The Football Brainiacs

Image via OU Football Facebook

– Practice Notes: As always, any practice notes are hard to come by but we managed to dig up a few.

* Was told that while it’s very early, Trevor Knight appears to have already made strides in the new system and overall just looks more comfortable. The same can be said for Cody Thomas, but that may be less about the change in system and more about the natural progression that happens for a young QB. But I was also told that despite the progress of both Knight and Thomas, Baker Mayfield appears to be the best of the bunch right now.

* Also hearing that all, and I do mean all, the wide receivers are getting reps. There are just so many more to go around in this new system. And the group as a whole is progressing to the point that I was told it’s going to go from being a bit of a weakness last year, to a strength of the team this year.

Was also told Joe Mixon is indeed being used at both RB and some WR. I commented yesterday on the site I thought they may use him similar to how Baylor does their backs. Meaning where they line up in the backfield, catch a team in their nickel package, and then flex the RB out to go five-wide to create a mismatch on a LB and/or open up a QB run by emptying the box and/or force a high safety to come down thus opening up the pass game.

* Have also been told Carson Meier and Mark Andrews will be the tight ends, but they’ll be ‘flexed out’ more and used the way Jace Amaro was used in Texas Tech’s system. Neither of which come as a surprise, of course, but was good to hear confirmation of what we thought we knew (considering everything about this new offense at this point is more of an assumption, even if a logical one, until we actually see it on the field).

However, I do take that note with somewhat of a grain of salt if only because it’s still early and the coaches probably want to familiarize the team with a more wide open attack. But it won’t surprise me at all to see a guy either Meier, or at times Andrews, in-line at times depending on the down & distance.

* Interestingly, and I hope to get additional confirmation on this later today, but I was also told that Josiah St. John and Kenyon Frison are the offensive tackle standouts right now. And, to this point, have been on the field at the same time. They both have the athleticism and size you expect in a left tackle but given what is needed in this system, perhaps they’ll end up playing them right (Frison) and left (St. John) which appears to be what they’re doing at least for right now.

– LaRon Stokes: Recently, Alex came across a very interesting OK Preps prospect out of Central H.S. in Tulsa named LaRon Stokes. He is a 6’4″ 240-pound defensive end and appears completely unknown in the recruiting world, but we believe he’s a name to watch. He has that highly coveted length and size you want in a DE, but is still very fluid and quick off the ball. You can still he’s still just coming into his own as he continues to learn the position.

Stokes has played football on-and-off throughout his life, but last year was his first full season in a while. On film, however, his upside looks tremendous. Let his tape below roll for a bit, you’ll likely see what we did…which is a prototypical NFL type defensive end frame and a plus athlete who just needs to be taught the game.

– UPDATE (6:51 pm): Sooners soon to be hosting 2016 QB & former Tennessee commit Austin Kendall.