Oklahoma Football: 5 Players Who Surprised Us, 5 Who Need to Step Up

Friday, Dec. 30, the No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners will be traveling to Tempe, Ariz., to play the final game of their season. 

No, it's not the national championship, or even the Fiesta Bowl (also held in Tempe), it's the Insight Bowl, designated for the fourth-place finisher in the Big 12. 

After being blown out by rival Oklahoma State, the Sooners concluded their regular season with a 9-3 record. Normally, a 9-3 record would be a sign of a great season, but the Sooners aren't just any team. 

With so many hopes and aspirations for his once No. 1 ranked Sooners, head coach Bob Stoops has to be upset with what has likely been his worst year at the University of Oklahoma. 

Many times this season, the Sooners just seemed different. A lack of toughness? Motivation? Whatever the case, and whomever the blame may fall on, one things for sure: Something has to be changed.

In the end, it was genuinely difficult to pick out five players that "surprised us," but very easy to pick out five players that need to step it up. If that isn't an indication to how the Sooners' season went, I'm not sure what is. 

Jaz Reynolds: Wide Receiver

Status: Surprised Us 

Let's start off on a more pleasant note. Sophomore wide receiver Jaz Reynolds really came into his own this season, establishing himself as one of quarterback Landry Jones' favorite targets. 

Reynolds finished the regular season with 41 receptions for 715 yards and five touchdowns. Reynolds finished behind senior Ryan Broyles and fellow sophomore Kenny Stills in receptions, yards and touchdowns, but his 17.4 yards per catch led the team. 

Reynolds went over the 100-yard receiving mark twice this season and over 90 yards four times. His speed, 6'2" frame and leaping ability made him a valuable downfield target. However, as you can see in the picture, what really had people raving about Reynolds' were his dazzling one-handed catches.

When Broyles went down with an injury in Week 10, it was obvious for the rest of the season that the passing game was just a bit off. However, with an entire off-season ahead of the Sooners, I feel confident in saying that Reynolds has the ability to make a case for Broyles' replacement.

Whether it's Reynolds or Stills as the Sooners' No. 1 wide receiver next year, fans have to feel good about these two sticking around for another two years. 

The Entire OU Secondary

Status: Needs to STEP IT UP 

This one was too easy. Coming into the season, there were less questions about Oklahoma's secondary and more questions about the defensive line. Needless to say, that argument was put to rest early into the season.

The self-proclaimed "Sharks" of the secondary routinely missed assignments, broke down in coverage and overplayed passing routes to an inexcusable point. However, at times, such as against Kansas State, the Sharks appeared as if the nickname was justified. 

The "best" defensive back for the Sooners this year was senior Jamell Fleming. This didn't come as a surprise, as Fleming is a projected draft pick, but even he, for the most part, played very underwhelming football. 

Fleming will be the only defensive back that will be leaving, but he too needs to step it up if he expects to compete for a position on an NFL roster. As for underclassmen Javon Harris, Aaron Colvin, Demontre Hurst, Tony Jefferson and Gabe Lynn, some MAJOR work has to be done during the offseason. 

There is still hope. These guys are young, they were trying out new positions, etc. However, they have to play with a toughness next season that just wasn't there this season. 

The only "biting" these Sharks did this season were on play-fakes. 

Frank Alexander: Defensive End

Status: Surprised Us 

Senior defensive end Frank Alexander was the unquestioned leader of the defensive line this season, and he played that way every game. 

Alexander's previous three seasons as a Sooner had showed promise, but he really stood out this season. He finished the regular season with 51 total tackles, 8.5 sacks, one forced fumble and even one interception that he returned for 27 yards. 

If there was ever noise in the backfield, there's no doubt you could credit that to Alexander. His 15 tackles for loss led the team. 

Alexander proved that he could be a big time defensive end this season, and he undoubtedly helped his draft stock. Both Alexander and fellow defensive end Ronnell Lewis anchored a defensive line this season that also featured strong play from defensive tackle Stacy McGee and backup defensive end David King.

Everything that Alexander gets awarded in the future was earned with his play this season. Congratulations, Frank. Have fun in the NFL. 

Brennan Clay: Running Back

Status: Needs to STEP IT UP 

Clay wasn't completely healthy for 100 percent of the season, but that doesn't explain his early troubles and his inability to earn more playing time.

Even though he started the season as the No. 1 running back on Oklahoma's depth chart, his position at the top was quickly replaced by walk-on running back Dominique Whaley after his huge season-opening performance. 

However, Clay still received ample amounts of playing time, as he received 12 carries in Week 3 against Florida State and 15 carries against Missouri in Week 4. He was just routinely outplayed by Whaley, and his playing time began to diminish. 

When Whaley went down with a season-ending injury, it wasn't Clay who replaced him. Sophomore Roy Finch took over head-honcho duties, and he did a great job filling in. In the last few games, it has seemed as though freshman Brandon Williams has even overtaken Clay's spot as Finch's backup. 

Clay's 3.5 yards per carry is the lowest among all four running backs, and if he expects to challenge Whaley, Finch and Williams for playing time next year, he has to step it up in a big way. 

Gabe Ikard: Offensive Guard

Status: Surprised Us 

Sophomore offensive lineman Gabe Ikard was a pleasant surprise to many OU fans this season.

Although Ikard has started almost every game in two-year career, this year more was asked from him than ever before.

After junior center Ben Habern was sidelined for over a month, Ikard was asked to move over from his normal 'guard' position and take over Habern's hiking duties. 

Habern, who is likely Oklahoma's best all-around offensive lineman, felt irreplaceable. How was a sophomore guard going to fill in at center with absolutely no problems? At the time, this was still a national championship contending team. 

Alas, Ikard was the perfect fill-in for Habern and the Sooner's offense didn't miss a beat. This can be attributed to Ikard's ability to adapt and learn a new position. His football I.Q. is off the charts. 

Ikard has a great career ahead of him at the University of Oklahoma. 

Travis Lewis: Linebacker

Status: Needs to STEP IT UP 

After getting injured during spring practice, Travis Lewis showed a lot of guts coming back in time for the Sooners' Week 3 matchup against Florida State. 

Like Clay, Lewis hasn't been playing at full-strength the entire season, and his play on the field has showed it. Even though Lewis finished the regular season with 80 total tackles, it was the lowest total of his four-year career. 

He also failed to record a single sack all season long; the only time this has happened in his career. 

Like Alexander and Fleming, Lewis is another senior that will be leaving for the NFL draft, but unlike Alexander, Lewis really did nothing to better his draft stock. 

On top of his underwhelming play, his leadership skills could really be questioned after failing to get his defense motivated play after play. Lewis is the unquestioned leader of the Sooners' defense, but even he continued to play with seemingly less motivation and desire than ever before.

Maybe that needs to be put on the coaching staff, but Lewis definitely needed to step it up all season long, and if he wants to keep his draft stock in the second to third round range, he will have to step it up all offseason. 

Michael Hunnicutt: Kicker

Status: Surprised Us 

Let me be clear: Michael Hunnicutt missed a huge field goal near the end of the loss to Texas Tech that could have drastically changed the outcome of the game. 

So why am I praising him? 

One: It wasn't entirely Hunnicutt's fault that the Sooners lost that game. It was the defense, the coaching, etc. 

Two: Other than that kick, Hunnicutt has actually had a pretty good year. Nobody really expected him to play, but after filling in for Jimmy Stevens, Hunnicutt finished the year 20 of 23 on field goals and 51 of 52 on extra points. His good play was capped off with a career-long 48-yard field goal during the Bedlam, which was literally the only good thing the Sooners could take away from the game.

Three: With the way the Sooners' kicking game has fared since Garrett Hartley left for the NFL, Hunnicutt was an obvious step in the right direction. 

Four: Really, who else am I going to praise? 

Landry Jones: Quarterback

Status: Needs to STEP IT UP 

Landry Jones is only a junior, but he is draft-eligible. There is a good chance that the Insight Bowl will be Jones' last game as a Sooner, due to his high draft stock.

However, after OSU was able to expose Jones' weaknesses for the world to see, I have a feeling his stock may be falling rather than rising. 

Even though the season was disappointing, little was disappointing about Jones' stats: 4,302 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. However, Jones threw 14 interceptions and saw his completion rating drop two full points to 63.1 percent. 

Statistically, Jones' sophomore season was better than this season, but when it comes to Jones, one can't just look at his statistics. If you do, he's going to look like a top-tier quarterback. However, Jones still has a lot of maturing to do when it comes to the quarterback position. 

Something I have been harping on all season long is Jones' composure in the pocket. He has only been sacked eight times all year, and that can be contributed to the strong play of the offensive line, not Jones' ability to evade defenders.

When Jones gets pressured, all bets are off. One out of 10 times he'll avoid getting hit and actually look down field. The other nine times Jones usually tries to make a pass he shouldn't. His feet shuffle; he gets nervous. This gets him into trouble.

Since Ryan Broyles has been out with an injury, Jones hasn't completed a single touchdown pass. That's three full games without a touchdown pass, which is relatively unheard for a guy like Jones in an offense like Oklahoma's.

OSU did a great job exploiting him. Blitz packages came from each side, and Jones continued to miss his targets. It would be a good idea for him to stay for his senior season, but after two full years of being a starter, I'm not sure how much more he is going to develop.

If he does go to the draft this year, I smell a bust. In a big way.  

Blake Bell: Quarterback

Status: Surprised Us 

Backup quarterback Blake Bell may have been the biggest surprise this season, and I still don't know whether that's a good thing or not. 

After realizing that his team was having significant redzone issues, Bob Stoops decided to install a new package: The Wildcat. However, in this version of the wildcat, an athletic wide receiver or running back is not calling the shots. Instead, Bell, the 6'6" 245 pound mammoth of a quarterback, lines up behind the offensive line, picks a hole, and rams his way through the best he can. 

It's a watered-down version of the normal 'Wildcat' offense, but it definitely gets the job done. Bell finished the regular season with 10 rushing touchdowns on 34 attempts — that's the most rushing touchdowns on the team. 

So, the Sooners found a solution to their redzone problems, but is a gimmicky wildcat formation a sign of promise and creativity from Stoops and Company, or is it a sign of desperation? 

Ultimately, it might be both. All I know is that the 'Belldozer' is here to stay, and he's likely going to get a lot more touchdowns before his career is over. 

Bob Stoops: Head Coach

Status: Needs to STEP IT UP

I'm very aware that Bob Stoops isn't a "player" that needs to step it up, but I figured why pick from a plethora of different players that could have been my No. 5 player to step it up when I can pick on the head coach? 

I've already highlighted how this has been Stoops' worst year at the University of Oklahoma, and just to clarify, I don't think that this season is a justification for firing him. However, it most definitely is a justification for wanting a change, whether that comes with new assistants, new recruits, new offensive schemes, new defensive schemes, etc. 

Stoops just never seemed to have his team ready to play this year. After the big win in Tallahassee over Florida State, I feel like the Sooners got a little cocky and started buying into their own hype. It was evident that they underestimated early season opponents like Missouri (who they almost lost to) and Texas Tech (who they did lose to). 

Nobody ever seem motivated. The players were just going through the motions on the field, waiting on their own athleticism to makeup for their inexcusable laziness. 

They lacked a toughness this season like I've never seen before with a Bob Stoops' team. Some people blame it on the players, some on the coaches, but I believe it's collective. It's a team game. 

However, it's Stoops' job to guide his players in the right direction. Whether or not he did that at all this season remains to be answered. 

It's time to step it up, Bob, but you know that already.