2018 OU Spring Position Preview: Defensive Backs By: Ryan Lewis Posted on: March 21, 2018

Image via Paul Vernon

Spring practice is underway, having started March 10th. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be previewing each position group and adding any notes we hear about player performance along the way.

The Sooners have a lot of momentum heading into the spring. A 2017 campaign that was supposed to focus on Baker Mayfield’s final season in Norman ended up sharing the spotlight with Lincoln Riley’s first year as head coach. Riley and Mayfield led OU to a huge non-conference win over Ohio State, some big conference wins down the stretch, a Heisman trophy, and a berth in the College Football Playoff. Despite an exit from the Playoff before making the Championship game, the Sooners showed everyone that the Lincoln Riley era in Norman is going to be a fun one.

The Sooners lost several key pieces of the 2017 campaign to graduation and the NFL draft, but retained a lot of experience at several positions. We’ll look at each position group, focusing on the group’s key contributors to see where they are now and what they might become during football season.

 Quick Position Overview

OU loses several long-time starters/ impact defensive backs this year. Steven Parker, a three-year starter at safety, has graduated. Parker was fourth on the team in tackles and third in pass breakups. Jordan Thomas, a starter in 37 games during his time at OU, has departed. Thomas finished sixth in program history in pass breakups and was a long-time starter/ contributor at corner. Will Johnson will be moving on as well. Johnson played in many games the past three years despite some injuries.

Several starters and regular contributors do return for the Sooners. Kahlil Haughton, Parnell Motley, Jordan Parker, Robert Barnes, Tre Brown, and Tre Norwood have all started in the past for Oklahoma. Chanse Sylvie and Prentice McKinney bring in playing experience, while Justin Broiles and Ryan Jones will be ready to play following a redshirt year. Additionally, Starrland Baldwin, Miguel Edwards, Patrick Fields, and Brendan “Bookie” Radley Hiles are the freshmen who have already enrolled. Delarrin Turner-Yell will be joining the team this summer.

Looking through the scholarship players, the first thing that jumps out is the youth of the position group and probable youth of the depth chart. Haughton is one of only three defensive seniors with any significant playing time up to this point, and the youth is even more highlighted in the defensive back group.

One note of any spring preview that can be particularly true in the secondary is the constant fluidity of positions; OU is going to try to put the most talent possible on the field, and guys will move around this spring and summer.

Scholarship Players

Kahlil Haughton:

Haughton, one of very few seniors with significant playing time up to this point, has been a constant presence in OU games for three years now. He has played in double digit games all three years he’s been on campus. He will figure to be a steady contributor this year and will potentially start at strong safety. Quick Hitters from March 7th state that he is one of the guys working at SS, while Practice Notes from March 10th stated that he was the initial starting strong safety this spring.

Prentice McKinney:

McKinney, despite being a three-year player, has very little playing time under his belt. He has played sparingly in three years he has been on campus and will have to fight to change that this season.

Parnell Motley:

Motley was a regular contributor on special teams his freshman year but played very little in the secondary. Last spring, the word started to get around: he was going to be too good to not play his sophomore year. Last year’s Spring Game showcased why, and many, including TFB – TFB: 2017 OU Spring Game Observations -came away very impressed.

“Parnell Motley was undeniably a star of the day. He looked excellent. The very first drive, he was covering Marquise Brown. Brown got a step on him, but Motley stayed with him. Mayfield threw a long pass to Brown close to the goal line, and Motley positioned himself to pick him off. He showed some excellent athleticism with a nice dive to bat down a pass later on. He reminded me a little of the best parts of Zack Sanchez – he has a nose for the ball and stays with his man even when beat by a little bit.”

His hard work and an unfortunate injury to Jordan Parker paved the way for Motley to start at corner. He wowed early in the season, coming up with a huge play against Ohio State.

This play all but sealed the deal for the Sooners in their big non-conference win last year. Although he did begin to lose some of his edge in the middle of conference play, leading to him not starting the TCU game, Motley had an overall impressive sophomore campaign. He led the team in pass breakups, tied for fourth in tackles, and had two interceptions.

Motley will enter 2018 the projected starter. TFB has already heard very positive word regarding Motley. Quick-Hitters from February 1st detail him running a sub 4.5, which is none too shabby. Additionally, Spring Practice Notes from March 10th speak of Motley being one of the 1s at cornerback. Even more exciting is the progression he could make: the word “dominant” was used to describe him and the big step forward he has already taken this spring. Look for him to build on his 2017 season with a strong 2018.

Chanse Sylvie:

Sylvie had a similar first season to that of Motley; he played in a lot of games, but mostly on special teams. 2017 saw him play quite a bit of football, appearing in every game. 2018, however, might be the year when he truly breaks out. TFB has already heard that Sylvie is “making noise” working at free safety. He was mentioned by a few different sources as being a guy who shone during workouts and 7×7. The Practice Notes from March 10th mention that he was the initial starting free safety. While it is certainly early, Sylvie definitely appears to be on a path towards starting.

Jordan Parker:

Parker came in a highly-ranked corner, but quickly had to overcome a different obstacle: he had two heart surgeries the summer before his freshman year. This Sooner Sports article details his path to being able to play and the battle he fought. He was cleared to play, but not until September of 2016. However, it didn’t take long for him to fight his way onto a depth chart that he was initially buried in. He played in ten games his freshman year, starting in eight of those. Parker was an excellent starter and was set to repeat as starter entering his sophomore year. However, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 2017 season opener against UTEP. 2017 ended up being a redshirt year for him, so there are still three years of eligibility remaining. While Parker will be limited in spring practice according to Coach Lincoln Riley, he will look to fight for a starting spot in 2018.

Robert Barnes:

Barnes came into OU a very highly-ranked safety with offers from all over the country. Going into the season, it was only a matter of time until he regularly found his way onto the field. He did so early, playing in several of the non-conference games. To me, this play by Barnes in the Ohio State game was one of the most important, yet most overlooked, plays of the season.

Barnes kept himself in the play, hustled to take an excellent angle on Barrett, and prevented the first down. With Ohio State up by a field goal in the third quarter, a first down there would have been a big momentum swing. Instead, with an Ohio State punt the next play, a Lee Morris touchdown catch a few minutes later put the Sooners in the lead for good.

He played in ten games his freshman year despite battling a hamstring issue, with his biggest performances coming late in the season. Bedlam saw a whole host of freshman get significant playing time in the secondary, with Barnes being one of the them. Barnes earned the starting job for the TCU game with Will Johnson having to sit out the first half of the game due to an ejection and did not disappoint.

As TFB mentioned in Quick Hitters from March 7th, he is working at free safety behind Chanse Sylvie at the moment. With nothing set in stone, however, he will continue to fight for a starting job come fall.

Tre Brown:

Tre Brown was a highly ranked cornerback in the 2017 signing class and fought his way onto the field as a true freshman. While he played in all 14 games, it wasn’t until the middle of the season that he really started being a frequent presence on the field. Brown got the first start of his career for the TCU game in November and had an excellent game. He fights hard and is blazing fast.

Quick-Hitters from February 1st talk about his speed, saying that he, “Tre Brown is just a freak. Nothing more to say. He ran a 4.29 when he was timed in the 40.” That’s… uh… pretty fast. Brown is a guy Sooner fans want to see on the fields – he’s too good not to be – and will be one of the guys battling hard for a starting spot at corner.

Tre Norwood:

Norwood, like Brown, was a talented member of the 2017 class who quickly earned a spot on the field. He played in all 14 games of the season and started in the last five. Norwood became known for having a knack for finding the ball. He ran tight with receivers and did an excellent job of getting his hands up.

Quick-Hitters from February 1st mention his speed being sub 4.4. TFB has heard that, as expected, he has been with the 1s at corner. It’s hard to see him not starting this season, but there is definitely a lot of talent fighting for a starting role.

Ryan Jones:

After a redshirt season, Jones will be ready for action this fall. Interestingly, TFB heard back in January that Jones, despite coming in as a DB, is now playing OLB and that fans could expect to hear a lot about him this spring. A source told TFB,

“Ryan Jones has that twitch that none of the other linebackers have.”

It will be interesting to see where Jones ends up playing come fall, as his talent will be hard to keep off the field.

Justin Broiles:

Broiles is another SS17 member who spent 2017 redshirting. A highly-ranked recruit, Broiles is going to play a lot during his time at Oklahoma: it’s just a matter of when. As a CB, there are several guys with more experience that will be tough to beat out. However, as TFB reported in Practice Notes from March 10th, Broiles has been working at nickel in practice behind Bookie, which would be a great way to get him on the field.

Starrland Baldwin:

Baldwin is one of four early enrollees at DB for the Sooners. Baldwin was known for his athleticism as a recruit and that already appears to be the case in college. Quick Hitters from March 8th state:

“Starrland is going to be good, too. He’s an athlete. He’s a sleeper. Raw athlete but he’s going to be good once he’s coached up. He’s the most athletic out of the freshmen class”.

That’s certainly an excellent sign for his future. The same source said that his athleticism may give him an edge at corner over Edwards. While it will be tough for any true freshman to break into the starting lineup at corner this season, Baldwin looks to add great depth and be a frequent sight on the field.

Miguel Edwards:

Edwards is another of the early enrollees. Hailing from Florida, TFB has already heard a host of positive tidbits regarding the cornerback. Team Quick Hitters from February 21st had nothing but good things to say:

I was told that Edwards, “has great instincts and is always on the attack. Never shying away from competition.” Another source told me that he reminds them of sophomore DB Trey Norwood because of his fearlessness. The same fearlessness that Norwood displayed and that propelled him to the starting lineup as a true freshman.

As Sooner fans are well aware, Norwood’s aggressiveness to the ball and fearless play were the qualities that made him an invaluable starter down the stretch of the 2017 season, so seeing more of it is certainly welcome. Quick Hitters from February 28th discuss how hard he’s been working in the gym, having already added ten pounds of muscle. Although some recent notes indicate he’s not as comfortable as some of the returning guys due to his youth, he’s already the guy TFB has heard to be working with Brown behind Norwood and Motley at corner. Like Baldwin, Edwards will add excellent depth to the cornerback spot.

Patrick Fields:

Patrick Fields was one of the vocal leaders of the 2018 recruiting class and an Oklahoman to boot. Fields is known as being a really hard worker and has shown that so far on campus. Team Quick Hitters from February 21st talk about how his work ethic is pushing him to be a good defensive back. His football IQ is also helping him get acclimated early, and TFB has heard his name a lot. Fields is currently playing behind Kahlil Haughton at strong safety, but has plenty of time to push for a starting role.

Bookie:

It’s hard to remember a defensive player who was more hyped than Bookie this early before seeing the field. The five-star DB has been talked about by just about everyone as being a guy to watch this year and with good reason. From early in January, TFB has heard nothing but good things about the star player. An initial 40 had him sub 4.5. Team Quick Hitters from February 21st say great things about him:

 “just makes plays and always seems to be around the ball.” They added, “He plays aggressive and has a feel for the game that you just can’t teach. Very instinctive player and he will play a lot this season.”

TFB has also heard someone say flat out that he is “going to take someone’s spot.” Bookie is working at nickel and seems very likely to start at the spot. A potential switch to a 4-2-5 could be in the works to have him on the field.

Delarrin Turner-Yell (Not on Campus):

Without the benefit of spring ball, Turner-Yell may be looking at a redshirt year in 2018. However, his long term future at OU is bright – the guy hits hard and fights well.

Summary

The secondary loses several long-time starters and contributors this year. However, this may be the most excited I’ve been about this position group before the season in a long time. Although there is a lot of youth, there is still a great amount of experience, a lot of talent, and plenty of hungry guys working for playing time. While a few of the freshmen may redshirt, any of them have a great chance of playing.

A way-too-early prediction for the starters:

Motley and Norwood at corner

Bookie at nickel

Sylvie at free safety

Haughton at strong safety

A way-too-early prediction for the two-deep:

Brown and Parker at corner

Broiles at nickel

Barnes at free safety

Fields at strong safety

With that said, many of the guys above have a legit shot at starting this year. Case in point: for the most part, you can interchange the above projected starters and two-deep and still feel pretty good about where things stand. That’s a lot of talent and a good problem to have. Look for this to be a deep and much improved position group in 2018.