumble recoveries while ranking eighth in the nation in turnovers gained and fifth in turnover margin.

The Tigers won the SEC East title for the first time in program history via a 12-2 record, and defeated Oklahoma State, 41-31, in the Cotton Bowl.

“We were a pretty good team that year,” Pinkel said. “(Grinch) was certainly a big part of that.”

Missouri carried its enhancements into more dominance in 2014, ranking No. 23 in total defense with 44 sacks — the ninth best in the FBS — and 25 turnovers, as Grinch left Columbia with a bang and another SEC East championship.

After his departure at season’s end, Grinch cultivated similar improvement at Washington State as defensive coordinator and secondary coach for Cougar head coach Mike Leach.

Before his arrival, the Cougars had been nearly dead last in the FBS in total defense, ranking No. 97 and surrendering 442.3 yards per game while producing only eight turnovers in 2014. By the end of Grinch’s first season, the team improved to No. 84 in total defense and created 24 takeaways. But again, he did the heavy lifting in year two.

Hi s re s u l t s w e re n o t eye-popping like they had been in his second season at Missouri. The Cougars were No. 62 in total defense in 2016, but had less turnovers and sacks than the year before. Despite the lack of overwhelming success,

improvement was obvious.

“I thought that was the best coaching job he did,” said Leach, now the head coach at Mississippi State.

“Nobody as they see it or reflect on it will necessarily see it that way … (but) I think that the first year he tried to do a lot of things and I think the next year we narrowed it down and so they did what they could do. I think through his presence some leaders emerged and I think that was really where the hard work went.”

The result of a fruitful second year was a monstrous defensive showing in Grinch’s third season.

Washington State ranked No. 16 in total defense and tied for ninth in the nation in turnovers gained with 15 interceptions and 13 fumble recoveries. The Cougars also racked up 37 sacks on their way to key wins over Stanford, Oregon and USC and a trip to the Holiday Bowl.

Those who witnessed his work say Grinch is definitely capable of making similar waves at Oklahoma.

“He’s a good, tireless worker, and has definitely invested some time,” Leach said.

“He’s an aggressive recruiter, and I think that the more he does work at it the odds are extremely high the better they’ll get.”

plummeted from 51 percent to 29 percent.

Discordant and divisive comments flooded social media pages and college football headlines, threatening to expose Speed D as a facade. Faced with a crack in his armor, Grinch, as always, was undeterred by his latest obstacle, and proceeded with an action that’s been said to distinguish great coaches from the rest.

He took responsibility.

“We’re gonna have to

shortcoming. That mentality remained the same despite the Cougars’ blowout losses to Washington in all three of Grinch’s seasons.

“There was never any finger-pointing — the sign of a great leader,” Dotson said.

“He said he’s taking the hit for everything and he takes responsibility. If we didn’t live up to the expectations for that week, we would address the issues that needed to be addressed, he would take responsibility for not having

‘HE’S A WINNER’

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

OU defensive coordinator Alex Grinch during the Big 12 Championship game against Baylor on Dec. 7, 2019.

‘THE RIGHT TYPE OF LEADERSHIP’ For all of Grinch’s successes in 2019, failure was not absent.

In a 48-41 loss to Kansas State on Oct. 26, the Sooners were gashed for a season high 426 total yards of opposing offense while forfeiting more points than in any other regular season game of the year. After the loss Oklahoma fell from No. 5 to No. 9 in the Amway Coaches Poll and No. 10 in the AP poll, and its College Fo o t b a l l P l a y o f f o d d s

elimination by shutting out Baylor in the second half of a 34-31 OU victory Nov. 16.

Then he showed his mastery again in a defensively sound 30-23 overtime victory over the Bears in the Big 12 championship game that punched Oklahoma’s ticket to the College Football Playoff.

Though Oklahoma’s defense was later scourged for 63 points by LSU in the playoff semifinal, Grinch had already proved his worth in his words and actions.

“When things are going well you pass out all the praise, and when things are going bad you take responsibility,” Pinkel said. “That’s what you do. ... That’s why they’re gonna be great. He’s the right type of leadership, and he’s got great leadership skills.”

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

Alex Grinch (middle) walks with OU football players during the march for unity on Aug. 28.

do a better job as coaches,” Grinch said after the game, “obviously starting with me.”

Accountability has characterized Grinch throughout his coaching career. At each stop he’s refused to make excuses. He shoulders the blame on behalf of his assistant coaches and his players in every

prepared us well enough and he would take that into the next week of practice.”

But Grinch’s commitment is twofold. Not only does he accept blame for failure, but he always promises to right the ship.

He certainly did that in 2019, steering the Sooners back from the brink of playoff

In July, the 40-year-old Grinch was rewarded handsomely with a contract extension and a $400,000 pay raise that will hand him $1.8 million annually and keep him in Norman through at least 2022.

“He’s earned each step up the ladder that he’s gotten,” Kehres said. “I think there’s more steps left to hit.”

Beyond Grinch’s favor within the athletic department, he’s earned the trust of his fellow coaches and returning players — a key component of his attempt to build a premium defense in 2020.

“There’s this bond that they have that was slowly happening throughout the year; spring, fall camp and the season,” Pinkel said. “I think that’s the first thing that is going to be different this year. ... They know who he is.

They know what he’s about.

He’s a good guy and always demanding as heck for excellence. All those things I think will really assist in improving this year.”

In 2020, Grinch will bring

back multiple members of a deep defensive group, including speedster Tre Brown, 2019 team interceptions leader Brendan “Bookie” Radley-Hiles and injury returner Tre Norwood, among other players who have experience in his Speed D. He’ll also incorporate former Arizona State assistant Jamar Cain to beef up his outside linebackers and defensive ends, along with a recruiting class chock-full of four-star talents like defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey, defensive end Reggie Grimes and defensive backs Joshua Eaton and Bryson Washington.

With continued refinement, the play of Grinch’s defense might one day rival that of his beloved 1990 Cincinnati Reds, best characterised by intimidating, hard-throwing relief pitchers Norm Charlton, Rob Dibble and Randy Myers — a trio known as the “Nasty Boys.”

Though COVID-19 has seen Grinch teaching through Zoom rather than his loud, verbal onfield commands, his competitive fire has him continuing to demand improvement in his second season at OU. With the right pieces, schemes and mentality in place, it’s up to Grinch to help deliver a national championship, as Speed D is preparing for further acceleration in its quest for a title.

“He sticks to his guns and he knows what works, and you can take that to any program in the country,” Dotson said. “Doesn’t matter where, it’ll still work. … He’s a winner, and I think he’s gonna win a lot of games for Oklahoma.”

Mason Young

mason.e.young-1@ou.edu

17

Tre Norwood overcomes ACL tear Retshirt junior returns stronger after lost season CHANDLER ENGELBRECHT @ctengelbrecht

It didn’t seem real.

That’s how Oklahoma redshirt junior Tre Norwood described the days after he suffered a season-ending, non-contact ACL injury during the Sooners’ fall camp in 2019.

The injury came after Norwood spent the first two seasons of his OU career as one of the team’s lone bright spots on an otherwise struggling defensive unit. He was set to become a key contributor in newly-appointed defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s retooled secondary, but his injury took that away from him.

Now almost a year after his incident, Norwood said one of his toughest battles on the road to recovery was his battle with his mental health.

“It took a toll on me just for the simple fact that I’d be out for the season,” Norwood said. “It was something I wasn’t used to. … (I had to) keep positivity going through my mind, I had to be optimistic. I really grew closer in my relationship with God, just in my alone time. Knowing that everything happens for a reason was basically what got me through the whole deal.”

Norwood’s father, Michael Norwood, was not only there for his son’s emotional needs following his injury — he was there for his physical needs as well. After all, Michael knows the feeling all too well. He suffered the same injury when he was a freshman in college.

“I prepped him for (recovery),” Michael said, who 18

Junior defensive back Tre Norwood walks into the stadium before the Red River Showdown Oct. 12, 2019.

attended Ranger College in Ranger, Texas from 199294. “The way (Tre) thinks, as soon as his swelling went down, he went back to working out. He was trying to get back on the field. He was like, ‘Dad, I’m good.’

“And I was like ‘Nope, settle on down. Right now, it’s a good time (to rest) because we’re at the front of the season. Go ahead and get your redshirt completely out of the way. Get a chance to fully develop your body.’”

Norwood took his father’s words to heart by letting his body take as much time as necessary during the healing process. Now, even though he’s heading into a season that’s surrounded with COVID-19 concerns, Norwood’s more ready to play than ever.

And for a Sooners defense that saw major improvements in Grinch’s first season

as defensive coordinator, getting a fully-healthy Tre Norwood for year two could boost Oklahoma even more.

“I feel as good as I’ve ever felt during my 21 years of life,” he said. “Just being able to go through rehab and kind of restart on reconstructing my body, I feel really good.

My knee feels really good.

I’m great mentally, so honestly I can’t complain about anything, I feel really good overall.

“I feel (returning from injury) is like a new opportunity to me. It was like God was sitting me down, making me re-appreciate the game, humbling me and just giving me a chance to get back to the basics.”

Those who’ve known Norwood aren’t surprised in the way he’s overcome his injury so far.

His entire athletic career is one filled with him rising

above the highest of expectations; conquering an ACL injury would just be another chapter in the story of Tre Norwood.

‘HE WASN’T SCARED OF ANYBODY’ On the recruiting trail, Norwood first began to receive national attention after he competed in Nike’s The Opening Regionals in New Orleans in April of 2016.

Accompanying Norwood on the nearly 600-mile road trip from their hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas, Michael believed his son was capable of playing football at the Division I level, but he wondered how Norwood would fare against the talents of Louisiana.

The invite-only football camp is one of the country’s hardest to get into. That year, it featured the likes of future

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

LSU stars Ja’Marr Chase, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Patrick Queen. Louisiana native and future Clemson running back Travis Etienne was also in attendance.

“When you get down there, those kids down in Louisiana were horses,” Michael said.

“There were some great kids — and I mean great, I know talent when I see it. They were some huge, big kids.”

Yet Norwood didn’t back down from the opportunity to shine among what would become some of college football’s brightest stars. His performance was highlighted by his coverage of future Texas Longhorn receiver Brennan Eagles during one of the camp’s coverage drills.

All while remaining locked onto the QB’s eyes, Norwood matched Eagles stride-forstride on a 40-yard fly route before making an athletic one-handed pass deflection

just yards short of the endzone. The six-foot-four recruit never got a chance at the ball.

Watching Norwood make plays like that, Michael believed that Tre was not only able to play D-I football, he was meant for it. “(That’s) when his confidence really started,” Michael said. “He went and handled his own. … My eyes started to open up. That’s when I knew as a father, I was like ‘OK, he’s something special.’”

Solid measurements and a strong performance in the camp’s 7-on-7 game kicked off what would become a lengthy recruiting process for Norwood. Schools such as Notre Dame, Louisville and Wake Forest soon showed interest in the six-foot defensive back. Oklahoma also began to pursue him. “(Before that camp) I had no offers. I was talking to schools but I had no offers,” Norwood said. “I was just wanting to show everybody that a small kid from Fort Smith, Arkansas, can play with anybody around the country.”

In the months following his performance at The Opening, Norwood originally committed to the University of Louisville. However, major shake-ups in the Cardinal’s coaching staff led him to decommit in early 2017.

Norwood made the decision to come to OU, his closer-tohome option, around the same time.

Norwood’s head football coach at Northside High School, Mike Falleur, figured the recruiting boost was only a matter of time.

“We always knew Tre had the ability from just watching him in the eighth and ninth grade,” he said. “He was just that kind of guy. Your only question then was (with his)

size … once he grew you knew that big things were gonna happen.”

Norwood played both defensive back and quarterback at the junior high level for the Grizzlies, and he was making a name for himself around the Fort Smith area from his speed and playmaking ability alone. Northside High’s defensive coordinator, Felix Curry, also began to take notice then.

“Tre was an up-and-coming ninth grader at the time,” Curry said. “When I saw his footwork and his quickness I was thinking, ‘Man, that’s different.’

“I told his dad later that (Tre) was a phenomenal athlete, a great quarterback with great mechanics, but then I said ‘Man, as a defensive back, that dude there, he could be special.’”

Norwood eventually became his high school’s standout defensive back that his coaches thought he could be.

However, that wasn’t the only area where he was living up to hype: Northside’s basketball team was also benefiting from Norwood’s strong defensive efforts as guard.

He help e d guide the Grizzlies to the Arkansas Class 7A State Championship in his senior year.

“Whoever we put Tre on, (which was) whoever the other team’s best player was, they were in trouble because Tre would shut ‘em down,” Northside head basketball coach Eric Burnett said, who coached Norwood for three seasons. “(In basketball), his size really didn’t matter. He did whatever he needed to do to get the job done, he wasn’t scared of anybody …

“You know how they say he’s gotta have that dog in him? Well, he’s got it in him.”

‘HE’S A COACH’S DREAM’ Norwood’s love and deep connection to Fort Smith leads him to revisit his hometown on occasion. When

he stops by, Norwood likes to spend some time with the town’s up-and-coming athletes.

“Every time I come home, every chance I get, I try to spill knowledge to the younger guys,” Norwood said. “I want the younger generation to know that with hard work, dedication, having the right mindset and being focused — you can do anything you want to.”

Norwood’s passion for his craft and positive outlook on

Burnett said. “He’s one of those kids where you can just tell him to do something and you don’t have to go look at the film to know that he’ll do it. He’s self-motivated. And when you get a self-motivated kid that has the integrity like he does, I mean, that’s Tre Norwood.”

Norwood, the older of two children, believes his high character is a direct result from his upbringing where his father instilled the values of hard work, respectfulness

always tried to keep our kids grounded, especially in sports,” Michael explained.

“Sometimes me and my wife, we’ll sit and talk with each other, and we talk about him — (Tre) impresses us sometimes. I’m not just saying this because he’s my kid, but he’s a model student, model athlete and model son.”

Norwood’s strong values ultimately helped him power through his injury and put him in position for a comeback year.

trainer, Yusuf Holloway, started working with him when Norwood was a junior in high school. The two have since continued their routine workouts to this day and are still in regular contact with each other despite the 600-mile separation.

Their player-trainer relationship has grown into a brotherly bond. The two do almost everything together when Norwood is back in town, whether it’s coming together for extra training or

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Then-sophomore cornerback Tre Norwood plays defense in the Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl Oct. 6, 2018.

life is why each of his former coaches deem him a “terrific role model” in the Fort Smith area.

“He just does everything the right way,” Falleur said.

“He’s definitely a guy that we’re always proud of and proud to say he was a part of our program … He’s gonna be one of those guys that you know is going to be successful, whether it be in football, school or in life.”

“He’s a coach’s dream, he’s got the heart of a champion,”

and humility in him at an early age.

“I’ve told people this to this day, and I’ll keep saying it until I’m six feet underground, my dad’s my number one role model,” Norwood said. “He takes care of our family so well, he’s given me a blueprint of how to be a father, how to be a human being. …

Those are things that, later on in life, I’ll have to step into that role. … I learn from him each and every day.”

“My wife and I, we’ve

“As talented as he is, his work ethic is better than his talent,” Curry said. “He’s always hungry. Hungry to learn, hungry to workout.

(His parents) made sure Tre was a tough kid coming up.

“And when you have tough kids like that, they tend to bounce back.”

‘HE’LL COME OUT OF THIS STRONGER THAN HE WAS BEFORE’ No r w o o d ’s p e r s o n a l

just to have a friendly cookout. Norwood and Holloway have each other’s backs, both on and off the field.

When Holloway first heard of Norwood’s season-ending injury, he waited to reach out in respect for Norwood’s mental health.

“Sitting out a year is tough for anybody,” Holloway said.

“I gave him a day, just to see where his head was at. He was upbeat, but we started to talk about how this is another step in the process, and that

everything happens for a reason — the reason here is for him to get bigger, get stronger. ... He’ll be ready (to come back). A lot of people don’t see the sacrifice that the great ones put in — And Tre works really, really hard.

“He’ll come out of this stronger than he was before.” “(Holloway’s) help has always been huge,” Norwood said. “I look at him like a big brother … He’s played a critical part in my success throughout my football career. He’s always there to lend an ear, always there to help.

He’s someone who I can say that will always be around.”

But even when he can’t train with Holloway, Norwood is still making sure to better himself.

As his father recalls, Norwood hasn’t let quarantine stop him from his everyday workouts. His offseason goal of keeping his body weight to around 200 pounds has become so rigorous that Michael still has to remind him to “take a break.”

However, for Norwood, the question of if he’s preparing himself for a season that starts on time or at a much later date due to COVID-19 precautions still remains. Yet, Norwood believes the work he’s putting in will pay off regardless.

“We don’t know when (the season) will start, but we’re going to have a season,” Norwood said. “I’m making sure that, as an individual, I’m prepared for whenever that happens. It could start tomorrow, and I’d know that all the training and everything that I did throughout quarantine prepared me to step out and face it. That was my mindset when I was back home with (Holloway) every day.

“No matter what, I’m going to be ready to step out there and play whenever they say it’s time for our season to start.”

Chandler Engelbrecht

chandler.engelbrecht@ou.edu

19

Cain to tackle defensive obstacles Riley says Jamar Cain ‘checked every single box’ VIC REYNOLDS @vicareynolds

Every time Jamar Cain steps into his office, it’s third and one.

Not literally, but Oklahoma’s new outside linebackers and defensive ends coach is planning on approaching every aspect of his new job as if that were the case.

It’s a philosophy Cain, who joined OU’s staff on Jan. 31 after Ruffin McNeill stepped away from football to help his ill father, learned when he was the defensive ends coach at North Dakota State from 2014 to 2016.

In his three-year stint in Fargo, North Dakota, Cain coached his way to two FCS national titles, and amassed a 40-5 record.

Six years and two jobs later, Cain is bringing that mindset to Norman.

“I told Coach (Lincoln) Riley and I told Coach (Alex) Grinch when we talked — I said, ‘Listen, at North Dakota State when you walk into that building, it’s third and one,’” Cain said. “One year we didn’t win the national championship and went 13-2, it felt like we were 2-13. And that’s what you get when you come to Oklahoma. That’s what I want and that’s what I miss. ...

That sense of urgency every day when you walk into the building is what we have to have in here if we want to get to the next level.

“Every day when I walk into that building, it’s going to be third and one. My back is against the wall, and we have to get a stop.”

Oklahoma is getting exactly what it was looking for in a position coach in Cain. He’s proven to have a knack for developing talent, he’s proven to be able to fit into a program with a winning culture and, perhaps most importantly, he’s proven to be an elite recruiter.

“His name got brought to me

20

by a couple of people that I really trust in the business, as did a lot of other names,” Riley said.

“I just started researching, and No. 1, I found a guy that had success everywhere he’s been. And then when you look at what he’s done recruiting-wise the last few years, and when we looked at those two things, we knew we had to at least talk to this guy.”

According to those who know Cain best, his recruiting talent stems from a genuine desire to get to know people and earn their trust. While some coaches may come across as insincere, Cain steps into a room with a level of genuineness that draws prospects to him.

“He’s up to date, and he can just walk in anybody’s home and be honest with the children,” said Cain’s older brother, Willie. “He just has that ‘it’ factor … the kids trust him, and he’s a straight-forward person, and he’s gonna tell you exactly how it is and what he’s doing in the future.”

Before all the success at North Dakota State, Cain bounced around at various jobs for brief stints on the defensive side of the ball. He’s been at Missouri State, Cal Poly, Wyoming and Fresno State, and his final stop prior to Oklahoma was one year at Arizona State.

Despite his success at his previous stops — he landed three four-star recruits in his one cycle at Arizona State — the prestige, finances and infrastructure of a program like Oklahoma may empower him to have more success as a recruiter.

“I came up from the mud when it comes to recruiting. ...

I used to drive seven or eight hours to go see a kid for 20 minutes or go do a home visit and drive straight back,” Cain said.

“There were no flights. I came up the hard way, and I think people should come up that way. ... In Wyoming I drove through blizzards. And now here I can pop on a flight? Shoot, this is easy.”

Of the seven schools Cain has coached at in the last 12 years, North Dakota State is unequivocally the program that best

mirrors Oklahoma in terms of success.

While the Sooners have reached the College Football Playoff in three consecutive years prior to Cain’s hiring, the Bison won three consecutive FCS championships in the years before Cain’s hiring in 2014.

Yes, the level of competition is more difficult for Oklahoma, but Cain’s ability to instantly come in and contribute to a winning culture could prove valuable to his adjustment with

standard of success.

“Coach Cain was here for three years and had no affiliation with NDSU beforehand, but he came in and people immediately gravitated toward him,” Swanson said. “He takes the time to sincerely get to know people and in the role I was in ... you really have to go out of your way to get to know the staff and administration if you’re a coach, and Coach Cain did that. To only be there three years and build the relationships that he did re-

But Cain’s success as a coach goes beyond fostering meaningful relationships and signing highly recruited players, as he’s shown a track record for getting the most production out of his players.

In Menard’s case, he came t o Fa rg o f ro m L a ke v i l l e, Minnesota, in the 2014 class and wasn’t recruited by Cain, as he was already committed to North Dakota State when Cain was hired. But when Menard arrived on campus, Cain helped

GREYSON SIERP/THE DAILY

Jamar Cain answers questions during a press conference at the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Feb. 12.

the Sooners.

“There’s a lot of similarities in the program. You just go throughout the years, whether it’s (Bud) Wilkinson or (Barry) Switzer, (Bob) Stoops — OU’s been successful,” said Justin Swanson, who was North Dakota State’s assistant athletic director for marketing and fan engagement. “We have multiple coaches that have won national championships at NDSU. So I think there’s definitely parallels there and you look at both NDSU or Oklahoma.”

If his transition to Norman is anything like his transition to Fargo, Cain will be able to fit right in with the Sooners’

ally speaks to the guy he is.”

The secret sauce for Cain’s ability to generate strong relationships with coaches, players and administrators is that he takes the time to understand each of them as individuals and how he can best help them succeed.

“I think the biggest thing is that he has a knack for figuring out what works for different people, and he kind of knows different people have different things,” said Greg Menard, who played for North Dakota State from 2014 to 2017. “He knows when to press people’s buttons, then he knows when he has to sit down and have a serious talk.”

him maximize his potential, and by the end of his career Menard was an AP Third-Team AllAmerican selection.

“He expected the most out of his players. And he could see the potential in every single one of his players,” Menard said.

“I mean, he knew that I could be a great player before I knew I could be a great player, and having someone have that confidence in you, and kind of believe in you kind of makes you want to succeed for them.”

Even though Cain has been able to have success at smaller programs like North Dakota State and Arizona State, coaching at a program like Oklahoma

brings some added pressure.

The Sooners want to land a top-five class every year, and to do that they have to recruit nationally and against some of the best recruiting programs such as Ohio State and Alabama. But the prestige of Oklahoma and the challenge it presents is enticing for Cain, who always strives to compete at the highest level.

“I would have to say he just wants the challenge of playing at a higher level,” Willie said.

“I’m not saying the Pac-12 isn’t a high level, but my brother’s always had that ‘it’ factor. That next challenge presented itself to share and teach others, and I think that challenge really brought him to the University of Oklahoma.”

With the parallels in place and the challenge ahead of him, Cain has an important job to deliver. Junior Ronnie Perkins returns at defensive end, and re d s h i r t s o p h o m o re Ni k Bonitto and sophomore David Ugwoegbu return at outside linebacker, meaning Cain has a talented group to work with before he flexes his recruiting muscles in Norman.

“It was the right fit at the right time, and we know how competitive the defensive line, defensive end and outside linebackers are,” Riley said. “With those types of bodies, there’s the least of them, they’re the hardest to find and everybody wants them. You have to be an elite recruiter, you have to be an elite developer of talent and as we got to know Jamar and his family, they fit in with our culture and our family atmosphere here.

They checked every single box.”

Though the Sooners made dramatic defensive strides in their first year under Grinch, their 63-28 loss in the College Football Playoff to LSU proves they have work to do.

And Cain just might have what it takes to help them get over the hump.

“It’s Oklahoma,” Cain said.

“You can’t tell Oklahoma no.”

Vic Reynolds

victor.reynolds@ou.edu

Defensive players to watch

By OU Daily Staff Reporters

DE LARON STOKES

LB NIK BONITTO

S PATRICK FIELDS

With a depleted defensive line for the 2020 season, reigning Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year LaRon Stokes is expected to be a mainstay on the Sooners’ line.

OU lost Neville Gallimore to the NFL and is likely missing junior edger usher Ronnie Perkins for multiple games due to a suspension that kept him out of the 2019 Peach Bowl. The Sooners will likely have to lean even more on Stokes, especially with redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jalen Redmond opting out of the 2020 season.

The senior started 10 games for OU in 2019 and appeared in 13 games, collecting 15 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss while splitting playing time with redshirt sophomore Jalen Redmond at tackle.

During the offseason, defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux called Stokes “a quiet leader” as he strives to become a reliable veteran on OU’s defense. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 278 pounds, Stokes has the size to be a prominent force for the Sooners, and is still developing in only his second season of Division I football.

Stokes was a three-star JUCO recruit per Rivals. com and comes from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, where he compiled 112 tackles and 8.5 sacks in two seasons. He had 11 Division I offers and picked OU over the likes of Oregon and Oklahoma State.

Nik Bonitto etched himself into Sooner fans’ hearts with his game-sealing fourth-quarter interception in Oklahoma’s 34-31 comeback victory over Baylor Nov. 16.

The play — which was arguably the Sooners’ top defensive highlight from last season — was the first interception of Bonitto’s young career, and was a testament to his stellar development during his redshirt freshman season.

Redshirting in 2018, Bonitto entered 2019 as a backup to Jon-Michael Terry. After Terry went down with a season-ending injury against Texas Oct. 12, the job at outside linebacker went to Bonitto. And he never looked back.

Bonitto ended the season with the sixth-most total tackles at 43, and fifth-most sacks with 3.5, on the team. Along with his one interception, Bonitto also notched four pass deflections on the year, tying Kenneth Murray for the most on the team among linebackers. In the Sooners’ rematch with Baylor in the Big 12 championship game Dec. 7, Bonitto recorded five total tackles and 1.5 sacks.

With Murray now departing the team for his NFL career with the Los Angeles Chargers, it’ll be up to Bonitto and the rest of the linebacking core to ensure that the unit has continued success under Alex Grinch’s “Speed D.”

Junior safety Patrick Fields had a big sophomore season as part of a defense that underwent a massive culture change under Grinch.

Fields started in all 14 games at safety while being one of the Sooner defense’s most consistent players. Grinch, then in his first year after being hired in January 2019, led his defense from being ranked No. 101 in the FBS in 2018 to finishing at No. 37 in 2019, and Fields was a huge part of that gigantic step towards OU obtaining an elite defense.

The former Tulsa Union star was among the leaders of OU’s 2019 squad, and was considered one of the best defenders on the team alongside former Sooner linebacker Kenneth Murray and veteran senior cornerback Parnell Motley.

Fields finished the 2019 season with the thirdmost tackles on the team with 64 total, while also tallying two sacks and a fumble recovery.

Alongside then-sophomore Delarrin TurnerYell, the two safeties served as an elite duo, as they combined for 104 solo tackles. When Turner-Yell had nine stops in OU’s 42-41 win against Iowa State, Fields notched a season-high eight stops to complement their defensive performance. With Fields going into his third year at Oklahoma, he should remain an essential piece of a defense that saw a season of drastic improvement.

Jordan Miller Blake Douglas Caleb McCourry Trey Young Justin Jayne

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21

What is Norman without football?

‘That’s a pretty scary thought,’ fans, athletes say GEORGE STOIA

@GeorgeStoia

The following quotes are from an OU Daily online feature from former Daily writer and editor George Stoia.

Because of the amount of contributions from sources to the original story — published in May — the entire work did not make this version of the print story. The original project can be found at oudaily.com and features 18 former players, coaches and one athletic director covering a span of 50 years of Oklahoma football.

Although the Sooners are scheduled to play Sept. 12 against Missouri State, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be the nation’s most prominent concern. Season or no season, the question still looms: What is Norman without OU football?

Grant Calcaterra, OU tight end 2017-19, newly registered EMT who came out of retirement from football Aug. 15: I really couldn’t even begin to think about it. I think the beating heart of that town is OU football.

J.C. Watts, OU quarterback 1976-80, former U.S. representative for Oklahoma: What if you don’t have OU football?

That’s a pretty scary thought … in Norman … a city that’s football-prominent — it’s actually a sobering thought.

Obie Moore, OU linebacker 1973–77: It’s just kind of like taxes and death.

You can always sort of rely on a great diversion of Oklahoma football from life.

Bobby Warmack, OU quarterback 1966–68: I 22

Fans fill the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium before the Sooners’ game against Iowa State Nov. 9, 2019.

couldn’t even imagine a fall without Saturday football in Norman and all the activities that go on there. But with what we’ve experienced up to this point … nothing would surprise me.

Bud Hebert, OU defensive back 1975–79: I would say it’d be crushing. I would say it would be crushing to America, not just OU fans.

Dan Cody, OU defensive end 2000–04: I can imagine the smell of fall, the air when seasons change, that smell of football. You know what I’m talking about. No matter what level. Pee-wee.

High school. Collegiate. NFL. In middle- to late-October, when those seasons change, if there’s no football … it’s going to be shit.

Trent Smith, OU tight end 1999–2002: It’s better to die than live without your

soul. The entire game day experience — and I didn’t realize this when I played — people come to watch the game, (and) it’s just an excuse to be together and all have a common interest and all feel like you’re a part of the same big thing. Winning is great also, of course. But I didn’t realize until after I was out of college that game day is not for the players. Game days are for the fans. And without the fans, there is no game day.

Bronson Irwin, OU offensive lineman 2010–13: People get in fights about wedding dates and things like that over football season. Going to Norman on Saturdays in the fall here is a lot of people’s church.

Jerr y Pettibone, OU halfback 1958–61, now oversees Sooners helping Sooners: I’ve been around

Oklahoma football for a long, long time. And it’s such a big part of so many people’s lives that it’s going to be really weird if we can’t have a season, or at least a part of a season.

J.D. Runnels, OU fullback 2002–05: OU wouldn’t look anywhere near the same. Rush Week wouldn’t look anywhere n e a r t h e s a m e. F r i d ay nights, Thursday nights wouldn’t look the same. …

It would look totally different. Businesses would hurt.

I would hate to see that for Norman just because there are a lot of businesses that rotate around guys playing football on Saturday.

The potential financial impact of a season without football was brought up multiple times. As former student-athletes who spent their college

years in places like the original O’Connell’s and saw Campus Corner grow into the hot spot it is today, the economic decline has been on most of their minds.

J.D. Runnels: There’s a lot of people that make a lot of money on those six games that are at home. … Think of yourself as a restaurant that’s saying, “Hey man, I need to make 10 grand per game. I need to make 60 grand next year on game days.” That’s getting cut into half or into thirds.

Dan Cody: They lost millions canceling the NCAA Tournament. … If you were to ask me what the college football season is worth — I couldn’t even imagine what that number would be.

Jerry Pettibone: How’s the athletic department going to survive financially?

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

It’s a multimillion-dollar thing. All the donors, season ticket holders, the suite holders, all that money’s not going to be there.

Joe Castiglione, OU athletic director since 1998: Because we’ve been working on models around some level of football, short of no football at all, it is a daunting exercise — an experience to go through all of that type of forecasting, (and) planning should such a situation occur. But that’s the right thing to do, regardless of how difficult it might be. We have to lead. We hope many of these models aren’t necessary, that we can throw them in the trash … but we have to be ready for the new normal.

George Stoia

georgestoia@ou.edu

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