Despite losing a number of star players, Oklahoma football could find itself relying heavily on Mark Andrews, one of the best-kept secrets in the nation.
Losing impact players like Joe Mixon, Samaje Perine and Dede Westbrook usually sets a program back a few years. For Oklahoma football though, a bigger role is available for a blossoming young star.
Mark Andrews is a 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end — or wide receiver, depending where you look — for the Sooners. He capped off his sophomore season with three catches, 68 yards and a touchdown in Oklahoma’s Allstate Sugar Bowl victory.
With an expanded role in 2017, Andrews is one particular weapon the Sooners hope to unleash against their opponents. Who will he be picking up the slack for?
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Westbrook earned All-American honors while catching passes from Baker Mayfield in 2016. He was the obvious No. 1 target for the Sooners’ passing attack, totaling 80 catches — 43 more than the next best receiver. He did more than just catch passes, though, he made the most of his opportunities. Seventeen touchdowns tied for second-most in the nation, while his 1,524 receiving yards were sixth-most.
The Sooner ground game featured a two-headed beast: Mixon and Perine. The latter rushed for just over a thousand yards and 10 scores, adding one receiving touchdown. The former ran for 1,274 yards and 10 scores, but also flourished in the passing game: Mixon’s 37 catches were second-most on the team, while his five touchdowns ranked third.
From losing those three players alone, a combined 4,502 yards and 45 touchdowns has left the locker room in Norman. Surely Andrews won’t make up for all of it, but what would a breakout year look like for the Arizona-native?
Earning First-Team All-Big 12 honors was expected after getting a preseason nod to the team, but Andrews was dubbed a first-teamer by the AP for the second-consecutive year, and for good reason.
Andrews scored seven touchdowns in each of his first two seasons for the Sooners, but has seen incremental increases in catches and yards. As a freshman, Andrews caught 19 passes for 318 yards. He improved on those numbers as a sophomore, hauling in 31 catches for 489 yards. Not many tight ends dominate in college football, but the 6-foot-5 Sooner could change the landscape.
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Is a 50-catch, 700-yard season too much to ask for? With the increased targets from his QB, Andrews is in a position in 2017 to not only lead Oklahoma in the passing attack, but is a lead candidate for the John Mackey Award as college football’s best tight end.