The Football Brainiacs

Feels kind of slow around here with most coming off the post-NSD high — or low as seemed to be the case in during my time hanging out in the comment section on Wednesday — so I figured something like this would be a good way to kill some time and possibly strike up a conversation or two.

The intent is to quickly kind of run through this 2016 class the Sooners just signed and give a best guess as to what this coming season may look like for each signee. Odds are you probably won’t agree 100% with my take on things, so please feel free to voice your opinion (regardless of mine) in the comments as per usual.

Honestly I’m not sure if this will really work or what it’s going to be, but I do know it won’t be some type of day after arbitrary ranking or grading of OU’s signing class. It’s never made any sense to me that people do this (let alone are paid, some quite handsomely, to do so) the day after the NFL Draft, and it makes even less sense to do it when you’re talking about high school kids, most of whom haven’t even graduated yet.

I’m also happily willing to concede most, if not all, of these “predictions” could easily prove to be wrong. Most of these kids aren’t even on campus yet, so offering up some predictions as to what may or may not happen during their respective freshmen seasons is certainly speculation at best.

So now that I’ve given you no point to keep reading, why don’t we get started.

RB Abdul Adams – This has got to be a redshirt, right? Samaje Perine, Joe Mixon, Rodney Anderson, Alex Ross & Daniel Brooks. Why waste a year of Adams’ eligibility playing him a handful of snaps in 2016? Because Perine and Mixon might leave? Yeah, um, no. RB is arguably one of the easiest positions to transition from high school to college.

LB Emmanuel Beal – Given OU’s current situation at LB, I’m not sure how you could confidently anticipate a redshirt for anyone at this point, especially a JUCO guy.

DL Amani Bledsoe – Not entirely sure which way to go with this one. I could see a redshirt given all the young talent OU is returning along the defensive line, but they also aren’t exactly loaded at the DE spot. Could also depend a lot on whether OU goes back to more of a true four-man front now that Eric Striker has moved on. If I had to make a bet today, I’d say redshirt.

LB Kapri Doucet – Stoops said they are going to try him on the inside and there is certainly a need there with the loss of Dom Alexander. Don’t know that he’s going to come in this summer and win the starting job, but still a guy I’d expect to see the field (at a minimum on special teams, for example).

WR Zach Farrar – I want to say redshirt here if for no other reason/s than Jeffery Mead, Dallis Todd, AD Miller & Dahu Green as a group will already have at least a year or two under the belts. But outside of probably Dede Westbrook, my guess is the coaches approach spring & fall practices at WR as a truly open competition. So who knows (how about that analysis).

WR Adrian Hardy – This one I feel more comfortable calling as a redshirt. Which is meant in no way as a knock on Hardy, who is a dynamic athlete as Lincoln Riley went on about when he spoke Wednesday. But Hardy is super raw as a WR and with at least Jarvis Baxter and Michiah Quick ahead of him, I’d just kind of be surprised if he came in and played right away.

DE/OLB Mark Jackson – In listening to a bunch of stuff yesterday, Jackson seemed to be one of the more popular picks in terms of an “immediate impact” guy. It’s not secret the coaches love his upside as an edge rusher, and this defense is certainly looking to replace that following the loss of Striker and Devante Bond.

WR Mykel Jones – Another guy I heard a lot of people talking about as a possible candidate to come in and attempt to replace Sterling Shepard in this offense. As I suspect almost everyone would agree, it would probably be wise to pump the brakes on that kind of talk for now. Jones was a late add to this class, so I’m still learning about him and this ACL injury he’s apparently coming back from.

OL Ashton Julious – You know as well as I do OU heads into 2016 looking to fill both guard spots, and Bill Bedenbaugh has reportedly said Julious is one of the guys they’re looking to use (or at least start out at) that left guard spot. Whether or not he earns the starting gig, seems like an almost surefire bet to see the field next season.

LB Caleb Kelly – Even if he weren’t both OU & the Big 12’s lone five-star prospect signed on Wednesday, given the scary lack of depth OU currently has at OLB the expectation would still probably be for Kelly to come in and immediately compete for playing time. If we know anything about both Bob & Mike Stoops it’s that Kelly certainly won’t be handed a starting job, but I’d all but guarantee he’ll be afforded every opportunity to win it from the day he sets foot on campus.

QB Austin Kendall – You know the situation OU is facing a QB after the loss of Trevor Knight and Cody Thomas, so it’s not a matter of if Kendall is playing in 2016 so much as when. I say it like that because the Sooners don’t have your typical “warm up” season opener as they’ll be facing what could be a Top 15 Houston squad. And outside of Louisiana-Monroe in Week 2, it doesn’t really look like on paper they will have a ton of opportunity to get Kendall some live-action snaps through the first five weeks of the season. Feels like this will be something to really keep an eye on in the early going.

DB Parnell Motley – At 6’1″ you have to love his size, especially for what M.Stoops asks from his corners. And obviously OU has a CB spot opposite Jordan Thomas up for grabs. Of course one would have to believe guys like PJ Mbanasor and/or Dakota Austin will have a leg up in winning that spot, but at a minimum I think Motley’s size and ability puts him in the competition.

DB Jordan Parker – This is another guy people ‘in the know’ are really excited about. I can’t but think he’d greatly benefit from a redshirt year, but I also have this sneaking suspicion they’ll have trouble keeping him off the field.

OL Ben Powers – Another JUCO guy already on campus and likely to contend for one of those two guard spots. I’ve yet to really hear any logic as why people seem to be gravitating to the ‘Julious will be the starter’ bandwagon much more so than I’ve heard Powers’ name, but I’d also be interested to get JY’s take on things once we start to get some feedback from spring practices.

OL Logan Roberson – I believe Stoops said on Wednesday that the plan for Roberson was to start out at center, which for some reason kind of surprised me. Not entirely sure why that is, but with it already established that Jon Alvarez will be shifting from guard to center Roberson seems like an easy call here as a redshirt.

OL Erik Swenson – Unless they’re moving Dru Samia, I feel like you almost have to redshirt Swenson. If for no other reason that to get another year between him and both Samia & Orlando Brown.

DB Chanse Sylvie – Definitely think it works in his favor that he’s already on campus, but OU is also returning two multi-year starters at safety. Add to that they just brought in a big safety class last year and playing time could be hard to come by for not just Sylvie this coming season.

LB Jon-Michael Terry – I was kind of joking about it in the comments on Wednesday, but if you listened to any of what the coaches said I didn’t think they did this kid any favors in the over-hyping department. I think B.Stoops may have found his new Brody Eldridge-like man crush. All kidding aside, the coaches appear to absolutely love this kid’s athletic ability, versatility, and overall ceiling as a player. Again, seems like an obvious redshirt candidate to me but he’s a LB so….

OL Johncarlo Valentin – Once again, I’m certainly no JY but I see this kid as a quality right tackle. As far as we know, OU appears to be in good hands at right tackle. So redshirt here, right?