Editor's note: With fall camp just a few weeks away, OUInsider will give an overview of each position group and where things stand. The seventh installment focuses on the quarterbacks.
There might be some questions about Oklahoma's quarterback room, but the most important question has been answered for quite some time.
Jackson Arnold is the guy.
While some programs find themselves with a quarterback competition that's carried from the spring to the fall, no such thing exists in Norman. The Sooners have known before the Alamo Bowl last December — and really, long before that — that this would be Arnold's time as a face of the program. The spring and offseason have only helped with that transition and have given Arnold more time to prepare for one of the biggest seasons in recent memory for the Sooners.
But that doesn't mean there aren't questions, both for Arnold and the guys behind him. And they are questions that'll need to be answered during fall camp, which begins on Monday.
Here's a look at the Sooners' QB room and where things stand heading into a pivotal training camp:
ROSTER
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART
1. Jackson Arnold
2. Casey Thompson
3. Michael Hawkins Jr.
QUESTIONS
1. Is Arnold ready for the challenge?
Arnold's been dealt a handful of significant changes since assuming QB1 responsibilites. The coach who primarily recruited him to Norman — Jeff Lebby — is off to Mississippi State; he's got a new offensive coordinator in Seth Littrell to get acclimated to; all five starters from last year's offensive line are gone, giving him a brand new group in charge of protecting him; Oh, and the Sooners are jumping to an SEC.
It's not exactly fair, but Arnold has a ton of weight on his shoulders heading into the fall. Fortunately for him, he's had time to prepare.
Obviously there's been a huge focus on getting better on the field, but leadership has been just as much of a focus.
“The biggest part of leadership that I focused on this offseason was being a vocal leader, stepping up through conditioning or working out or whatever," Arnold said during SEC Media Days. "Just being vocal for those guys and picking them up. Even if we're in huddles with each other, just leading those guys, telling them things and how we operate and just showing them the way things are done.”
Fall camp will be about putting it all together.
While position group battles rage around him, Arnold's focus can be on continuing to sharpen everything ahead of the season opener against Temple. That should give time for Arnold to get comfortable using the in-helmet communication system with Littrell and building chemistry with his receivers. And it's a few more weeks for Arnold to further establish himself as a leader.
Just a few weeks until football resumes in Norman.
2. Who gets the backup spot?
This is probably the most pressing question. As Sooner fans have learned the last two years, the backup spot is incredibly important and often overlook.
Hawkins immediately stood out in the spring with his speed and mobility. The true freshman's got arm strength, too, and adds a different dimension to the quarterback room. The spring game wasn't a great showcase for Hawkins as the second-string offensive line struggled to protect him, but the potential is clearly there for the former four-star prospect to be a versatile playmaker in the future.
"Both (Arnold and Hawkins) are really great with their legs, can really extend plays," OU linebacker Danny Stutsman said at SEC Media Days. "Mike's a little bit quicker, but both quarterbacks are amazing. The competition's great for Mike. It's really helped grow his game. Jackson's really done an amazing job of really helping him learn the system. It's hard for a young quarterback, especially against our defense, to make those types of reeds and see what he's seen so Jackson's done an amazing job, veteran, helping him, kind of how (Dillion Gabriel) was helping Jackson and kind of do the same thing for Mike.”
But his main competition will likely be Thompson, who is the lone veteran in the room. Thompson's heading into his sixth collegiate season and has played 1,486 snaps, per Pro Football Focus, and has starting experience at Texas, Nebraska and Florida Atlantic. Thompson was a limited participant in the spring but is expected to be fully available for fall camp, which could make the competition for the back-up spot an interesting one. Both guys should have a great opportunity for it. Do the coaches lean on Thompson's experience, or does Hawkins' upside win out?
Outside of that, fall camp should be another chance for Brendan Zurbrugg to continue building on the spring and for Steele Wasel to grow more comfortable in an OU uniform.
