Four-and-a-half months later, and Oklahoma football is back. After cutting things short during the first week of spring practice because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, OU’s traditional fall camp begins Friday.
Originally Aug. 7, OU was able to push camp up a week following its opener against Missouri State being moved from Sept. 5 to Aug. 29.
Hey, it’s understandable that nobody has a clue what COVID-19 is going to do to OU’s season or to the college football slate. As camp begins, the Big 12 conference hasn’t even announced what its format is going to be.
Other major conferences have already announced a conference-only schedule, including the SEC, which has canceled the scheduled OU-Tennessee game in Norman on Sept. 12.
All that being said, OU continues to work. The Sooners have gone four straight weeks without a positive COVID-19 test, and the focus is back on the field until someone tells them it’s not.
Camp has arrived. And on the field? There are some questions. Let’s get to it.
1. How different is Spencer Rattler today compared to who he was in March?
Rattler didn’t enroll early, so his first spring ball was supposed to be four months ago. What impact, if any, will there be on his development because he didn’t have those 15 practices? Head coach Lincoln Riley said there were a lot of things Rattler and fellow quarterback Tanner Mordecai could do during the break, most notably with film study. These questions could pertain to Mordecai, too, but Rattler is the one already picked to be in the running for the Heisman Trophy despite not having started a game.
2. Did OU find its defensive tackle answer through junior college?
Everybody loved the improvements of the OU defense under Alex Grinch in his first year, but now it’s about moving forward and not reflecting back. The big question is whether OU has found its man in the middle now that Neville Gallimore, Marquise Overton and Dillon Faamatau have moved on. OU is relying on two junior college transfers in Perrion Winfrey and Joshua Ellison and hopefully some guys on campus before like Jordan Kelley or Kori Roberson. Winfrey was among the most sought after juco recruits for the 2020 class. It’s time to find out why.
3. Is Stacey Wilkins ready to make that leap at left tackle?
The Sooners did all they could in 2019 at left tackle between R.J. Proctor and Erik Swenson. They weren’t always healthy. And even when they were, it wasn’t always pretty. If OU could just get through 2019, it would open the door for Wilkins to become the guy in 2020. For a redshirt freshman, though, the loss of spring absolutely meant a lot, both physically and mentally. Wilkins has been pegged as the next great tackle for the Sooners, but can it already happen as just a redshirt freshman?
4. What can DeMarco Murray get out of his running back room?
You wouldn’t expect a lot of roster changes from spring football to preseason camp, but obviously the Sooners had a big one in the departure of running back Trey Sermon to Ohio State. First-year coach DeMarco Murray was going to be able to lean on Sermon and redshirt junior Kennedy Brooks for their experience, but now it’s clearly Brooks’ show. What we know, though, is you need a plethora of backs to make it through a season. Next man up – Rhamondre Stevenson, T.J. Pledger, Marcus Major or Seth McGowan? OU finding a consistent second and third option will be key.
5. Has championship level depth arrived at safety?
No other way to put it. Everybody saw what happened when Delarrin Turner-Yell was out for the Peach Bowl with a broken collarbone. The depth wasn’t there. Turner-Yell and Pat Fields are back as juniors, and now who is going to make that leap and push them between guys like Woodi Washington and Jeremiah Criddell? Established vets like Chanse Sylvie or Justin Broiles? Or newcomers like Bryson Washington and the recent arrival of juco safety Justin Harrington? They don’t need to beat out Turner-Yell and/or Fields, but the competition needs to be at a much higher level on a daily basis.
