Oklahoma Sooners Scoop: Early Spring Practice Observations

Spring football is here, and hope finally returns to Norman.

I’d give you an on-site report from practice, but Bob Stoops is, as usual, protecting practices with the fervor that Muslims protect Mecca from the stain of infidels. So I’ll try to give you a perspective if they open up the spring game.

What we know so far is that Kenny Stills and Tony Jefferson have been impressive in workouts. The receivers not named Broyles are still trying to put everything together, so Stills could sneak in and get into the rotation.

With Jonathon Nelson being moved back to his natural CB position, along with special teams star DeMontre Hurst at the other CB, the SS position is open. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Kevin Brent step up and take the job.

Meanwhile, the DL looks to be very strong at DE, with the single most proven rotation in the Big 12. JaMarcus McFarland and Stacy McGee have been drawing positive reviews on the inside, and Justin Chaisson has been twisted down to DT. I think he’ll kidnap a spot in the rotation if he can put on about 25 pounds without losing too much speed. 

Adrian Taylor is reportedly on schedule with his recovery.  It wasn’t a spiral fracture, so he should be able to get back to 100 percent physically by the summer. Getting a gruesome injury like that out of your head isn’t as easily done.

The offensive line learned their lesson from last year and has been putting in very serious effort in the weight room. This is the same song and verse from the 2006 preseason. After getting whomped by anyone with talent the year before, the OL figured out they actually do have to work out in the off-season to be ready for the regular season. 

Donald Stephenson, suspended for the 2009 season for violation of an anonymous “team rule”, is already expected to take the starting job at LT. Jarvis Jones and Ben Habern are expected to contribute some in spring practice. This would be an extremely good sign. The OL is still the big question mark for 2010.

Landry Jones seems to have improved dramatically after an extremely solid Sun Bowl outing. Frankly, I think we’re in very good shape, but, much like UT fans ignoring the obvious greatness of Colt McCoy while singing the praises of Gilbert, we’re whistling past the graveyard if we think Jones is on his way to Bradford-esque levels of greatness already.

TE is a position where we can only get better because the position was such a liability last year. This is a paraphrase of Stoops’ own words from his presser today.

More to come after I get a chance to see some practice footage.

This article originally appeared on Boomer & Sooner

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