The Football Brainiacs

Image via Sooner Sports

– Team Notes: Next Monday will mark the start of the final week of summer workouts. Following that the team will have a little time off before heading back for the start (Thursday, Aug. 4th) of fall camp.

So we were thinking now seems like as good a time as any to go over some of the notes we’ve collected on the team thus far.

Gabriel Campbell – You may recall TFB’s report from a couple weeks ago regarding redshirt freshman DE Gabriel Campbell and the expectation that he planned to leave the program. You may also recall this photo DL coach Calvin Thibodeaux in which Campbell was not pictured. His absence wasn’t a coincidence, though his reasons behind possibly leaving the program at the time were not those “typical” of many players who wind up transferring.

Evidently, Campbell has long held an interest in the military. And when TFB reported his plans to leave the program, it was Campbell’s intention to follow that interest and join the armed forces.

However after having some more time to speak with his family and those close to him about his decision, Campbell has now decided to hold off on those plans and remain with the football program.

Caleb Kelly – We’ve mentioned Kelly several times now in previous summer updates, but we continue to get the sense he is very much being groomed for a chance at immediate playing time this fall. Now he’ll clearly need to carry over his performance this summer to fall camp, but it’s pretty clear the staff has pinpointed him as a guy they want to make sure is ready to go from the jump. His athleticism at a position of need would be invaluable for the Sooners, especially against some of the bigger sets they are likely to face at times this season.

Freshmen Cornerbacks – I was hoping to bring you all some information on Parrish Cobb, Parnell Motley & Jordan Parker from the team’s Wednesday 7-on-7 session, but I was told that some of the freshmen were going through testing so it doesn’t sound like they participated. Generally speaking, though, it’s very difficult for freshmen to make an impact, but all three of these guys are talented guys so at the very least they should push those in front of them.

In the case of Cobb, TFB has been told the staff was excited to get him not only for his cover ability, but as a potential return guy as well. As you know, the need for those capable of returning both kicks and punts went up considerably after the loss of Alex Ross and John Humphrey during the spring.

Neville Gallimore – Last year Gallimore was really getting a full taste of what college football conditioning is like. Of course every incoming freshman goes through that same transition, but given the quality of the programs in Texas and Oklahoma that transition can be a little easier for guys from those areas. Coming from Canada like Gallimore did, and being a bigger guy who didn’t even really start playing with his hand in the dirt until his junior year, it was a significant step up in terms of the physical demands asked of him.

That said, to very little surprise TFB has been told the past year has done wonders for Gallimore from a physical standpoint. Last year he had difficulty even finishing workouts, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. In our estimation, Gallimore is an important piece to enhancing the true talent on this OU defensive line. Like Charles Walker before him, Gallimore has the upside most others could only hope for.

Christian Daimler – As many of you know, back-up RT Christian Daimler posted a picture on Instagram a week or so ago after having foot surgery. It isn’t necessarily considered to be a big deal and while the source we spoke with wasn’t 100% sure, they did say the expectation is that Daimler could be out “about six weeks.”

Bobby Evans – With Daimler expected to miss at least some, if not most, of fall camp, it presents the possibility of some depth issues on the right side of the o-line. To that point, TFB has been told that redshirt freshman Bobby Evans may wind up flipping from LT, where he was backing up Orlando Brown, to the right side. And Evans would then be backed up by redshirt sophomore Quinn Mittermeier.

Dwayne Orso-Bacchus – You may recall Orso-Bacchus moving from the DL to OL during bowl prep last year, and then taking his first real snaps at OT during the Red/White game this spring. Now it sounds as though with Evans possibly moving to RT, Osro-Bacchus could be sliding over to LT to back up Brown. Which shouldn’t really come as a huge surprise given Orso-Bacchus’ length and athleticism, many have long believed his ceiling (and future earning potential) at OT was much higher than that of a DT.

We spoke with someone earlier this week who indicated that in terms of agility and movement, Orso-Bacchus is probably the best true athlete among the best offensive linemen. The hope is he’s putting in the effort to really get stronger and learn the position in case he is needed at any point during the season.

Ahmad Thomas & Steven Parker – Not a whole lot on these two. One source mentioned that compared to last summer, Thomas is just a lot more comfortable in general. That same person noted Thomas still struggles in 1-on-1’s but that’s never been, nor will it likely ever be, his strong suit. But I think we all saw that in the quarters coverages OU employed last season, Thomas not having to cover as much out in space allowed him to show off some of his ball skills.

As for Parker, he’s a star. Nothing new there.

Michiah Quick – As noted here previously, we continue to hear Quick has done an excellent job making the transition to corner. In fact we spoke with someone this week who noted that Quick really has an advantage at CB, in that he understands the offense and can read what’s happening pretty quickly. However, this source also noted that Quick is going to need some work in polishing his mechanics and, of course, learning the techniques within the calls. But again, the Sooners need as many guys as possible to push Dakota Austin and create some intense competition while also developing some depth at cornerback.

Jordan Thomas – Thought one TFB source put it the best with regards to Thomas, “he’s just a natural.” Thomas isn’t the guy who’s going to get the extra work in on a consistent basis. He’s not even necessarily the guy who will test the best. But you put him out on the field, and he simply knows how to play the game.

And just to reiterate what TFB had reported previously, we’ve heard from multiple sources now the expectation as it stands today is that Thomas will be available for the season opener against Houston. – (Super K)

– #SoonerSquad17 | The Opening: A friend of TFB was kind of enough to share a couple pictures from The Opening that we thought you all might enjoy.

From L to R: Jalen Reagor, Tre Brown, Levi Draper, Robert Barnes, Trajan Bandy, Grant Calcaterra

From L to R: Grant Calcaterra, Levi Draper, Robert Barnes, Justin Broiles, Jalen Reagor, Chris Robison

Grant Calcaterra – One person we spoke with coming out of The Opening compared Calcaterra to Dallas Cowboys great Jason Witten. This person said Calcaterra was basically impossible to defend. And his person is a former player themselves, and a damn good one, so this wasn’t just empty praise for Calcaterra.

Robert Barnes and Jeffrey Okudah – Was told that Okudah spent most of his time with the #SS17 and, in particular, Barnes specifically.

TFB’s Take: This could be a special class for Oklahoma. It’s not just about talent so much as it being about that fraternity and willingness to do the right thing both on and off the field for your teammates. If you look at the guys pictured above, almost all of them are local guys who do a lot of extra work off the field. If you put them all together, the likely outcome is that they’ll only make each other work that much harder.

OU has the good fortune now of having quarterback stability for the foreseeable future. Potentially two more years, including this coming season, with Baker Mayfield plus Austin Kendall, Kyler Murray & Chris Robison also in the fold. That is a big, and very important, piece of the puzzle.

Another important piece is having that team chemistry, and specifically a player led team, that ensures the players are demanding the best from one another. The Sooners could certainly be in the hunt not only this year, but if they can keep what they’ve got brewing in recruiting going, I think they’ll have a special team for several years to come – (Super K)

– UPDATE (11:25 am): Apologies, meant to include this in the original OP. 2017 DE Ondario Robinson (Hutto, TX) put out a Top 4 on Wednesday night that included, among others, Oklahoma.

Interviews after 11 AM tomorrow! Thank you and God bless! pic.twitter.com/zhCBlodNUy

— BigGeneral O🌹 (@O_Robinson25) July 14, 2016

We’re hoping to have more from Robinson soon, but wanted to include this now for those who may not have been aware.