2016 Football Preview Magazine

PERINE’S PURSUIT OF HISTORY 8 • OBO STEPS UP 9 • STAFF PREDICTIONS 13

OUDAILY2016

FOOTBALL

PREVIEW

OU DAILY FOOTBALL PREVIEW • 3

FOOTBALL PREVIEW THE STAFF editor-in-chief dana branham print editor abbie sears sports editor spenser davis copy manager mia chism visual editor siandhara bonnet

OU Daily’s football preview magazine is a publication of University of Oklahoma Student Media. Nick Jungman, director of student media, authorized printing of 7,000 copies by University Printing Services at no cost to the taxpayers of the State of Oklahoma.

writers kelli stacy jesse pound derek peterson

designers rachel cheng keenan betz mandy boccio

photographers copy editors tyler woodward kate bergum christopher michie sami canavan matt wesling

COVER PHOTO AND ABOVE PHOTO BY TYLER WOODWARD

MAYFIELD TRIES TO TOP 2015

6 • OU DAILY FOOTBALL PREVIEW

B

aker Mayfield isn’t interested in hearing about last year, and he has spent this offseason focused on preparing for the 2016 season.

But Big 12 defenses won’t forget the season the Sooners’ signal caller had in 2015. He completed 68.1 percent of his passes — best among Big 12 quarterbacks — for 3,700 yards and 43 total touchdowns (fifth-best in the country).

Despite the success, Mayfield didn’t rest on his laurels; he got to work. His head coach, Bob Stoops, said he didn’t approach the offseason any differently than last year.

“He’s just overall worked harder,” Stoops said. “I don’t think there’s any question he’s in better shape — stronger, leaner — I think he’s just in better shape overall coming in.”

Mayfield’s motivation? Getting better and getting ready for the new season.

“I enjoy the grind a little bit because it gets you ready for the season,” Mayfield said. “You wouldn’t have the same team unless you put in the work (in the summer time).”

The Sooners’ offensive coordinator, Lincoln Riley, said he has noticed a hunger in Mayfield.

“He’s been hungry the whole way through,” Riley said. “There was kind of different levels of motivation: finding ways to improve, not listening to everybody on the outside telling him how great he is, understanding that there’s so many things that we need him and this team needs him to do better and he’s done a good job of focusing on that.”

Mayfield said he’s just more comfortable in Riley’s offense.

STORY BY DEREK PETERSON

“Obviously a lot more comfortable,” Mayfield said. “I’m very comfortable going into the second year with Coach Riley’s offense and knowing the kind of mindset that he has and what he wants to accomplish.”

Both Stoops and Riley also talked about the comfort levels heading into year two in Riley’s system.

“I don’t think there’s any question, for the whole offense, we’re lightyears ahead of where we were a year ago at this time with everybody understanding all the little nuances and the little particulars of the offense and how it needs to run,” Stoops said. “Our guys are much further along and more prepared that way.”

For the first time in Mayfield’s collegiate career, he enters a season with a familiar offense, and spent all offseason as the undisputed starter.

“We’re starting off camp with Baker obviously being the number one guy, and that’s going to make everyone have more chemistry and click more by the time we’re done with camp,” sophomore receiver Mark Andrews said at OU media day. “I think that’s going to be big for Baker and the receivers to be in touch.”

The fact that he hasn’t had to learn a new playbook has given Mayfield time to work on other aspects of his game.

“There’s a ton (of aspects of Mayfield’s game he has worked on),” Riley said. “I’m not going to tell you everything, but there’s a ton.”

One of the things he emphasized was ball control and not putting the ball in the dirt.

“I’m working on moving in the pocket, keeping two hands on the

CHRISTOPHER MICHIE/THE DAILY

Junior quarterback Baker Mayfield searches for an open receiver downfield Oct. 10, at the Cotton Bowl. The Sooners were defeated by the Longhorns 24-17.

TYLER WOODWARD/THE DAILY

Junior quarterback Baker Mayfield smiles as the clock expires in the first half at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Oct. 3, 2015. Mayfield went 14 for 25 with 320 yards passing and 3 TD’s in the 44-24 victory over West Virginia.

ball,” Mayfield said. “Just general ball control and being more accurate, knowing where I want to throw it and just putting it in the right spots for my guys.”

Riley said Mayfield also worked on “day-to-day little stuff,” things like trying to figure out how different teams are going to scheme for the Sooners attack this season and trying to be as

prepared as possible for it.

But even with everything that comes along with being a Heisman contender quarterback, Mayfield has remained himself.

“He’s got a lot of swagger, but Baker is also a very, very goofy kid,” Andrews said. “He’s a little bit weird, but he’s got a goofy side to him that’s kind of fun to see.”

OU DAILY FOOTBALL PREVIEW • 7

SOONERS ENJOY DEPTH, EXPERIENCE ON OFFENSE

T

STORY BY SPENSER DAVIS • PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER MICHIE

he Sooners enter the 2016 season with a lot of confidence on the offense side of the ball.

Oklahoma will have to replace Sterling Shepard and Durron Neal — responsible for 48 percent of the team’s receiving yards in 2015 — but most of the Sooners’ prolific offense is back for another year.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield returns, hoping to improve his fourthplace Heisman finish from a season ago. He’ll enjoy much greater depth at all position than he had in 2015, said offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley “There’s no doubt that, offensively, we are deeper across the board,” Riley said. “One hundred percent deeper across the board.”

Tr u e f re s h m a n q u a r t e r b a c k Austin Kendall will be the Mayfield’s primary backup in 2016, but as an early-enrollee, Kendall has had a grasp of the offense for months now, and teammates believe he would be capable of stepping in if Mayfield fell victim to injury.

“It’s just a system that he’s getting comfortable in. Once he gets comfortable, I don’t think he’s going to have problems,” junior receiver Jeffery Mead said. “I can see him getting better. Making better calls, throwing better balls, making better reads—it’s a process. Once he’s done with the process, he’ll be fine.”

Mead is one of several receivers who will be fighting for playing time this fall. Junior Jordan S m a l l w o o d , s o p h o m o re D a h u Green, sophomore A.D. Miller, senior Jarvis Baxter and senior Penn State transfer Geno Lewis all figure to be a big part of the equation for the Sooners.

True freshman Mykel Jones has also made waves, as a receiver and as a punt returner.

One final name for Sooners fans to know at receiver: Nick Basquine.

A Norman North product and former walk-on, Basquine caught headlines at OU Media Day when Mayfield said he “could end up starting for us.”

Running back Samaje Perine will be chasing history for the Sooners in 2016. He is just 1,056 yards away from passing Billy Sims’ all-time program rushing record — a mark

Then-sophomore running back Samaje Perine gets pulled down by the TCU defense in the 2015 game Nov. 21.

that has stood since Sims graduated following the 1979 season.

Sooners’ tailback Joe Mixon will also be back in 2016 as a compliment to Perine’s between-the-tackles rushing ability. He’s also expected to be a big part of the passing game this season after catching 28 balls for 356 yards in 2015.

OU lost redshirt freshman Rodney Anderson for the season to a neck injury Aug. 19, limiting the depth the Sooners have going forward. OU will now feature senior Daniel Brooks and true freshman Abdul Adams behind Perine and Mixon at running back.

Riley spoke highly of Adams just before the team announced Anderson would be out for the season.

“He’s eager,” Riley said. “He’s making freshman mistakes, but the thing I love about it is he’s not making the same mistakes over and over and he’s making the mistakes full speed.

“You don’t want those guys hesitant, coming in with a deer in the headlights look, and he’s not had that at all.”

OU will be extremely young up front after graduating several members of its offensive line.

Sophomore Orlando Brown is expected to come into his own at left tackle. At 6-foot-8, 240 pounds,

Brown is a legitimate NFL prospect at that position. Redshirt freshman Cody Ford has taken hold of the left guard spot.

“He’s been practicing at a high level right now,” offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh said of Ford during fall camp. “He’s just got to keep doing it. He’s going to be a damn good player.”

Jonathan Alvarez moved to center after playing left guard for the Sooners last season. Walk-on senior Erick Wren is also challenging for that role, but Alvarez was the heavy favorite before fall camp began.

Bedenbaugh said the Sooners will rotate players more often on the right side of the ball. Among those fighting for playing time will be sophomore Dru Samia — who started nine games at right tackle as a true freshman in 2015 — sophomore Ben Powers, a junior college transfer, and redshirt freshman Bobby Evans.

“He’s really pushing to start right now,” Bedenbaugh said when asked about Evans. “I feel really good about him. And he’s still young and he was hurt when he first got here, but he’s done some really, really good things and he’s still a young guy … he wants to start and he works at it. Up to this point, I’ve been pleased with him.”

PROJECTED OFFENSIVE DEPTH CHART • QB: Baker Mayfield

Austin Kendall • RB: Samaje Perine

Joe Mixon • FB: Dimitri Flowers

Carson Meier • WR: Dede Westbrook

Dahu Green • WR: Jarvis Baxter

Nick Basquine • LT: Orlando Brown

Quinn Mittermeier • LG: Cody Ford

Ashton Julious • C:

Jonathan Alvarez Erick Wren

• RG: Dru Samia

Ben Powers • RT: Bobby Evans

Christian Daimler • WR: Mark Andrews

Conner Knight • WR: Geno Lewis

A.D. Miller

8 • OU DAILY FOOTBALL PREVIEW

SAMAJE PERINE Then-sophomore running back Samaje Perine makes his way down the sideline toward the endzone with Tulsa defenders trailing after him Sep. 19, 2015.

S

PURSUIT OF THE ALL-TIME RUSHING RECORD

amaje Perine needs 1,056 yards to tie Billy Sims’ all-time program rushing record, which has stood since 1979. Assuming Perine plays in 13 games this season, he will need just over 81 yards per game to break the record.

If Perine wants to break the record by the Texas game, he’ll need roughly 211 yards per game.

By the Kansas State game: 176 yards per game.

By the Texas Tech game: 151 yards per game.

By the Kansas game: 132 yards per game.

So far, Perine is averaging roughly 118 yards per game in his career. At that pace, Perine would break the record in the Sooners’ ninth game of the season at Iowa State.

PHOTO BY TYLER WOODWARD

OU ALL-TIME RUSHING LEADERS

1. Billy Sims, 4,118 2. Joe Washington, 4,071 3. Adrian Peterson, 4,045 4. Steve Owens, 4,041 5. Quentin Griffin, 3,938 6. Demarco Murray, 3,685 7. DeMonn Parker, 3,403 8. Stanley Wilson, 3,198 9. Greg Pruitt, 3,122 10. Samaje Perine, 3,062 Source: OU Football Media Guide

OU DAILY FOOTBALL PREVIEW • 9

SOONERS’ LINEBACKER MATURES JUST IN TIME Wrorizing quarterbacks for the ith Eric Striker no longer ter-

Sooners’ defense, the team has turned to the man who sat next to him in the locker room last year to fill his shoes.

At 6-foot-2, 245 pounds, redshirt junior Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is bigger than Striker. Defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said he’s got the athleticism to match.

“He’s very fast, very explosive, a great rusher. So there’s little he can’t do on a football field,” Stoops said.

In the Sooners’ defense, outside linebackers are asked to rush the passer, stop the run and chase receivers in coverage. Okoronkwo said he spent the summer working with resistance bands to gain explosiveness. His skill set impresses even his teammates.

“He’s just a freak of nature, if you just look at him,” senior linebacker Jordan Evans said. “He’s big, strong, fast. He can pass rush. He’s able to drop. He’s just a guy that can be a big time playmaker for us.”

For Okoronkwo, the problem wasn’t his physical skills. He said he wasn’t mentally ready as a younger player.

STORY BY JESSE POUND • PHOTO BY MATT WESLING “Coming in as a freshman, there’s a lot of terminology you don’t know, there’s a lot of things that you just don’t see in high school at all. So I was definitely a step behind as far as with the game of football,” Okoronkwo said. “But now that I’ve been in this defense for two years, I feel like now it’s really clicking, honestly. I don’t have to think. I can just play.”

His maturation came just in time for the Sooners, who lost outside linebackers Striker, Devante Bond and P.L. Lindley from last season’s playoff team.

“He had to be patient being behind Striker and Bond for the past couple years, and it’s just his time to shine,” Evans said.

Striker racked up 26 sacks and 46.5 tackles for loss during his career.

Okoronkwo has seen playing time the last two seasons, but has no starts and just four sacks. Now, the time has come for him to step up.

“Starting your third year you really see players start to really grasp what they’re doing,” Stoops said.

In fall camp, Okoronkwo, who goes by “Obo,” is giving the offense all it can

Then-sophomore linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo attempts to bring down Akron quarterback Tra’Von Chapman during a game Sept. 5, 2015.

Okoronkwo is expected to play a much bigger role this season.

handle, said offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh.

“Obo, he’s the main guy. All the other guys are doing a good job, but Obo is the main guy. He’s got great speed, power,” Bedenbaugh said.

Okoronkwo said he’s taking his iPad to bed with him to watch film, trying to model himself after Striker.

“When you watch Striker play, he’s not thinking. He’s just going.

And that’s because how much he

prepared, so I’m trying to prepare just like he did,” Okoronkwo said.

Being prepared is important, but the goal is not for Okoronkwo to be a robot. Inside linebackers coach Kish said the coaches need to let his talents shine through.

“He’s the kind of guy where you just got to let him be a football player, too, and let him use his talents so we’re not trying to put a handcuff on him in any way,” Kish said.

10 • OU DAILY FOOTBALL PREVIEW

DEFENSE FACES TOUGH EARLY TESTS STORY BY JESSE POUND • PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER MICHIE

2

015 was a redemption year for the Oklahoma defense as the unit was the Big 12’s best, putting the clamps on high-flying offenses and keeping the Sooners close when Baker Mayfield and company struggled out of the gate.

2016 will be about proving that wasn’t a fluke and that the defense can be effective without big names like Zack Sanchez and Eric Striker.

The biggest question mark is the linebacker corps, which lost three of its four starters as well as a couple of key backups. Some of the people who will be filling those holes are green freshman like Caleb Kelly or even a junior college transfer in Kapri Doucet.

The one returning starter, senior inside linebacker Jordan Evans, said he’s not worried about the guys lining up next to him.

“I don’t question my guys. They’re here for a reason. I know they can play. I play next to ‘em, I’ve seen ‘em grow,” Evans said.

Sophomore Tay Evans is set to line up next to Jordan Evans inside, and junior Ogbonnia Okoronkwo should fill Striker’s role rushing on the outside. Doucet and a group of highly touted young players should jockey for playing time on the other side.

The big guys in front of the new linebackers form a deeper, more experienced group, despite losing AllBig 12 defensive end Charles Tapper to graduation.

“Tapp, he was big brother to all of us. So we always looked up to him,” junior defensive lineman Charles Walker said. “Now it’s me and (Matt) Romar, Matt Dimon, Jordan Wade, D.J. Ward. We’re all big brothers.

We’re all leaders. So all the young

guys look up to us, our whole defense look up to us.”

The Sooners are also experienced at safety, with senior Ahmad Thomas and junior Steven Parker leading an increasingly deep unit.

“It’s actually kind of weird because it seemed like freshman, sophomore year it was only like four safeties and now it’s like six, seven safeties,” Parker said. “So it’s a lot different than it was before.”

The cornerback room got a reinforcement in the offseason in the form of Miciah Quick, who was previously a receiver. He is fighting for playing time behind starters Jordan Thomas and Dakota Austin. Junior Will Johnson will play at nickelback when the Sooners need extra defensive backs on the field.

The secondary and revamped linebacker group will be tested early

in the season. Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr. had over 4000 total yards and 38 touchdowns last season as the Cougars won 13 games and beat Florida State in the Peach Bowl.

Two weeks laters, the Sooners welcome J.T. Barrett, who has 67 total touchdowns over the past two seasons for Ohio State despite never having an offseason as the team’s undisputed starting quarterback.

Inside linebackers coach Tim Kish said facing high-powered, up-tempo offenses is just something the defense needs to be prepared for on a weekly basis.

“That’s true across the board now just with all the college offenses.

We’re spread out and you’ve got these athletic quarterbacks,” Kish said. “You have to defend the entire field, so you have to have athletes on the field that can do it.”

PROJECTED DEFENSIVE DEPTH CHART • DE: • DT: • DE:

Charles Walker D.J. Ward Matt Romar Marquise Overton Matt Dimon Austin Roberts

• OLB: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo • ILB: • ILB:

Mark Jackson Jordan Evans Curtis Bolton Tay Evans Arthur McGinnis

• OLB: Caleb Kelly • CB: • FS: • SS: • CB:

Ricky DeBerry Jordan Thomas P.J. Mbanasor Steven Parker Kahlil Haughton Ahmad Thomas Will Sunderland Dakota Austin Michiah Quick

Then-junior linebacker Jordan Evans brings down a Cowboy ball carrier during the Bedlam game at Boone Pickens Stadium. The Sooners defeated the Cowboys 58-23 to win the Big 12 Championship.

GETTING TO KNOW

OU DAILY FOOTBALL PREVIEW • 11

Dakota Austin

Then-junior cornerback Dakota Austin looks down the bench at his teammates during the 2015 away game against Baylor Nov. 14.

W

STORY BY SPENSER DAVIS • PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER MICHIE

hen All-Big 12 cornerback Zack Sanchez decided to forego his senior season for the NFL Draft, he left a very important hole to fill in the back half of the Sooners’ defense.

While several candidates were considered — newly converted cornerback Michiah Quick and former four-star cornerback P.J. Mbanasor among them — the coaching staff seems to have settled on one player to fill the void: senior Dakota Austin.

The Lancaster, Texas, product is at first unimpressive to the eye. His generous 5-foot-10, 170 pound listing means he’s undersized even on his best of days.

But teammates insist there’s more to Austin than meets the eye. His relatively small frame is overshadowed by intangibles that his adversaries seem unable to match.

“He’s very aggressive,” junior receiver Jeffery Mead said. “Even when the play is over. He’s just really aggressive, so I guess that’s why they say it ‘cause when you watch film you can just see it.

“Anyone with eyes will notice it.”

It’s that energy that allows Austin to successfully battle taller players like Mead — who stands 6-foot-5 — in practice day-in and day-out.

“It’s really been like that since high school so I’ve been used to it,” Austin said. “Coming from Texas and coming from a really big passing league in Texas, you just get used to it and you learn different techniques for bigger guys.”

While Austin’s emergence has been a blessing for the Oklahoma coaching staff, it hasn’t come without adversity. Just a season ago, Austin was passed up by Mbanasor to start the Tulsa game. The year before that, Austin was beaten out by another freshman in Jordan Thomas.

“Sometimes when they put you in a place where you feel like you shouldn’t be, it’s tough to keep handling adversity everyday,” junior nickelback Will Johnson said. “You come out and try to be consistent but when you feel like it’s not working and you feel like the coaches love the next guy so much, you feel like you’re

getting beat down so you eventually give up on it.

“Dakota didn’t fall into that trap.

He kept grinding, he kept going and now he’s here.”

Johnson is personally familiar with the emotions Austin went through after being passed on the depth chart by Mbanasor. Johnson also found himself on the bench to start 2015 before taking over for now-departed Hatari Byrd mid-way through the season.

“He plays with a chip on his shoulder even though he’s the starter now,” Johnson said. “He remembers where he came from as far as having to fight his way into this position, so he comes out with that edge every day to prove to everyone why he should be this guy and it’s not being given to him.”

Austin eventually broke through.

Mbanasor struggled in his start against Tulsa, and when Sanchez went down with an injury against Texas Tech, it was Austin who got his chance.

He capitalized with a career-high

11 tackles and an interception against the Red Raiders. Two weeks later against Iowa State, Austin recorded another pick.

“It definitely gave him a lot of confidence, and I think it gave him a reassurance,” Johnson said of Austin’s performance last season. “He was definitely confident coming in. I don’t think he was nervous at all. But I think it gave him a reassurance of how good he actually is. He just remembered that ‘I can play.’ It was just a whole reassurance process.”

Austin has seemingly parlayed that confidence into a starting spot in the Sooners’ defense — a confidence that Austin has been able to channel into aggression that continues to draw attention from around the program.

“At corner, you can get beat and you have to be able to come back the next play,” Austin said. “It comes from inside, really. If you want someone else to think you’re good, you have to think you’re good. If I want someone to think I’m the best, I better already think I’m the best.”

12 • OU DAILY FOOTBALL PREVIEW

THE HOME OF THE SOONERS GETS A FACELIFT

G

STORY BY KELLI STACY • PHOTOS BY SIANDHARA BONNET

aylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium has been undergoing renovations since the end of last season that will make the “Palace on the Prairie” even more impressive.

The renovations include closing in the south end zone, adding suites and a larger scoreboard as well as various new fan amenities.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said he’s not worried about the differences in wind now that the stadium has been bowled in and the crowd noise will likely be the biggest difference in the newly renovated stadium.

“It seems like we have one game a year where wind is an issue, but wind is an issue every day in the spring,” Stoops said. “We’re not playing in the spring, so we’ve not noticed anything different in there as much as we’ve been in it. Hopefully the crowd noise will be better come first and second game.”

At least one Oklahoma player is impressed with the progress, too.

“That stadium right there is looking nice, that’s all I can say,” junior safety Steven Parker said. “It’s going to be a fun atmosphere.”

The last renovations made to the stadium were in 2004 when the suites were completed on the east side, moving up the stadium capacity from 81,207 to 82,112.

With this year’s renovation, the stadium’s capacity has expanded to 83,489.

JUNE 2015

June 19, 2015

SEPTEMBER 2015

Coaches, players and memorabilia were moved out of the Switzer Center, and coaches’ offices were relocated to the Bud Wilkinson Center.

Sept. 3, 2015

OU’s bonds to pay for the renovations to the stadium and other projects were downgraded because of the university’s level of indebtedness. OU press secretary Corbin Wallace said the university anticipated the downgrade and said its expected impact was negligible.

OCTOBER 2015

Oct. 27, 2015

The OU Board of Regents approved the installation of a larger video scoreboard in the stadium.

AUGUST 2016

Aug. 17, 2016

OU’s new video board is turned on for the first time.

SEPTEMBER 2016

Sept. 10, 2016

OU will host its season opener with the new stadium renovations against University of Louisiana Monroe.

Construction continues on the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on move-in weekend. The new video board was turned on on Aug. 17.

OU DAILY FOOTBALL PREVIEW • 13

TYLER WOODWARD/THE DAILY

Then-sophomore quarterback Baker Mayfield smiles as the clock expires in the first half at Gaylord Memorial Stadium. Oct. 3, 2015. Mayfield went 14 for 25 with 320 yards passing and 3 TD’s in the victory over West Virginia 44-24.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS: POLLS AND PREDICTIONS FOR 2016 PRESEASON COACHES POLL 1. Alabama 2. Clemson 3. Oklahoma 4. Florida State 5. Ohio State 6. LSU 7. Stanford 8. Michigan 9. Notre Dame 10. Tennessee 11. Michigan State 12. Ole Miss 13. Houston 14. TCU 15. Iowa 16. Georgia 17. USC 18. Washington 19. Oklahoma State 20. North Carolina 21. Baylor 22. Oregon 23. Louisville 24. UCLA 25. Florida Source: USA Today

Ahead of Oklahoma’s 2016 season, The Daily’s football reporters took a stab at predicting the Sooners’ regular season games. Two of our three writers think OU will have trouble on the road against TCU while another sees a late-season stumble against Texas Tech in the cards.

Spenser Davis @Davis_Spenser

Jesse Pound @jesserpound

Kelli Stacy @AstacyKelli

OU 45, Houston 31

OU 44, Houston 34

OU 42, Houston 35

OU 41, ULM 10

OU 55, ULM 7

OU 49, ULM 0

OU 41, Ohio State 38

OU 31, Ohio State 35

OU 28, Ohio State 24

OU 28, TCU 31

OU 31, TCU 27

OU 21, TCU 24

OU 28, Texas 14

OU 27, Texas 17

OU 28, Texas 17

OU 41, Kansas State 17

OU 31, Kansas State 27

OU 35, Kansas State 7

OU 55, Texas Tech 31

OU 38, Texas Tech 41

OU 49, Texas Tech 35

OU 51, Kansas 3

OU 52, Kansas 6

OU 56, Kansas 10

OU 28, Iowa State 13

OU 48, Iowa State 6

OU 35, Iowa State 10

OU 45, Baylor 21

OU 38, Baylor 24

OU 48, Baylor 42

OU 28, West Virginia 24

OU 31, West Virginia 28

OU 35, West Virginia 14

OU 35, OK State 17

OU 35, OK State 27

OU 28, OK State 24

PRESEASON AP POLL 1. Alabama 2. Clemson 3. Oklahoma 4. Florida State 5. LSU 6. Ohio State 7. Michigan 8. Stanford 9. Tennessee 10. Notre Dame 11. Ole Miss 12. Michigan State 13. TCU 14. Washington 15. Houston 16. UCLA 17. Iowa 18. Georgia 19. Louisville 20. USC 21. Oklahoma State 22. North Carolina 23. Baylor 24. Oregon 25. Florida Source: Associated Press

14 • OU DAILY FOOTBALL PREVIEW

NEW FACES ON OFFENSE GENO LEWIS STRIVES FOR EARLY IMPACT

O

STORY BY SPENSER DAVIS • PHOTO BY SIANDHARA BONNET

klahoma's wide receiver group has undergone severe attrition since the Sooners' season ended in the 2015 Orange Bowl, but OU has brought in at least one key addition this offseason.

The departure of seniors Sterling Shepard and Durron Neal left the Sooners without a leadership voice among its receivers. The transfers of John Humphrey and Dallis Todd — and the move of Michiah Quick to cornerback — robbed OU of depth at that position.

Enter Geno Lewis, a graduate transfer from Penn State.

Despite being new on campus, Lewis was singled out Saturday as a player that other receivers are able to look up to.

“I think that someone that everyone kind of looks up to, with all the receivers — inside and outside — just cause he’s a wise guy and knows what he’s doing, is Geno Lewis," sophomore receiver Mark Andrews said. "He’s someone that everyone can relate to and talk to and that sort of thing. He’s done a really good job of coming in here and being mature and being that guy."

Lewis has the experience that the rest of the Sooners' receivers are lacking. In three seasons with the Nittany Lions, Lewis racked up 1,181 yards on 90 catches and eight scores. One of only three scholarship seniors at his position, those numbers make him one of the most accomplished receivers on OU's roster, too.

"From learning when I was younger and when I was a freshman, I just see so much more now and understand things more," Lewis said of his ability to be a leader for OU's young core of receivers. "Some things that the coaches were asking for when I was younger, I might not have understood it as much as I do now."

Lewis was the beneficiary of good leadership when he was a freshman. He said he learned from Justin Brown — who also transferred to Oklahoma for his senior season — and current Jacksonville Jaguars wide out Allen Robinson. He knows firsthand the impact that good leadership can have on a young player.

"After (Brown) left, Allen took me under his wing ... we still keep in contact," Lewis said. "He’s my brother. I appreciate everything he’s done for me and I appreciate everything Justin Brown did for me too.”

Brown is competing alongside several receivers to be on the field for the Sooners this season. If he does, he’ll have an opportunity to replace the onfield production of Shepard and Neal. Regardless, he seems eager to match Shepard’s leadership from a season ago.

“Sometimes just being younger, you get a little stubborn and you think you know everything,” Lewis said. “You can’t ever learn everything.

You can always learn to do more and get better each and every day.

That’s where my mentality is now.”

Senior wide r e cei ve r Geno Lewis gets held back by freshman defensive back Chanse Sylvie during the spring game on April 9.

FORMER WALK-ON ‘COULD START’ FOR OU STORY BY DEREK PETERSON • PHOTO BY SIANDHARA BONNET

Imost praised Sooner receivers on the roster — to the point that quarterback n a short time, OU walk-on receiver Nick Basquine has become one of the

Baker Mayfield speculated he “could start” come opening weekend.

Basquine had offers from AAC schools and Mountain West schools, but he wanted to play for a winning program — a Power Five school.

His mother, a drug and alcohol abuse specialist in Norman as well as a single parent, supported him.

“My mom’s doing everything for me and my brother but she told me to live life with no regrets,” he said.

“I could have gone places, but I felt like I could play at a Power Five conference, and I knew Oklahoma was going to be good, and I wanted to play for Oklahoma, so she supported that decision.”

Basquine caught a touchdown last Saturday during Oklahoma’s first scrimmage of fall camp. For what was really the first time since he arrived, he received some love from the fans. He kept his focus, though.

“I really didn’t think much about it; I just come out here and work hard every day,” he said. “I’m just staying focused and blocking out the noise because I am starting to get a little buzz, just staying the course and putting in work.”

Basquine didn’t enter college to a lot of fanfare or attention. He was a senior in high school before he talked to his first contact at Oklahoma.

Cale Gundy, an assistant coach on Bob Stoops’ staff, first reached out to Basquine, but the two already had a connection — Gundy's son, K.C., is best friends with Basquine.

"I’ve known (K.C.) since about sixth grade so I did have an in,” Basquine said.

“They kind of saw what I was doing my senior year, but you get recruited so early so it was kind of late, and they didn’t really have any spots, but I understood that, and then (Gundy) felt like I could play.”

When Basquine got on campus, his first experience was on the scout team, with another former walk-on, Mayfield. It was there that he started to develop that crucial relationship between quarterback and wide receiver.

“We had a good little chemistry going, we were always making plays,” Basquine said. “He knows what it means to be a walk-on, but he also saw the potential that I have.”

Basquine has a belief in his abilities, and he’s just working. He said he trusts his work ethic and prays for an opportunity as he knows that good things will come. He isn’t worried about the financial strain of being a major college football player without a scholarship.

“Obviously it’s tough from a financial standpoint, but when you’re doing what you love and you work hard, good things are going to come out of it,” he said.

“You can think about (taking out loans), but you’d also have the regret of what you could have done versus what you’re doing. That’s probably more on you than money, I mean I’m going to pay it off eventually.

“This is the University of Oklahoma, I know we have a good chance to do big things here, and I want to be a part of that ... whatever it takes.”

Above: Sophomore wide receiver Nick Basquine turns and runs after catching the ball during open practice Aug. 8.

OU DAILY FOOTBALL PREVIEW • 15

NEW FACES ON DEFENSE MICHIAH QUICK MOVES TO CORNER

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STORY BY DEREK PETERSON • PHOTO BY SIANDHARA BONNET

ichiah Quick has taken his talents to the other side of the ball this off-season for the benefit of himself and the team.

The Sooners’ receiving corps, despite the loss of Sterling Shepard, is still as deep as any in the country. Quick, the 5-foot-11-inch, 190-pound junior from Fresno, Calif., decided to make that switch to corner after two years of play at wideout.

“What I told him when he made the move was that he played a lot for us on offense, so we’re not going to move him over and have him just be a backup.

We’re going to give him a real opportunity to come in and play for us,” defensive backs coach Kerry Cooks said. “We left the decision for him, we basically told him that with the powerhouse guys we have on offense, besides the running backs, besides Dede (Westbrook), besides (Jarvis) Baxter, he may be a fourth, fifth option over there where he could be maybe a one or two option on defense.”

Quick took a couple days to think about the decision before ultimately making the change.

“It was a switch not so much for myself but for the team; we had a patch obviously at corner,” Quick said. “I don’t look at it as being hard, I just look at it as taking a step forward ... It was just another opportunity to step up and play a big role on the team.”

Quick said that for him it was about coming out and proving himself. His biggest challenge so far has been getting his form right and making sure he has the right mindset. He said that things are starting to feel more “natural” as his reps continue to increase.

“At first it was a little rocky, now it feels a little more natural,” Quick said. “My movement and my technique (feels more natural); it’s better to know what I’m doing out there. As long as I know what I’m doing, which I’m doing a pretty good job of, things will get better.”

Quick’s play has been impressive of late, according to Cooks. He nabbed his first interception just two days ago on a deep route.

Quick wouldn’t say which Sooner quarterback tossed the turnover but he sported a grin when asked.

“Quick is way more impressive than what I would have anticipated this early in camp,” Cooks said. “You know, he’s still got a lot to learn from a mental standpoint, but he’s over there, he’s playing hard, and he’s executing.”

Quick doesn’t think that his time spent at wide receiver will give him an edge, despite accusations from Westbrook that Quick has been stealing signals.

“I just know I gotta be on my ‘A’ game every day,” he said.

“Every time we step in between these lines from warm-ups to pre-practice to actual practice, I just know I have to be out there to compete.”

Cooks said his newest corner was a “natural competitor” but agreed that at this point it’s all about form and technique with Quick.

“At that position it’s a little bit different,” he said. “If you’re a wide receiver you can drop the ball and you don’t have to worry about giving up six points, but if you’re not on point at DB, particularly at corner, every snap you’re going to give up a big one and you can cost the team.”

Above: Then-sophomore wide receiver Michiah Quick gets pulled down

by Baylor defenders during the 2015 game as he attempts to carry the ball to the end zone Nov. 14.

CANADIAN LINEMAN MAKES ADJUSTMENT

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STORY BY SPENSER DAVIS • PHOTO BY SIANDHARA BONNET

klahoma defensive lineman Neville Gallimore has earned just as much praise from coaches and teammates as any other Sooner so far in fall camp, but it wasn’t too long ago the redshirt freshman was struggling in workouts.

Gallimore spent his formative football years playing in Canada in a far different style than he now sees in Norman.

After redshirting last season, Gallimore is starting to make waves as a potential difference-maker for the Sooners in 2016.

But it’s been a long road for him to get to that point.

“When I first got in, I was quite a bit out of shape because of an injury I had in high school.

So I knew from that point on, when I got here, it was time for me to lock in, take advantage of my opportunity in the weight room, increase my stamina,” Gallimore said.

He says he’s seen improvement over the last year.

“Compared from this year to last year, I definitely feel that I’m in better shape, but obviously I can’t let the heat beat me ‘cause it’s still football at the end of the day, and I know why I’m here,” he said.

The heat is another factor Gallimore has had to deal with in transitioning to “football in America,” as he puts it.

The Norman area has an average high temperature of 93 degrees in the month of August, according to the National Weather Service. August is still warm in the Toronto area, where Gallimore is from, but the average fluctuates between 75 and 80 degrees most years, according to weatherspark.com.

Still, the young defensive lineman insists his past stamina struggles have more to do with his size than his surroundings.

“This is more of a personal thing for my body type,” the 6-foot-5-inch, 305-pound lineman said. “There’s people in Canada and across the world who are going to be more in-shape than I am, so it’s just my job for myself to get better, get stronger and build.”

Gallimore is expected to be one of several impact defensive tackles the Sooners put on the field this season.

Matthew Romar is back after a successful 2015 campaign and Marquise Overton showed flashes last season as a true freshman.

As the season inches closer, Gallimore says he just wants to continue to see progress.

“I’ve got to take care of my body, but as hard as I went today, I need to continue to push through in the evening,” he said. “This is football, this is camp, this is why we’re here. It’s just another opportunity to get better and see results.”

Above: Then-freshman defensive tackle Neville Gallimore chases a ball carrier during the spring football game April 9.

OU DAILY FOOTBALL PREVIEW • 17

SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR MEETS SOONERS STORY BY DEREK PETERSON

D

uring fall camp, Brenda Tracy, a former sexual assault victim, shared her story with the Sooner football team.

While Sooners coach Bob Stoops said he brings in a number of speakers every year to tell his team how to act off the field, Tracy’s story has increased significantly because of the prevalence of sexual assault and violence against women by college football players and in college life in general.

Baylor University fired coach Art Briles in May for his alleged role in a systemic cover-up of sexual assault among football players. OU has not been immune to these problems either, with former linebacker Frank Shannon missing the 2014 season after the university found him responsible for a sexual assault case and running back Joe Mixon missing the same season after punching a woman.

Just as she said was necessary to do, Tracy didn’t hold anything back.

“It took a tremendous amount of strength for her to stand up there in front of a group of men and share her story, and I think that with all of the things that are going on right now in the world with sexual assault, it was really an impact on players.”

KERRY COOKS, OKLAHOMA DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH “I’m not going to lie, it was kind of awkward, but it was just because it was so brutally honest,” cornerback Dakota Austin said. “I’ve never heard (a survivor story) as brutally honest as that; she said a lot of details about the story. You know, people usually sugar coat what happened. She was honest, and it felt like she had been telling the story a lot before the way she was comfortable enough to open up with that many details.”

Steven Parker, one of the veterans in the Oklahoma secondary, said that Tracy’s talk with his team really struck a chord with the players.

“It really hit us to the heart,” Parker said. “It’s one of those things where we talk about it all the time, but for us to have a real life example of a strong woman who was mistreated and wasn’t shown any respect, it really saddened us.”

Tracy impressed the coaching staff, too.

“She did an awesome job,” Oklahoma defensive backs coach Kerry Cooks said. “It took a tremendous amount of strength for her to stand up there in front of a group of men and share her story, and I think that with all of the things that are going on right now in the world with sexual assault, it was really an impact on the players.

“It just hopefully shows those guys that, hey, they do have a voice, they can make an impact by

PROVIDED VIA BRENDA TRACY’S TWITTER

OU head football coach Bob Stoops and sexual assault survivor Brenda Tracy pose for a photo after Tracy’s visit with the football team.

stopping certain things from happening by just being a man and standing up and saying, ‘Hey let’s do the right thing in this situation,’” he said.

Parker said he and his teammates kept the conversation going even after Tracy finished her meeting with them. He said the room was noticeably “stunned” by Tracy’s story, and they talked about things they can do to help make a difference.

“We just want to have everybody aware, and I think that’s how all this starts: Just everybody aware and holding everybody accountable,” Austin said.

“If something’s going on, do something about it. Be that person. I’m actually taking a communications class right now, and it’s called ‘social loafing.’ You think the next person is going to call the ambulance, you think the next person is going to dive in and save a person out of the pool — just take initiative.

Cooks and Parker both talked about how people need to localize the issue. They said people need to think about how they would react if their mother, sister or grandmother was victimized. Would they react? Would they step in and stop the situation?

Or would let the next person call the ambulance?

“It was emotional for me: Instantly, when she talked about that I thought about how I have a little sister; I wouldn’t want that to happen,” Parker said. “I know no one wanted that to happen for her. It just happened, but it’s just like that shouldn’t happen.”

Austin added that Tracy’s message won’t soon be forgotten.

“It just stuck with me in a way, like it can’t leave,” Austin said. “I’m always going to be thinking about it whenever a situation happens. We just have to respect our women at the end of the day.”

18 • OU DAILY FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Junior quarterback Baker Mayfield dodges a TCU defender during the game Nov. 21, 2015, at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The Horned Frogs were the latest school to join the Big 12 conference, joining in 2012.

OU SHOULDN’T TIE ITSELF TO BIG 12, EXPANDING OR NOT E

STORY BY JESSE POUND • PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER MICHIE

very time a Big 12 team loses a game in non-conference play, you’re going to hear about it.

Every time the playoff committee’s rankings are released, you’re going to hear about it again.

The Big 12 should expand.

Cincinnati/Boise State/Houston would win nine games a year there, easily. Then, no it shouldn’t. It’s doomed anyway. OU is going to the SEC in 2020. Texas is going to be independent. Everyone knows that.

Expansion, round three or four or whatever number we’re at now, is going to be the elephant in the room all season. And if or when schools are added, the noise won’t stop. It might even grow louder.

This is, above else, a money play.

The conference will get more money from its television partners, regardless of which combination or number of teams it adds.

But Oklahoma and the Big 12 are not the same entities, and the school should have different priorities.

The Big 12 needs to do everything

it can to survive, but OU needs to maintain its future flexibility, above all else.

The Big 12 is unstable. Adding schools won’t change that. The number one priority for Oklahoma should be to refuse to extend the conferences grant of rights agreement, which reportedly runs through 2025, that makes it difficult for schools to leave.

There are no clear criteria for expansion. How much do academics matter? How much does market size matter, and will it still matter as much the next time the media rights contracts come up? The conference isn’t even sure if it will take football-only members or full-sports members.

A c c o rd i n g t o E S P N ’s B re t t McMurphy, 20 schools have formally expressed interest in joining, and they all have problems.

Connecticut might as well be on a different continent from Lubbock, Texas. Cincinnati, which has more students than OU and has had a string of recent football success,

finally expanded its stadium — to just 40,000 seats. Houston would be just another recruiting mouth to feed in Texas.

And in the end, there is probably no “right” school to add. You want the best chance at immediate football success? Houston and Boise State are outside the Big 12 offices, throwing rocks at the windows, begging for attention. Mountain views?

Commissioner Bob Bowlsby has applications from Colorado State and BYU on file. Best road trips? Tulane and Memphis are having a party across the street, and the Big 12 is the guest of honor.

The truth is that the simplest way for the Big 12 to gain stability and prestige is by winning football games. Texas needs to win 10 games a year. Kansas needs to go bowling occasionally, though winning a single game will have to suffice for now.

Everyone needs to recruit better, and someone needs to win a national championship.

There are no guarantees in

expansion. Schools like Utah and West Virginia have failed to replicate their recent success in new conferences. Coaches — especially hot commodities like Houston’s Tom Herman — switch schools all the time, and even Alabama makes bad hires.

The Big 12 is trying to catch lightning in a bottle.

And if it works, that’s great. With a strong Big 12, with Oklahoma playing Texas, Oklahoma State and its old Big 8 brethren on a regular basis would be a fine home for all Sooner sports. And I don’t want to see a school like Iowa State left out in the cold because everybody else got greedy.

And if this expansion gambit fails?

Well, that’s fine for Oklahoma, too.

Keep recruiting well, keep investing in coaches, and the Sooners will be successful, especially in football.

And about a decade from now, just take all that extra cash and the national brand that is Oklahoma football, and park it somewhere else.

There will be plenty of takers.