Re-Ranking the Seniors
The Sooners senior class of 2015 finished their career with the school's first outright Big 12 title since 2010. The group of departing Sooners, both seniors and in NFL early entrants, had wildly varying contributions to the program from the 2012 season forward. Take a look as we break down departing players and compare their arrival ranking to what it might have been if done after the completion of their college career.
NOTE: Any player that finished out his collegiate career will be given at least two stars, for that in and of itself is a significant accomplishment that not every player achieves. Also included are any early entrants into the NFL draft.
Dominique Alexander - 2013
Position: Linebacker
Hometown: Tulsa, Okla.
Height/Weight: 6-0/220
Profiles:
High School Ranking: ***
College Re-Ranking: ***
Career Keys: Alexander has been a constant in Oklahoma's defense since being forced to start as true freshman against Texas when he led the team with tackles (19). Alexander may not have been the flashiest of Oklahoma's linebacker corps but made plenty of big plays in his career.
Reason Behind the Ranking: Alexander has always been a steady player but was never the dominant All Big 12 type of player that would be justified in bumping him up to four-stars.
Devante Bond - 2014
Position: Linebacker
Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.
Height/Weight: 6-1/238
Profiles:
Junior College Ranking: ***
College Re-Ranking: ***
Career Keys: Bond was a bit slow in coming on and even when he did he, as a senior, fought off some injuries. Bond's games against Tennessee and West Virginia in 2015 were signs of what he was capable of when truly healthy.
Reason Behind the Ranking: When Bond was able to play he was a difference maker but his impact was somewhat limited due to injuries and as a junior having to play some catch-up.
Ty Darlington - 2012
Position: Center
Hometown: Apopka, Fla.
Height/Weight: 6-3/286
Profiles:
High School Ranking: ****
College Re-Ranking: ***
Career Keys: As a player Darlington's senior year was solid but may not have been his greatest moment but as a leader Darlington really seemed to grow into his role with a young Sooner offensive line. Following the Texas game the senior center took the blame on himself and his offensive line unit and from there on the group grew by leaps and bounds.
Reason Behind the Ranking: Darlington was a multi-year starter but was never quite the dominant All-American caliber player that some might have expected with his lofty high school ranking. Still a very solid career for Darlington.
Derek Farniok - 2011
Position: Offensive Tackle
Hometown: Sioux Falls, S.D.
Height/Weight: 6-8/339
Profiles:
High School Ranking: ***
College Re-Ranking: **
Career Keys: Without question it was Farniok answering the bell in one of the more hotly contested Bedlam games of all-time, 2013. With the Sooners offensive line depleted with injuries he started and played well enough to help Oklahoma find a way to win.
Reason Behind the Ranking: Farniok never ironed out more than a reserve role and as such fell a bit short of his high school ranking.
Nila Kasitati - 2011
Position: Offensive Guard
Hometown: Euless, Texas
Height/Weight: 6-3/319
Profiles:
High School Ranking: ***
College Re-Ranking: ***
Career Keys: Kasitati played early on in his career but it wasn't until his junior senior season that he became a game in and game out certain starter. As a senior, alongside Darlington he was a huge piece of an offensive line that was forced to grow up quickly.
Reason Behind the Ranking: Kasitati was a solid contributor that ended up earning multiple all-conference votes as a senior but largely through his career was a solid rotation player along the offensive line.
P.L. Lindley - 2011
Position: Linebacker
Hometown: Round Rock, Texas
Height/Weight: 6-1/257
Profiles:
High School Ranking: ***
College Re-Ranking: **
Career Keys: Lindley's biggest keys were answering the bell when the Sooners needed him, often via injury. Lindley's key example was down the stretch in 2015 when Bond went out and the Sooners needed help playing on the edge.
Reason Behind the Ranking: Lindley was a player who always seemed to do positive things but his impacts were few and far between often getting stuck behind high quality players.
Durron Neal - 2012
Position: Wide Receiver
Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.
Height/Weight: 5-11/199
Profiles:
High School Ranking: ****
College Re-Ranking: ***
Career Keys: Neal's biggest moment was almost certainly his 71-yard touchdown against West Virginia. He was able to help break open a game that had been quite tight for much of the afternoon.
Reason Behind the Ranking: So much was expected of Neal that perhaps he, as one of the nation's elite prep receivers, was never going to be able to live up to the hype and though he had a solid Sooner career was rarely the difference maker that most had anticipated.
Zack Sanchez - 2012
Position: Cornerback
Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas
Height/Weight: 5-11/179
Profiles:
High School Ranking: ***
College Re-Ranking: ****
Career Keys: Perhaps no player in recent memory had more big plays than Sanchez in his career. Whether it was an interception in the national semi-final, his huge interception against Alabama, or his big pick to stem the tide against Baylor that made it a two score game. You pick your moment, Sanchez had a ton of them.
Reason Behind the Ranking: One of the players in this class that came in and almost from day one and never stopped making big plays for the Sooners. He'll go down as one of the better corners in a Bob Stoops era that has had plenty.
Frank Shannon - 2011
Position: Linebacker
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Height/Weight: 6-0/239
Profiles:
High School Ranking: ***
College Re-Ranking: ***
Career Keys: The picture above might be the perfect example of his big moment, Shannon's interception against Notre Dame in 2013 was one of his key moments. Shannon may not have always been flashy but prior to his year away from the team he was a consistently solid linebacker for the Sooners.
Reason Behind the Ranking: Shannon was a consistent starter throughout his career though he didn't really push toward the all-conference conversation.
Sterling Shepard - 2012
Position: Wide Receiver
Hometown: Oklahoma City, Okla.
Height/Weight: 5-10/193
Profiles:
High School Ranking: ****
College Re-Ranking: ****
Career Keys: Speaking of players who make tons and tons of play, no player in the last few years compares to Shepard. Be it his amazing fourth quarter against Tennessee in 2015, his Sugar Bowl against Alabama he had many huge nights. But perhaps none stood out more than his amazing 2015 effort in Waco.
Reason Behind the Ranking: One of the toughest decisions on this list is to keep Shepard away from five-stars. Nearly every year there is one that is incredibly close and this year it's Shepard. Regardless he'll go down as one of the school's all-time top five receivers.
Josiah St. John - 2013
Position: Offensive Tackle
Hometown: Toronto, Can.
Height/Weight: 6-6/308
Profiles:
Junior College Ranking: ***
College Re-Ranking: **
Career Keys: St. John's biggest moments were as a starter in 2015 from the second game until Kansas State.
Reason Behind the Ranking: St. John was a guy that many expected big things from after being a fairly high profile junior college recruit. He never really got to that level during his time in Norman starting a handful of games early in his senior season before being replaced by Dru Samia.
Eric Striker - 2012
Position: Linebacker
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
Height/Weight: 6-0/222
Profiles:
High School Ranking: ****
College Re-Ranking: ****
Career Keys: Yet another player that from beginning to end can talk about a lot of big moments in his career. But for most the moment Striker became a true nationally known player was the Sugar Bowl win over Alabama where he gave the Crimson Tide's then thought to be first round pick Cyrus Kouandjio absolute fits.
Reason Behind the Ranking: Another player that probably could make a case for five-star but Striker was never quite the Award winner and national top five at his position type of player. But don't let that take away from an outstanding career.
Charles Tapper - 2012
Position: Defensive End
Hometown: Baltimore, Md.
Height/Weight: 6-2/282
Profiles:
High School Ranking: ***
College Re-Ranking: ***
Career Keys: In that last half of the year he finally looked like the player that the Sooner staff had been discussing since he was recruited. On the big stage his work against Baylor in 2015 was a strong overall game but his staggering work tracking down Trevone Boykin in 2013 is a play not soon forgotten.
Reason Behind the Ranking: This is one that I've changed two or three times, he is right on the fringe of that three and four-star rating based on his collegiate impact. In the end he was dominant at times but the level of play wasn't consistent enough.