Oklahoma doesn’t begin practice until Aug. 3, but head coach Lincoln Riley was back addressing the media for the first time with 2018 camp approaching.
Take No. 1: Injury report
There’s good news, and there is bad news. But the timely news is the revelation that freshman defensive end/outside linebacker Jalen Redmond is going to miss the entire season because of a blood clot issue discovered earlier this summer.
Redmond was expected to be one of several freshmen to be on the watch for in terms of being a difference maker on the defense. Riley said Redmond is doing well and recovering.
Is there a chance Redmond could come back for a four-game stretch and still be a redshirt guy? Yes, but it sure doesn’t seem likely.
“At this point right now, I feel like it would be a definite full redshirt year for him,” Riley said. “Could things change? Potentially, but we’re still in the early stages, and we’re absolutely going to be cautious with him.”
Riley said freshman defensive tackle Michael Thompson (torn ACL), senior defensive back Prentice McKinney (shoulder) and redshirt sophomore defensive back Chanse Sylvie (torn Achilles) will all miss the 2018 season. The news is positive, though, regarding wide receiver Nick Basquine.
Basquine, despite tearing his other Achilles, is expected to still be a vital part to OU for the 2018 season.
Take No. 2: Position changes
Two crucial spots appear to have familiar names in new places moving forward with defensive back Jordan Parker and offensive lineman Cody Ford.
Ford moved to offensive tackle from the guard spot for the spring, and Riley confirmed that was not just a seasonal move. Ford will begin camp from the tackle spot.
“We’re going to start Cody at tackle, no question about it. He did a great job,” Riley said. “I think the biggest question mark for him was, he’s just such a big guy, was can he move the way we need him to move out there on the edge? He’s always been a good enough player. We knew he was going to factor in this year somewhere. No doubt about it.
“And he moves so well, it was just very natural for him, from his pass-sitting. He’s got a chance to be a pretty dominant tackle in the run game because of the way he’s built and some of the matchups he’ll have out there.”
Riley said Ford has trimmed down to 330 pounds from 345 in the spring because the staff knew they wanted Ford at tackle. No guarantee he’ll start opposite Bobby Evans, but Riley said Ford is certainly in the mix.
Jordan Parker, now fully cleared from a torn ACL, appears to be making the move from cornerback to safety. Riley and defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said the safety spot is a position where OU certainly needs to see some improvement, in depth and quality.
Take No. 3: Balancing leadership not easy
As referenced by Big 12 media days and who OU brought to represent the team, leadership is going to remain a major issue heading into camp.
It’s not that OU doesn’t have any, but it’s a lot different having leaders who are sophomores or juniors compared to having seniors carry the load.
“Happy that your talent is young, it means you've been doing a couple of good things in recruiting,” Riley said. “But it's a delicate balance for this team because you want some of these young guys to step up and be leaders and we're going to need that. But it's got to happen in a team-first manner.
“Guys have to earn their way a little bit too. There is a little bit of hierarchy. I think it's that way in football teams. You can't just come in and do it if you haven't produced on the field yet.”
Take No. 1: Injury report
There’s good news, and there is bad news. But the timely news is the revelation that freshman defensive end/outside linebacker Jalen Redmond is going to miss the entire season because of a blood clot issue discovered earlier this summer.
Redmond was expected to be one of several freshmen to be on the watch for in terms of being a difference maker on the defense. Riley said Redmond is doing well and recovering.
Is there a chance Redmond could come back for a four-game stretch and still be a redshirt guy? Yes, but it sure doesn’t seem likely.
“At this point right now, I feel like it would be a definite full redshirt year for him,” Riley said. “Could things change? Potentially, but we’re still in the early stages, and we’re absolutely going to be cautious with him.”
Riley said freshman defensive tackle Michael Thompson (torn ACL), senior defensive back Prentice McKinney (shoulder) and redshirt sophomore defensive back Chanse Sylvie (torn Achilles) will all miss the 2018 season. The news is positive, though, regarding wide receiver Nick Basquine.
Basquine, despite tearing his other Achilles, is expected to still be a vital part to OU for the 2018 season.
Take No. 2: Position changes
Two crucial spots appear to have familiar names in new places moving forward with defensive back Jordan Parker and offensive lineman Cody Ford.
Ford moved to offensive tackle from the guard spot for the spring, and Riley confirmed that was not just a seasonal move. Ford will begin camp from the tackle spot.
“We’re going to start Cody at tackle, no question about it. He did a great job,” Riley said. “I think the biggest question mark for him was, he’s just such a big guy, was can he move the way we need him to move out there on the edge? He’s always been a good enough player. We knew he was going to factor in this year somewhere. No doubt about it.
“And he moves so well, it was just very natural for him, from his pass-sitting. He’s got a chance to be a pretty dominant tackle in the run game because of the way he’s built and some of the matchups he’ll have out there.”
Riley said Ford has trimmed down to 330 pounds from 345 in the spring because the staff knew they wanted Ford at tackle. No guarantee he’ll start opposite Bobby Evans, but Riley said Ford is certainly in the mix.
Jordan Parker, now fully cleared from a torn ACL, appears to be making the move from cornerback to safety. Riley and defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said the safety spot is a position where OU certainly needs to see some improvement, in depth and quality.
Take No. 3: Balancing leadership not easy
As referenced by Big 12 media days and who OU brought to represent the team, leadership is going to remain a major issue heading into camp.
It’s not that OU doesn’t have any, but it’s a lot different having leaders who are sophomores or juniors compared to having seniors carry the load.
“Happy that your talent is young, it means you've been doing a couple of good things in recruiting,” Riley said. “But it's a delicate balance for this team because you want some of these young guys to step up and be leaders and we're going to need that. But it's got to happen in a team-first manner.
“Guys have to earn their way a little bit too. There is a little bit of hierarchy. I think it's that way in football teams. You can't just come in and do it if you haven't produced on the field yet.”
