The Football Brainiacs

Image via sports360az.com

With spring practices just barely over a week away, it seemed like as good a time as any to throw something like this together. As with most years, the Sooners redshirted a number of talented players last year, which isn’t all that unique. What is unique, however, about this coming 2015 season is the amount of turnover with respect to Bob Stoops’ coaching staff and the changes these new coaches will be bringing with them to Norman.

Thus there will presumably be even more of an opportunity for young players to try and step up into a contributor’s role with both a new approach/style to offense as well as a revamped defense. With that in mind, here is a quick list of who I feel will be some of the most likely candidates you could start to hear more about this spring/summer.

TE Mark Andrews – If you’re asking me to push all of my proverbial chips in to the middle of the table on one redshirt freshman “breaking out” next year, Andrews is that guy for me. I think he’s a match-up nightmare just waiting to happen in this Lincoln Riley offense, if used properly. If you line him up on the inside, linebackers won’t be able to stay with him while he should be able to easily wall off most, if not all, cornerbacks/safeties with his 6’6″ 236 pound frame. The natural comparison for many has been former Texas Tech TE Jace Amaro, and I think it’s a solid one. And it could easily just be my OU bias coming through, but I actually think Andrews is a little bit of a better overall athlete than Amaro was.

OT Orlando Brown and/or OT Kenyon Frison – It’s certainly no secret that OU will have a pair of openings at both left and right tackle in 2015 following the loss of future NFL’ers Tyrus Thompson and Daryl Williams. And while there may be a more experienced player or two ahead of Brown and Frison on their respective sides of the line (Brown is projected as a RT, while Frison a LT), the talk of both since they arrived on campus has been overwhelmingly positive. The opportunity is certainly there, but it remains to be seen (1) if they can beat out the player/s in front of them and/or (2) how comfortable Bob Stoops and Bill Bedenbaugh would be in potentially having to redshirt freshmen with virtually zero experience as your starting bookend tackles.

RB Joe Mixon – Duh, right? Not exactly going out on much of a limb here, but clearly Mixon is a name that simply has to be included here. Talent was obviously never the issue with Mixon, and now he should get the chance to display some of that this coming season. By almost all accounts, he’s the ‘best fit’ for what we’re expecting Riley will want to do with this OU offense. Mixon’s ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and/or line up split out could pay huge dividends in 2015, and may prove to be how he can be used most effectively in his offense (at least for the 2015 season).

WR Dallis Todd – In addition to tackle, OU will also have plenty of opportunities for wide receivers in 2015 especially in what many of us are assuming to be somewhat of a pass-happy offense. And following a disappointing year for the position in 2014 and two new coaches assigned to the group, one would have to think outside of Sterling Shepard every spot is pretty much up for grabs. Todd (6’5″) is one of the trio of big receivers the Sooners signed last year and a guy who routinely used his size to go up and over defenders in high school. It remains to be seen whether or not he can replicate that kind of success at the college level, but one has to like his chances given his frame and ability to high-point the football.

CB Tito Windham – Admittedly, this one is a bit of a shot in the dark. I’m also basing this primarily on some what K has shared with me in regards to some of what he has been told about Windham. From what he (K) has heard, the coaches have raved about Windham’s athleticism since the day he arrived. However, they always knew he was going to be pretty raw in terms of technique. But the kid is apparently a tireless worker always looking to learn and very open to coaching. So my thinking here is he has all of the tool from physical standpoint, maybe with a new guy in charge of the secondary there is a bit more willingness to take a chance on a kid like that. I’m not suggesting Windham opens season as the starter opposite Zack Sanchez, I think at this point we have to assume that is Jordan Thomas’ job to lose, but he could definitely be someone who works his way into the DB rotation.

—

So those are the guys I’m going with, but I want to here from you. Who do you think are some of the players we have yet to see on Owen Field who could have a breakout year for the Sooners in 2015?