Oklahoma Football 2014 Spring Wrap Up

Strengths & question marks coming out of spring

Oklahoma’s strengths lie in two key places: the lines. The Sooners have decent depth on the offensive line to go along with a wealth of experience. Senior tackle Daryl Williams should find his way onto plenty of preseason All-American lists, and his bookend on the other side, Tyrus Thompson, has an even higher ceiling. The biggest concern would be replacing All-American center Gabe Ikard, but talented junior Ty Darlington has offered glimpses of greatness in the past.

The defensive line deserves consideration among the best in the nation. The unit is so stacked that the coaching staff decided to shift bedrock defensive end Geneo Grissom outside to linebacker in OU’s base 3-4 alignment. Pass rusher Charles Tapper looks like a possible first-round draft pick in 2015. All signs point to monster nose guard Jordan Phillips making a complete recovery from a back injury. Others likely contributors range from experienced veterans such as defensive end Chuka Ndule to talented newcomers such as Charles Walker.

Oklahoma is replacing a slew of key contributors at wide receiver, but the Sooners’ ability to plug and play at that position in the past should ease any concerns about who will be catching the ball.

The bigger issue looks to be depth at inside linebacker. Frank Shannon, the team’s leading tackler in 2013, was missing in action through most of spring practice. By all accounts, Jordan Evans, Shannon’s likely replacement, had a dynamite camp in his absence. Dom Alexander returns at the other spot, and his play as a freshman last season garnered him the conference’s defensive newcomer of the year award. After that, though, the pickings get slim, which would have been the case even if Shannon’s status wasn’t in doubt.

Name a few breakout players to keep an eye on in 2014

Cornerback Zack Sanchez surprised program observers last season by snagging a starting spot at cornerback opposite Aaron Colvin. He had his moments of inconsistency, but he held up fairly well from start to finish. He appears to have improved significantly so far this offseason as a lockdown cover man. By the end of the season, he should be the best corner in the Big 12 and possibly the best player on OU’s loaded defense.

OU DB defensive back Zack Sanchez (Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports)

Grade each position group

QB: B+
Trevor Knight’s performance in the Sugar Bowl win over Alabama was the stuff of Heismans. Can he approach that level week to week? An eligible Baker Mayfield as a backup would boost this up to the A range, but current understudy Cody Thomas is talented in his own right.

RB: B-
Long on potential, short on production. By the end of the year, the Sooners could have a lethal three-headed monster at tailback.

WR: B-
Similar situation to the RBs.

OL: B+
A skilled, veteran group of starters, but the second unit is thin.

DL: A
OU’s best unit is also the most important one on the field.

LB: B
The starting four linebackers are stellar, especially with the pairing of Grissom with Eric Striker on the outside. After the first string, the situation gets scary quickly at the two inside positions.

Secondary: B-
The Sooners have a potentially great corner in Sanchez, but who his counterpart will be remains a mystery. In addition to replacing Gabe Lynn, Quentin Hayes’ erratic play last season makes the safety position a bit of a wildcard.

STs: B
Kicker Michael Hunnicutt has to be a top candidate for the Groza Award, while punter Jed Barnett performed admirably a year ago. Look for new faces at all three return spots. Bonus: Kickoff specialist Nick Hodgson boots it out of the end zone on the regular.

What can we expect from Oklahoma in 2014?

Frankly, 2014 couldn’t be shaping up much better for the Sooners. In all likelihood, Vegas will make OU the preseason favorite in every game on its schedule. If Knight can stay healthy, an undefeated regular season constitutes a very reasonable goal.

Allen Kenney, editor of the OU blog Blatant Homerism provided the information for our Oklahoma football 2014 spring wrap up.  For more Oklahoma football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Allen on Twitter @BlatantHomerism.