HD: Stoops gives update on first day of game prep
Classes started Monday at the University of Oklahoma and the football team moved its practices to the evenings for the rest of the season. The Sooners were given the weekend off and have returned this week to begin game week preparations, even though they are more than a week away from the opener.
“We're doing some work on UTEP and some still against each other,” said Bob Stoops of this week’s practice schedule. “I still think you can get a lot accomplished working against each other, too. We're still getting extra work on UTEP.”
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With the announcement Friday, defensive tackle Stacy McGee was suspended indefinitely, the only major item still left on the docket is the status of wide receiver transfer Jalen Saunders. Stoops reported Monday that no decision has been reached.
“I think we'll know something toward the middle or end of the week,” Stoops said.
Stoops did announce his team captains Monday following practice.
“David King on defense. On offense it's Landry Jones and Gabe Ikard,” Stoops reported. “Tress Way and Trey Millard had so many votes on special teams and offense that between the two of them he was voted a captain.”
Stoops also said he wasn’t ready or willing to announce any players who would be redshirted this season.
“Nothing that we're ready to broadcast,” he said. “We intend to play all of them. Come game week we'll see who ends up in the game and who doesn't.”
With Dominique Whaley’s health such a concern during the offseason, Stoops gave an update on his condition heading into game week preparations. Stoops has been qualifying most of his statements on Whaley’s health with plenty of ‘we’ll see’s’ or ‘hopefully he’ll be the same guy’s’ throughout camp.
He was almost ready to take that qualifier off of Whaley Monday.
“I don't think I much do (have questions about his health). It's hard to say if he's 100 percent, but he sure looks it,” said Stoops. ”I don't know if he could tell you. He feels the same. I think he looks the same. I think he's pretty much there and ready to go.”
Stoops also cleared up David King’s situation, a bit, with whether he is now a full-time defensive tackle, or a roving defensive end.
“Through the year it's safe to say David will rotate back and forth between the two,” he said. “He did that last year. They play a lot of the same techniques in what we're doing. Either way, he's gonna be on the field a bunch.”
Stoops also said Gabe Lynn is the team’s starting nickel back “right now” but he’s still very high on Julian Wilson.
“Julian has been very good. He's gonna play a lot,” said Stoops. “Whether he starts or not, he's gonna be rotation with those guys. We really like how he plays. He's done really well.”
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