The Football Brainiacs

Image via OU Football Facebook

– Jordan Smallwood: As we reported yesterday, Jordan Smallwood has suffered a torn ACL. I was told the injury took place during practice last week. Certainly disappointing news to say the least as Smallwood was expected to see the field quite a bit this season. This type of setback is tough on any athlete who finally feels like it’s his or her time, we wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him on the field soon! – (Super K)

– Additional Practice Notes: ICYMI, Brandon posted some practice notes from yesterday’s scrimmage here. I also managed to track down a few additional notes from my sources:

* Have been told the starting OTs right now are Kenyon Frison and Josiah St. John.

* Brandon already mentioned how good Joe Mixon has looked, but I will reiterate it because everyone I talked to said the same thing. “He’s the real deal” is something we continue to hear from just about everyone we speak with. Apparently he has been giving the LBs absolute fits. Was also told he (Mixon) can rival Samaje Perine in terms of overall work ethic. Apparently those two really push each other from a competitive standpoint.

* Was told both TEs, Carson Meier and Mark Andrews, had a solid scrimmage. And, as expected, the passing game is just more explosive in general. Imagining Meier and Andrews on the field in a double TE set with Mixon in the backfield and Dede Westbrook and Sterling Shepard out wide gets me excited, and I’m not normally particularly interested in the offensive side of the ball.

* Was also told that at a certain point the offense was so difficult to defend they had completed something like five straight 40-yard passes, followed immediately by a 30-yard run up the middle.

* It probably sounds like the offense torched the defense, but I was actually told that a lot of the production came against the second team defense. In fact, I one source told me the offense only scored once against the complete first team defense.

* In terms of defensive back alignments, I’m told the corners have the option to play a press or off technique. Which is new under Kerry Cooks as I’ve been told they weren’t given that kind of freedom last year.

* I’m told the coverages they’re working on are a mix of man and zone. Didn’t get a sense whether they were leaning one way or another, I’d guess there is plenty of disguise.

* Last year OU’s base defense was a Cover-1, and they played a lot of ‘3 shell.’ In practices so far, I’m told there is plenty of single high but also some split safety looks. Which sounds more like the 2013 OU defense.

* Many of you will recall after the first spring practice, I mentioned that Mike Stoops has mellowed quite a bit. From what we’ve been told that has continued to be the case. Hearing he has become much more of a teacher, which I thought was cool. I believe Mike’s intensity, when properly channeled, can be a great thing and it sounds like he’s finding the balance that better suits today’s player.

* Was told Jordan Thomas had a great scrimmage coming up with two interceptions. – (Super K)

– Dontavious Jackson: Spoke with Sooners 2016 LB offer Dontavious Jackson, who said he plans to make a return trip to Norman in the coming weeks. He has yet to finalize a specific date yet, so it may or may not be for the Red/White game. But Jackson said either the game or a practice would work well for him.

Jackson said he also has plans to visit Michigan, Florida State, Florida, Nebraska & LSU this spring. Sounds like quite the busy schedule for a guy who just continues to rack up scholarship offers. – (Brandon)

– Chandler Garrett: The 2016 Mustang QB was in Norman on Sunday taking in OU’s scrimmage and continuing to get to know Lincoln Riley. As a matter of fact, the Sooners OC has plans to visit Garrett to see him throw during 7-on-7’s after spring football is over and the evaluation period officially begins. As things progress with OU and Chandler, I get the feeling the Sooners may be targeting a national guy and a regional/local guy to potentially fill two QB spots in this 2016 class. But we’ll have to wait and see how the numbers shake out on all of that.

Meanwhile, Garrett has plans to visit Texas Tech and K-State in the near future. In fact the Wildcats have been coming on strong and an offer could be coming soon. – (Brandon)

– Casey Thompson: The 2018 Southmoore QB was also in attendance for Sunday’s scrimmage. He really likes Coach Riley describing him as, “super cool.” Thompson said Riley is planning to stop by during the eval period to watch him throw in-person. Which could indicate the Sooners have already pinpointed one of their top in-state targets for the 2018 class. That is very different than how OU has worked in the past, although Thompson obviously has a history with the program through his father and OU alum, Charles. – (Brandon)

– Rashard Lawrence: The 2016 Louisiana defensive tackle and OU offer was at the Rivals camp in Dallas this past weekend and impressed a number of people. Some of you will recall Lawrence took an unofficial visit to Oklahoma last year and was very high on the Sooners, due mostly to his relationship with Jerry Montgomery. However, Rivals’ Jason Howell reported that Lawrence has named a Top 4 of: Alabama, LSU, UCLA & Ole Miss.

A coaching friend of mine was at the camp and had an informal conversation with both Lawrence and his mother. And Lawrence was open and honest regarding his relationship with the now former OU assistant telling my friend if Montgomery was still on staff, he would have been a Sooner.

Lawrence did say that Diron Reynolds seems like a good guy, but said he just doesn’t have that same kind of a relationship with OU’s new d-line coach like he did with Montgomery. I’m not sure whether that can be remedied in the months to follow prior to NSD. But for a Louisiana player of Lawrence’s caliber to have already taken an unofficial visit and to at one point have clearly been that high on the Sooners, it would certainly be worth the time to at least try. – (Super K)

– Chris Baccus and Maurice Chandler: We’ve mentioned both NEO defensive star prospects, linebacker Chris Baccus and CB Maurice Chandler in previous posts. Both are talented football players and great athletes who hail from the Sooner state. This morning Baccus let me know that the Sooners are expected to stop by and see him and Maurice next month. – (Super K)

– UPDATE (12:50 pm): It was mentioned above that St. John is running with the ones at left tackle and Frison at right. This is particularly surprising to me since normally you see the right tackle being a much heavier, hammering type of player. On the updated roster, Frison checked in at 289. I hate to sound old, but “back in my day” this was a good weight for a tackle. Now, however, it’s on the light side when you see behemoths like an Orlando Brown (6’8″ 355) and a guy I thought may get the nod at right tackle, Derek Farniok (6’9″ 345).

Given the fact Farniok has been through a couple of offseasons now with Bedenbaugh and a senior with some experience, St. John and Frison must have made some significant strides in the past year to get the nod from Coach B. Two years ago, Farniok got the start at LT against Ok. State and played well enough for us to get the win on a wild day in Stillwater. Even so, he has struggled a bit with pass protection.

Watching the offense Lincoln Riley ran at East Carolina — deep crossing routes and routes in general that require a decent amount of time — there will be a premium put on pass protection, especially off the edges. Ty Darlington and Nila Kasitati will be starters on the inside, while Jonathan Alvarez will provide immediate depth and most likely battle it out for the other starting guard spot with Jamal Danley. Alvarez was one of the true freshmen that somewhat surprisingly got some snaps last year and can play both guard spots as well as center.  It also wouldn’t surprise me to see Alex Dalton get some playing time this year to get him ready for 2016.

After that the water gets a little muddy, but ultimately it will come down to who competes the best and able to beat out the other guys.  There’s so much young talent coming up that this time next year, the competition will be even more wide open than it is now. That said it’s still spring ball and we know the coaches depth charts to motivate people, so the starters now may not be that way when we kick off in the fall.

Oh, and another dark horse to consider is Christian Daimler. Quietly he’s bulked up to 6’7″ and 306-pounds. He’s always been very smooth and athletic, so his physicality and aggressiveness will determine whether or not he’s able to get in there. He has a prototypical frame and been steadily putting on weight the last couple of years. – (JY)