Will Oklahoma Sooners Finally Live Up to Preseason Hype?

Offense

There is a lot of preseason hype surrounding sophomore quarterback Trevor Knight after his freshman bowl performance against Alabama. This isn’t to say Knight won’t be a good quarterback, but how often have we built up preseason hype on players based on a bowl game only to see them massively flop the next year? I’m still of the mindset that Saban’s Tide didn’t care about last year’s Sugar Bowl game, and are you telling me that Knight’s one game was so good that it forced the original starter, Blake Bell, to convert to tight end? I can’t see it. Knight will be a very solid dual-threat quarterback, but before the bowl game last year, he was only 47 of 90 with 471 yards and 5 touchdowns to 4 interceptions. Those are hardly eye-popping numbers. Knight is going to be much better than those numbers suggest, but he won’t be nearly as good as the numbers against Alabama suggest. I tend to think somewhere in the middle, meaning the quarterback position will be in pretty good shape, as long as Knight doesn’t get injured.

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Stormin in Norman

The Sooners took a big hit at running back with the loss of their top three rushers and fullback Trey Millard. That leaves them with two sophomores and two freshmen to take the reigns, but these are darn good players. Sophomore Keith Ford is the only one with experience, but he did manage to gain 134 yards and a touchdown with only 23 carries last year. Not bad for a guy buried in the depth chart. There’s also sophomore Alex Ross who didn’t play last year but has lots of potential, and then there are the two freshmen. Samaje Perine was a 4-star who will definitely be the power back at 5’11” 243 pounds, so expect him to have an immediate impact in short-yardage situations. Finally, 5-star freshman Joe Mixon is, well, in the mix. He has a ton of raw talent, and there’s a very good chance he’ll be the main starter this year. Throw Knight into the mix, and there’s enough raw talent at running back that the running game should be better than last year, as crazy as it sounds.

Like the running game, the wide receiver position takes a huge hit with departing talent as well. And like the running game, there is a lot of incoming talent here that could make an immediate impact. A big part of this unit depends on whether or not Dorial Green-Beckham can play immediately. Outside of that, the biggest saving grace is No. 2 receiver Sterling Shepard, who is a junior, is back after 603 yards and 7 touchdowns in a passing game that never had a consistent quarterback last year. Junior Durron Neal is also back and should have a larger role after only 176 yards last year. He has lots of raw talent and just hasn’t seen enough action to prove himself yet. Sophomores Austin Bennett and Derrick Woods along with redshirt freshmen Jordan Smallwood, Dannon Cavil, and K.J. Young will all be fighting for spots in the regular rotation at receiver. But I’m predicting that a starting spot will eventually go to one of the 4-star true freshmen, most likely Dallas Todd or Mark Andrews, who stand at 6’5″ 205 and 6’6″ 236 pounds respectively. Look for one of them to be a household name by the end of the year, and their additions to this unit are why it should be better than last year despite the losses. Also, the tight end position was hardly ever utilized last year, but Bell’s conversion makes him a very viable option there. He stands at 6’6″ 259 pounds, providing incredible size, and he’s already proven himself to be athletic. Backing him up will be sophomore Tyler McNamara, who was highly recruited out of high school as well and stands at 6’5″ 245 pounds. If Green-Beckham can start immediately, all of this changes, and not only will the unit be better than last year, but it could become the strength of the offense. Green-Beckham already has experience dealing with a mobile quarterback who struggles with accuracy. Imagine what he could do with Knight.

Sep 7, 2013; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Trevor Knight (9) scrambles against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The offensive line faces a huge loss with Wuerffel Trophy winner and All-American Center Gabe Ikard gone. But there’s talent here. Senior tackle Daryl Williams is the best of the group and was All-Big 12 last year. Standing at 6’6″ 329 pounds,  he should have no trouble this year. Senior guards Tyler Evans and Adam Shead are both very experienced and gigantic as well, weighing 339 pounds each. Senior tackle Tyrus Thompson is back as well, with 16 starts under his belt and standing at 6’5″ 336 pounds, but guard Bronson Irwin will be missed. However, there are four mammoth seniors on the line, all of whom have experience, and through recruiting Stoops has also built up depth as massive as the linemen themselves. Junior center Ty Darlington is the only official center with any experience on the roster, but he was highly recruited and can be very good at Ikard’s position. Remember he doesn’t have to be Ikard, especially with the veterans throughout the rest of the line. Juniors Nila Kasitati and Derek Farniok and senior Dionte Savage all have experience as well to provide depth, or maybe start. Savage is freakishly large at 343 pounds, and Farniok provides freakish size in a different way, standing at 6’9″ and 329 pounds. Senior Josiah St. John, junior John-Phillip Hughes, and redshirt freshman Christian Daimler will all provide depth in the rotation. Stoops also brought in two more centers for depth, including 4-star freshman Alex Dalton. Kenyon Frison is another incoming 4-star. Ikard is definitely a huge loss on the line,  but when you take into account that the line as a whole is much more experienced, it should be just as good as, if not better, than last year.

The Sooners should still have concerns about Knight as the full-time starter at quarterback, and they have to replace lots of lost talent, but there is enough experience and some great raw talent coming in that the offense should be better than last year. Even if Knight doesn’t meet expectations, the quarterback position should significantly improve. And if Green-Beckham can play immediately, this will become a deadly offense. Defensive Preview on Next Slide