Has Mixon as the 3rd string RB... Has 12 starters on both sides. Also has Shep at PR... Come on man.
NORMAN — Oklahoma begins fall practices on Thursday with tons of questions surrounding multiple position groups and the overall state of the program.
OU is unlikely to release any kind of official depth chart until the week of the first game, which won’t come for another month. So this feels like as good a time as any to post a projected — key word, projected — 2015 depth chart entering fall camp.
Below the depth chart, I've added some various thoughts on how I came to some of these decisions.
QBNo.; Name; Cl.; Ht.; Wt.6; Baker Mayfield; Jr.; 6-2; 214
9; Trevor Knight; Jr.; 6-1; 206
14; Cody Thomas; So.; 6-4; 211
RB32; Samaje Perine; So.; 5-11; 237
28; Alex Ross; Jr.; 6-1; 220
25; Joe Mixon; RFr.; 6-2; 217
FB
36; Dimitri Flowers; So.; 6-1; 242
WR11; Dede Westbrook; Jr.; 6-1; 167
15; Jeffery Mead; So.; 6-6; 189
WR5; Durron Neal; Sr.; 5-11; 195
19; Dallis Todd; RFr.; 6-5; 201
WR3; Sterling Shepard; Sr.; 5-10; 191
2; Michiah Quick; So.; 6-0; 186
TE81; Mark Andrews; RFr.; 6-6; 247
45; Carson Meier; RFr.; 6-6; 244
LT72; Derek Farniok; Sr.; 6-9; 345
73; Kenyon Frison; RFr.; 6-6; 289
LG52; Jamal Danley; Jr.; 6-5; 301
75; Cody Ford; Fr.; 6-4; 322
C56; Ty Darlington; Sr.; 6-3; 299
68; Jonathan Alvarez; So.; 6-3; 310
RG54; Nila Kasitati; Sr.; 6-4; 315
63; Alex Dalton; RFr.; 6-4; 297
RT55; Josiah St. John; Sr.; 6-6; 309
78; Orlando Brown; RFr.; 6-8; 355
DE90; Matt Dimon; Jr.; 6-2; 274
87; D.J. Ward; RFr.; 6-2; 251
DT92; Matthew Romar; So.; 6-0; 294
93; Jordan Wade; Jr.; 6-4; 305
DE91; Charles Tapper; Sr.; 6-4; 283
97; Charles Walker; So.; 6-2; 299
OLB5; Devante Bond; Sr.; 6-1; 236
22: Ricky DeBerry; Fr.; 6-2; 240
ILB42; Dominique Alexander; Jr.; 6-0; 229
9; Tay Evans; RFr.; 6-2; 235
40; P.L. Lindley; Sr.; 6-2; 267
ILB26; Jordan Evans; Jr.; 6-3; 242
20; Frank Shannon; Sr.; 6-1; 238
18; Curtis Bolton; RFr.; 6-2; 229
OLB19; Eric Striker; Sr.; 6-0; 223
82; Ogbonnia Okoronkwo; So.; 6-1; 237
NB12; Will Johnson; So.; 6-0; 179
8; Kahlil Haughton; Fr.; 6-1; 178
CB15; Zack Sanchez; Jr.; 5-11; 175
27; Dakota Austin; Jr.; 5-11; 160
FS11; Steven Parker; So.; 6-1; 201
21; Will Sunderland; Fr.; 6-2; 186
SS13; Ahmad Thomas; Jr.; 6-0; 218
4; Hatari Byrd; Jr.; 6-1; 206
CB7; Jordan Thomas; So.; 6-1; 194
12; Will Johnson; So.; 6-0; 179
P38; Jack Steed; Jr.; 6-5; 209
PK43; Austin Seibert; Fr.; 5-10; 195
KOS39; Nick Hodgson; Sr.; 6-2; 198
H84; Grant Bothun; Jr.; 5-11; 189
LS42; Wesley Horky; So.; 6-2; 226
KR28; Alex Ross; Jr.; 6-1; 220
5; Durron Neal; Sr.; 5-11; 195
PR3; Sterling Shepard; Sr.; 5-10; 191
11; Dede Westbrook; Jr.; 6-1; 167
Now, some thoughts on a few key position groups:
Quarterbacks: The most important position for any football team, and Oklahoma is obviously no exception. Trevor Knight is the incumbent starter, but based on his inconsistent performances last season and what I heard about Baker Mayfield’s spring — not to mention his superior showing in the Red-White Game — I’m going with Mayfield for now. Bob Stoops said at Big 12 Media Days last month that the battle was ongoing between Mayfield and Knight and that Cody Thomas was “right on their heels.”
Receivers: Sterling Shepard, Durron Neal and Dede Westbrook are the safe bets to be starters, although there could be four receivers on the field at any given time in Lincoln Riley’s offense. I probably would have listed sophomore Jordan Smallwood over Dallis Todd if not for Smallwood’s spring ACL tear that will keep him out of the first couple games.
Offensive line: Right now, Derek Farniok and Josiah St. John look like the frontrunners to start at the tackle positions, replacing the always reliable Daryl Williams and Tyrus Thompson. But don’t sleep on redshirt freshmen Orlando Brown and Kenyon Frison, who some believe could be the Sooners’ next great tackle tuo eventually.
Defensive line: Charles Tapper and Matt Romar are obvious starters, but beyond that, things get interesting. I only listed three DL spots on this depth chart, although the Sooners could play with a four-man front a lot this season. I like Matt Dimon to start at the end spot opposite Tapper, but look out for sophomore and former Oklahoma high school star D.J. Ward. This feels like a make-or-break season for Ward. Also keep an eye on defensive tackle Jordan Wade, who, you’ll remember, started several games two years ago but barely saw the field in 2014. In a four-man front, it would probably be Romar and Wade at the tackle spots.
Secondary: I feel good listing Zack Sanchez and Jordan Thomas as the starters. Behind them is where things get interesting. Dakota Austin looked like he might compete for a starting spot last year, but didn’t see the field much. Former Tulsa East Central standout Stanvon Taylor has been a big of an enigma. He started one game early in his true freshman season two years ago, but has been passed over since then. Junior college transfer Will Johnson could play some at corner, and could also be the Sooners’ nickel. At the safety spots, I like Ahmad Thomas and Steven Parker to start, with Hatari Byrd and true freshman Will Sunderland backing them up. But let’s be honest: the starting safeties are going to be on thin ice, and all of the incoming true freshmen are going to get plenty of opportunities to play.
Specialists: True freshman Austin Seibert expects to have the chance to be the field-goal kicker, the kickoff specialist and the punter, but Nick Hodgson and Jack Steed will each have something to say about that. Hodgson has been excellent on kickoffs the last couple years, so there’s no reason to believe he won’t retain that job, but he could also end up kicking field goals. The way I’ve drawn it up now, let’s put Seibert on field goals, Steed on punts and Hodgson on kickoffs. But don’t be surprised if that’s significantly different by the time the season begins.
Punt returner: Shepard struggled mightily last year in his first season returning punts, but I’ll leave him as the main returner for now. Michiah Quick and Westbrook will both have opportunities as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if Westbrook is ultimately the Sooners’ punt returner.
NORMAN — Oklahoma begins fall practices on Thursday with tons of questions surrounding multiple position groups and the overall state of the program.
OU is unlikely to release any kind of official depth chart until the week of the first game, which won’t come for another month. So this feels like as good a time as any to post a projected — key word, projected — 2015 depth chart entering fall camp.
Below the depth chart, I've added some various thoughts on how I came to some of these decisions.
QBNo.; Name; Cl.; Ht.; Wt.6; Baker Mayfield; Jr.; 6-2; 214
9; Trevor Knight; Jr.; 6-1; 206
14; Cody Thomas; So.; 6-4; 211
RB32; Samaje Perine; So.; 5-11; 237
28; Alex Ross; Jr.; 6-1; 220
25; Joe Mixon; RFr.; 6-2; 217
FB
36; Dimitri Flowers; So.; 6-1; 242
WR11; Dede Westbrook; Jr.; 6-1; 167
15; Jeffery Mead; So.; 6-6; 189
WR5; Durron Neal; Sr.; 5-11; 195
19; Dallis Todd; RFr.; 6-5; 201
WR3; Sterling Shepard; Sr.; 5-10; 191
2; Michiah Quick; So.; 6-0; 186
TE81; Mark Andrews; RFr.; 6-6; 247
45; Carson Meier; RFr.; 6-6; 244
LT72; Derek Farniok; Sr.; 6-9; 345
73; Kenyon Frison; RFr.; 6-6; 289
LG52; Jamal Danley; Jr.; 6-5; 301
75; Cody Ford; Fr.; 6-4; 322
C56; Ty Darlington; Sr.; 6-3; 299
68; Jonathan Alvarez; So.; 6-3; 310
RG54; Nila Kasitati; Sr.; 6-4; 315
63; Alex Dalton; RFr.; 6-4; 297
RT55; Josiah St. John; Sr.; 6-6; 309
78; Orlando Brown; RFr.; 6-8; 355
DE90; Matt Dimon; Jr.; 6-2; 274
87; D.J. Ward; RFr.; 6-2; 251
DT92; Matthew Romar; So.; 6-0; 294
93; Jordan Wade; Jr.; 6-4; 305
DE91; Charles Tapper; Sr.; 6-4; 283
97; Charles Walker; So.; 6-2; 299
OLB5; Devante Bond; Sr.; 6-1; 236
22: Ricky DeBerry; Fr.; 6-2; 240
ILB42; Dominique Alexander; Jr.; 6-0; 229
9; Tay Evans; RFr.; 6-2; 235
40; P.L. Lindley; Sr.; 6-2; 267
ILB26; Jordan Evans; Jr.; 6-3; 242
20; Frank Shannon; Sr.; 6-1; 238
18; Curtis Bolton; RFr.; 6-2; 229
OLB19; Eric Striker; Sr.; 6-0; 223
82; Ogbonnia Okoronkwo; So.; 6-1; 237
NB12; Will Johnson; So.; 6-0; 179
8; Kahlil Haughton; Fr.; 6-1; 178
CB15; Zack Sanchez; Jr.; 5-11; 175
27; Dakota Austin; Jr.; 5-11; 160
FS11; Steven Parker; So.; 6-1; 201
21; Will Sunderland; Fr.; 6-2; 186
SS13; Ahmad Thomas; Jr.; 6-0; 218
4; Hatari Byrd; Jr.; 6-1; 206
CB7; Jordan Thomas; So.; 6-1; 194
12; Will Johnson; So.; 6-0; 179
P38; Jack Steed; Jr.; 6-5; 209
PK43; Austin Seibert; Fr.; 5-10; 195
KOS39; Nick Hodgson; Sr.; 6-2; 198
H84; Grant Bothun; Jr.; 5-11; 189
LS42; Wesley Horky; So.; 6-2; 226
KR28; Alex Ross; Jr.; 6-1; 220
5; Durron Neal; Sr.; 5-11; 195
PR3; Sterling Shepard; Sr.; 5-10; 191
11; Dede Westbrook; Jr.; 6-1; 167
Now, some thoughts on a few key position groups:
Quarterbacks: The most important position for any football team, and Oklahoma is obviously no exception. Trevor Knight is the incumbent starter, but based on his inconsistent performances last season and what I heard about Baker Mayfield’s spring — not to mention his superior showing in the Red-White Game — I’m going with Mayfield for now. Bob Stoops said at Big 12 Media Days last month that the battle was ongoing between Mayfield and Knight and that Cody Thomas was “right on their heels.”
Receivers: Sterling Shepard, Durron Neal and Dede Westbrook are the safe bets to be starters, although there could be four receivers on the field at any given time in Lincoln Riley’s offense. I probably would have listed sophomore Jordan Smallwood over Dallis Todd if not for Smallwood’s spring ACL tear that will keep him out of the first couple games.
Offensive line: Right now, Derek Farniok and Josiah St. John look like the frontrunners to start at the tackle positions, replacing the always reliable Daryl Williams and Tyrus Thompson. But don’t sleep on redshirt freshmen Orlando Brown and Kenyon Frison, who some believe could be the Sooners’ next great tackle tuo eventually.
Defensive line: Charles Tapper and Matt Romar are obvious starters, but beyond that, things get interesting. I only listed three DL spots on this depth chart, although the Sooners could play with a four-man front a lot this season. I like Matt Dimon to start at the end spot opposite Tapper, but look out for sophomore and former Oklahoma high school star D.J. Ward. This feels like a make-or-break season for Ward. Also keep an eye on defensive tackle Jordan Wade, who, you’ll remember, started several games two years ago but barely saw the field in 2014. In a four-man front, it would probably be Romar and Wade at the tackle spots.
Secondary: I feel good listing Zack Sanchez and Jordan Thomas as the starters. Behind them is where things get interesting. Dakota Austin looked like he might compete for a starting spot last year, but didn’t see the field much. Former Tulsa East Central standout Stanvon Taylor has been a big of an enigma. He started one game early in his true freshman season two years ago, but has been passed over since then. Junior college transfer Will Johnson could play some at corner, and could also be the Sooners’ nickel. At the safety spots, I like Ahmad Thomas and Steven Parker to start, with Hatari Byrd and true freshman Will Sunderland backing them up. But let’s be honest: the starting safeties are going to be on thin ice, and all of the incoming true freshmen are going to get plenty of opportunities to play.
Specialists: True freshman Austin Seibert expects to have the chance to be the field-goal kicker, the kickoff specialist and the punter, but Nick Hodgson and Jack Steed will each have something to say about that. Hodgson has been excellent on kickoffs the last couple years, so there’s no reason to believe he won’t retain that job, but he could also end up kicking field goals. The way I’ve drawn it up now, let’s put Seibert on field goals, Steed on punts and Hodgson on kickoffs. But don’t be surprised if that’s significantly different by the time the season begins.
Punt returner: Shepard struggled mightily last year in his first season returning punts, but I’ll leave him as the main returner for now. Michiah Quick and Westbrook will both have opportunities as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if Westbrook is ultimately the Sooners’ punt returner.
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