Oklahoma Sooners Football: 6 Studs Poised for Breakout Seasons

It is easy to look at the roster for the 2011 Oklahoma Sooners and pick out which players are going to stand out. Landry Jones will compete for a Heisman; Ryan Broyles will set NCAA career records; Frank Alexander, Travis Lewis, Tony Jefferson—the list goes on. These guys are getting all the publicity and will be on several awards’ short lists come season's end. Might I say, for good reasons.

The fun question to ask is, who is next? Who has been stuck behind a starter for a year or moved to a new position? Who is set to become a new favorite among Sooners fans this year?

I’ve got some answers for you. Here are six guys you might not have heard of yet that will make names for themselves this year during yet another championship run for the Sooners under Bob Stoops.

TE Austin Haywood, Sophomore

Austin could very well be a household name by midseason. He is behind seniors James Hanna and Trent Ratterree on the depth chart but will make his presence known early and often this year. At 6’4” and 247 pounds, he has the size to be a “blocking” type but he possesses the athletic ability to make plays downfield as well. Think Brody Eldridge meets Jermaine Gresham.

Austin was the 2009 Offensive Player of the Year in Oklahoma as a senior at South Moore High School while amassing 73 tackles, 9 sacks and 2 interceptions playing defense as well. If that isn’t enough, he was Regional Player of the Year in basketball as well.

This stud will begin to add to what will be a memorable career at Oklahoma this year. Get on the wagon.

OT Lane Johnson, Junior

Lane has been a bit of a nomad with regards to his position in his football career. He played quarterback in high school, but outgrew the position and was recruited to OU as a tight end. He continued to grow and was moved to defensive end last season, but saw no playing time. The man-child kept growing and is now listed at 6’6”, 296 pounds and has made the (hopefully) final move to offensive tackle.  

On the depth chart, he is listed behind senior Donald Stephenson at left tackle. OT/TE coach Bruce Kittle has him with Stephenson and redshirt freshman Daryl Williams as the best three options at the tackle position.

His travels show a recent trend in Norman of taking TE recruits, bulking them up and turning them into hyper-athletic offensive lineman. Erik Mensik and Gabe Ikard both underwent the same transformation and with good results: Ikard is starting and Mensik just signed with the Arizona Cardinals.  

Watch for Lane Johnson to get time at either tackle spot this season and finally get a chance to impact the team.

FB Trey Millard, Sophomore

You could argue Trey broke out last year by being named to the All Big 12 second team by the coaches while starting at fullback for the Sooners as only a freshman. Trey was only getting started, though.

The “Load,” as he has come to be known, will see his role expand beyond the exceptional road-grader he assumed last season. We witnessed flashes of his potential a year ago, as Trey saw more production than most  fullbacks in a Stoops offense (24 carries, 16 receptions and four touchdowns), but the coaches are going to work him in even more.

Can you imagine the 255-pounder motioning out of the backfield into the slot, catching the ball in the flat and getting matched up with a cornerback? Neither can I.

Trey has already become a favorite of the coaching staff and will work his way into Sooner fans’ hearts this year as he blows up defenders with and without the ball in his hands.

DE R.J. Washington, Junior

R.J. has had a frustrating career so far in Norman. He was the top DE in the nation coming out of high school in 2008 and was expected to continue the impressive run of dominating lineman for the Sooners under Stoops. In his two years, though, he has underwhelmed while being stuck behind the likes of Jeremy Beal and Austin English.

This year is going to be different for the Fort Worth native. He is slotted behind Ronnell Lewis at DE on the depth chart, but Ronnell has been missing all summer due to personal issues, opening the gates for R.J. to finally make the impact he is capable of. His stock rises even more because senior DE Frank Alexander will be getting the majority of the attention at the other end position.

Everything is lining up for R.J. to finally have his break out year and make a name for himself among Sooner greats.

LB Corey Nelson, Sophomore

Sure, Travis Lewis going down is a bad thing. His leadership and production will be sorely missed the first several games of the season—especially against Tulsa’s high-flying offense in the first week.

There is a silver lining in the tragedy, however, in that sophomore standout Corey Nelson will be forced into a starting role in his place. He was the most highly-praised Sooner by the coaches during spring practice, being labeled as the “best player on the defense” by Bob Stoops himself. Travis Lewis sees it too, predicted Nelson will be better than he is...eventually.

When the famously prideful Lewis returns, look for the defense to shift around a bit. In an effort to get Nelson on the field, Stoops experimented with him at the nickelback during spring practices, moving 2010 Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year Tony Jefferson to free safety. The potentially deadly combination looked the part until Lewis went down with a broken foot, forcing everyone to shift back.

No matter what formation or personnel are on the field, Stoops will be in a hurry to get Nelson in the game whenever he can. Keep an eye on No. 7 this year, changed from the No. 25 seen above.

CB Demontre Hurst, Junior

The main reason Demontre will have a breakout season this year is because of who is starting at the other corner. Senior Jamell Fleming might be the best CB in the Big 12 and will see very few balls thrown his way.

Good news for Hurst, though, as he has the talent to handle the extra load and will shine this season. His impressive stats last year (50 tackles, one interception and 11 pass breakups) will only increase. He improved every game last season, culminating to a monster performance in the comeback win against Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship. He might be overshadowed this year by Fleming, but he will be just as influential and will have his named called often by announcers.

He is becoming known around Norman for his swagger, dubbing the defensive backfield “The Sharks” and leading the trash talking in a DB vs. WR battle that has been raging all offseason. Hurst will take the next big step this year on his way to becoming an NFL-caliber corner.

More from Eric Pennell

Eric Pennell is an up-and-coming columnist at Bleacher Report covering the NBA, NFL, College Football and EPL Soccer. Follow him on    Twitter.

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