Oklahoma spring depth chart
QB1? (Image: chicagotribune.com)
With spring football kicking into gear this weekend, now felt like a good time to take a stab at a depth chart.
My objective: If OU played a game tomorrow, what would the two-deep be?
I have some suspicions about potential position changes coming for some of the players listed here. For the purposes of this exercise, though, I used positions as listed on the current roster available through SoonerSports.com.
Also, this two-deep includes only players who are currently on campus. I anticipate that a few newcomers will see the field almost immediately this fall, but that’s for later. (Hello, safety.)
Here’s what I drew up – nothing earth-shattering. I included some analysis below.
Offense
Defense
Notes:
Offense
*I guess you could slap a big, fat “OR” between the quarterbacks if you wanted. I put Knight in the No. 1 slot essentially as a matter of seniority and experience. Mayfield is third due to the fact that he has never taken a live snap for OU.
Of course, I’m still predicting (hoping?) Cody Thomas wins the job.
*There are going to be some intriguing battles playing out at the receiver positions this spring now that OU is going back to the Air Raid under new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley. (Check out Chris Brown’s Air Raid opus at Smart Football for a good explanation of the receiver positions in the Sooners’ new offense.)
I have juco transfer Dede Westbrook pegged for the H position right now, which is traditionally thought of as the slot. I could also see Michiah Quick or Sterling Shepard playing there, too, but the demands of the position fit Westbrook’s skill set really well.
*I’m hoping that Riley can find a place on the field for H-back Dmitri Flowers. He’d probably work playing the Y position as a tight end on early downs.
*The depth on the offensive line should keep Bill Bedenbaugh up at night.
Defense
*The personnel on the defensive line leaves plenty of room for mixing and matching. Note that despite his listing, I made an exception for Charles Walker and put him at end instead of defensive tackle. Why? Because I felt like it.
*I don’t believe Frank Shannon will be with the team this spring, so I excluded him for the time being.
*Who replaces Eric Striker at SAM next season? More importantly, how does OU cope if Striker misses any time this year? Playing in space like he does isn’t exactly his forte.
If Bob and Mike Stoops truly have committed to the 3-4, does it make sense to groom Jordan Evans for that role? Is it possible to get him some reps on the outside this spring? Just thinking out loud here.
*In the secondary, Zack Sanchez is a lock at one corner position. It feels to me as though Steven Parker has a solid grip at safety. The rest of those calls are a bit more speculative.
Here’s hoping that the light comes on for Stanvon Taylor and Hatari Byrd.