Open Post | Tuesday, August 24th
Posted on: August 24, 2021
Update | ’22 RB Jovantae Barnes
– Charlie S – Posted on: August 23, 2021
There has been some buzz around OU and ’22 running back Jovantae Barnes for quite some time as you all know and that only grew louder following a tweet he put out late Saturday night.
‘Yamaha’ is Sooners running back coach DeMarco Murray’s go-to tweet, much like Riley and his emojis…and for Barnes to send that out, you can bet it was directly related to OU and Murray.
Prior to that tweet, Super K was in touch with sources around Barnes’ recruitment to get the latest…here is what he passed along to me:
*** OU is the team to beat. At this time they are clearly out front.
*** As of last Friday, Barnes was planning on taking all five official visits.
*** OU, Alabama, and Florida State will ‘for sure’ be getting officials.
*** Ole Miss is a school that is working hard to get one of those officials as well and that visit is considered ‘likely’
*** Perhaps the most interesting note is that he ‘may’ leave a spot for USC to get an official. However, source tells K that Barnes has mentioned that USC has not been pursuing him as hard as they once were.
So there is still a ways to go in this one, and that ‘Yamaha’ tweet could mean something as simple as he just got off the phone with Murray or something (that is something we will continue to check on) but nonetheless, it is another good sign for OU.
Currently, Barnes maintains he plans on announcing his decision at his all star game in January…I think it is entirely possible (even probable) he silently commits and signs with the school of his choosing prior to that.
Sourced Scrimmage Notes | Saturday August 21st
– The Football Brainiacs – Posted on: August 21, 2021
Picked up a few sourced notes from today’s scrimmage to keep your Saturday rolling along…
*** Sounds like it was a ‘good’ offensive day
*** Was told Spencer Rattler threw the ball well as you would expect and commanded the offense well.
*** Source noted that Caleb Williams shined. Was told he made some spectacular throws. Source said if Spencer were to go down OU would be very confident. Was told he showed off a bit of his running ability and put on quite the show.
*** Was told Eric Gray and Bradford stood out running the ball today. Sounds like Kennedy Brooks is treated with kids gloves and everyone was pretty quick on the whistle when he had the ball.
*** No word if Marcus Major got reps…we did ask though
*** As far as standouts go, was told Mario Williams made a spectacular catch and run on a crossing route. Scored on a 50 yard plus deal…really fired up the group apparently.
*** On the OL, source mentioned that the guard (TRob) did get some run at tackle today, hoping to get more info on the OL later.
*** Another positive note in regards to the receiving corps, we were told the WRs did not drop a ball today
*** On the defensive side, source said they alternated a ton of linemen. Sounds like they got consistent pressure as well (which could be a reason why Caleb was able to show off his running ability).
*** Sounds like the team worked on a lot of specific situations…down and distance, so it wasn’t just a basic scrimmage.
*** We continue to hear how solid the kicking game is. Was told Brkic was spot on. Made a couple from 50 and one close to 60.
*** Source actually brought up Turk without being prompted. Source said they were impressed just looking at him physically and noted that his kicks just made ‘that different sound’. Pinned a couple high punts deep down inside the five.
If you would like to read the rest of our Sourced Team Notes, please check the Donor Board.
News, Quotes, and Sourced Notes at QB
– James Hale – Posted on: August 23, 2021
I know we have talked about freshman Caleb Williams a lot, but I am amazed just how well he is doing in training camp. Understand, Williams feels he is competing for the job, and he is competing in camp with that goal of winning the quarterback job in his mind. However, Williams knows football and understands the mechanics of it, and he knows deep inside that he is not going to beat out sophomore returning starter Spencer Rattler (6’1, 200).
That doesn’t mean Williams is giving one inch in training camp, and for him, every practice is game time. Williams is a great leader, and the team loves him, but he is smart enough to realize that this team is Spencer’s right now, and he gives the Heisman favorite help in leading the team. He is the apprentice leader, so to speak.
I have been told that every time OU has scrimmaged or had a major team portion of practice, Williams has excelled. Only in one team session did Williams not perform at a high level where coaches felt he had a bad day. That day the defense threw a lot at him. Williams struggled with some of the assignments, but he was thinking so much that his amazing talent was stymied.
That’s when the team learned how dedicated Williams is to the game. During the summer, he had earned his high school degree, so he had some free time from the incredible demand that was on his time during the fall and spring semesters. After that team period, Williams was in the film room watching his only bad practice, but more importantly, he was figuring out what defenses were trying to do to him and this great Sooner offense.
The architect of that offense is head Coach Lincoln Riley, and he is impressed with Williams’s drive to be a great player.
“Caleb has a certain maturity about him that impresses not just me, but all of us,” said Coach Riley. “He is so mature about how he goes about things that sometimes you forget he is a freshman and what 18 years old. He has a little bit of an old man’s soul, but he is very popular on the Sooner team and seems to handle everything right.”
“What I loved about it was that he didn’t like having a disappointing practice. Hey, let me tell you, it wasn’t that bad day of practice for him. We threw a lot at him that day that would have bothered Spencer, Baker, or any quarterback. Spencer did handle some of that better because he has been in our program for two years. Again, I was pretty happy with how Caleb played in that tough practice, but we also find out about players after a tough game or practice.”
“Caleb is great in the film room, and he knows a ton of football. I don’t just say that for a young player; I say that for a college football player. Caleb understands the game and is always working to understand it more. He pours himself into film sessions running the film back and forth so he can totally understand, and he is a very cerebral football player.”
“He is very good in place with our football team. There is no question that he is our backup quarterback, and that’s been evident since the first day he has been here. We feel very good about Caleb and what he can do in our offense, and his running ability is another huge weapon for him.”
Sources tell us Rattler had a very good scrimmage and made several throws that most quarterbacks can’t make. Caleb was his equal and also made throws that most quarterbacks can’t make. This is a big reason why Coach Riley is so successful at OU in that he continues to have quarterbacks that are on a level that is rarely seen in college football.
In our sourced notes following the scrimmage, we talked about a big catch and run from Mario Williams. Caleb was the QB for that play.
From what we have been told, Williams’s rollout stop-and-dart to Mario Williams was one of the best plays seen in this training camp. Mario had to shake off a safety and then his blazing speed was something to see as he raced down the sideline for the touchdown. This was the biggest play of the scrimmage.
There have been times OU was really good at backup quarterback. Trevor Knight, a former starter, backup up Baker Mayfield for a year. Then Kyler Murray backed up Mayfield for two years. Rattler was Hurt’s backup for a year, and now Williams will be a great backup for Rattler.
