Oklahoma Football: Top 5 Impact Freshmen for 2011
Bob Stoops has long dominated the recruiting road at Oklahoma—from picking up Josh Heupel at Weber State to DeMarco Murray out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Stoops has his eyes scouring the nation in search of the best talent.
When the kids arrive in Norman, Stoops pushes and develops them into their full potential. As shown in the past, Stoops has sent players to the NFL prepared and ready for what coaches ask of them, fundamental wise.
To be honest, some of the players in this list were hard to put on here because of the depth Oklahoma has at many positions. With 28 players having starting experience, Oklahoma does not need much help from freshmen this fall.
But without further ado, here are your Top 5 impact freshmen coming into the 2011 season.
Jordan Phillips: Defensive Tackle
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With the departure of Daniel Noble on the defense line, there is a huge need at the defensive tackle position. In high school Phillips was pursued by Auburn, Kansas State, Nebraska, Kansas and Ole Miss. He also had the distinction of being ranked fourth in the nation at his position.
One main concern is that Phillips must pick up the defensive schemes quickly to get inside of the rotation. If he does, he will be contributing quickly to a poor rushing defense. In 2010, the Sooner rushing defense allowed 149 yards a game—the highest total since the 2004 season.
The positive is that Jordan Phillips is an exceptional athlete who has a lot of room to grow. His athleticism is even considered good enough for Phillips to play the tight end position, according to Rivals.com. Phillips is a freak of nature who possesses some of the best footwork seen in the 2011 class.
Trey Metoyer: Wide Reciever
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Outside of Dejuan Miller, the Sooners have not had a tall receiver since the likes of Malcolm Kelly. Though coming in at just 185 pounds, Metoyer will be a huge threat for the Sooners if he can gain weight and grow into his college frame.
Trey Metoyer must first meet the NCAA academic standards before he steps on the field. This summer Metoyer has enrolled in JUCO classes to qualify to be a Sooner this fall.
After catching 108 passes for 1,540 yards and 23 touchdowns, expect for Metoyer to contribute immediately in several wide receiver packages.
Bennett Okotcha: Defensive Back
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Okotcha switched his commitment from Notre Dame to the Sooners late in the recruiting season and he made the right decision. With this commitment, Okotcha became one of only two defensive backs in this year's class.
Okotcha is only a three-star corner, but Stoops has shown past abilty in developing talent underrated nationally. Example: Sam Bradford was only a three-star recruit.
Once Okotcha enters the OU program, expect a significant increase in terms of technique and footwork working with DB coach Willie Martinez.
With some experience at the defensive back position, look for Okotcha and four-star Frank Shannon to enter the lineup towards the middle of the season.
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Brandon Williams: Runningback
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The freshman Brandon Williams will be essential in the Oklahoma running game during the 2011 season. Williams is a five-star recruit, according to Rivals, and has an explosive ability once breaking the second level.
Coach Stoops had this to say to Dallas Morning News: “He’s got great power and strength and can run forever. Along with our team activities in conditioning, we have some one-on-one competitive situations in front of the whole team and he really stood out. He’s very, very competitive and tough. He’s got a bunch of talent, so he’s going to be exciting to watch. We’re very optimistic about him.”
Similar to the build of Darren McFadden, Williams can add to his frame with strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt.
Look for Williams to contribute to an OU rushing attack that finished seventh in the Big 12 at 155 yards per game.
To my hero Coach Stoops: Please take care of this one. Don’t run him into the ground like you did DeMarco Murray and Adrian Peterson. Yes, Adrian was a little silly for diving into the end zone, but the amount of workload was too much.
Marquis Anderson: Defensive End
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Already having one DT on this list, there needs to be another and Marquis Anderson (6’3’’, 270 pounds) fits the role. Defensive ends Frank Alexander and Ronnell Lewis look to handle the business this fall, but there is a need for more depth on the defensive line.
Being recruited nationally by several schools, Anderson chose Bob Stoops because of the success of Jeremy Beal at the position over the past few years.
Anderson had this to say to MySanAntonioExpress: “I’m pretty excited. It’s the best fit for me. The schools I went to, most of them felt like they were reading a script, telling me what I wanted to hear. It just didn’t feel right. When I went to OU, you could tell they were real with me.”
Anderson looks to come in immediately and push redshirt freshmen for at least a small amount of playing time.
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