Champ U BBQ returns
Former John Marshall star Tramonda Moore is expected to join dozens of other potential Sooners for the second annual Champ U BBQ.
Nothing says summertime better than a big time barbecue, and Saturday afternoon, the Oklahoma football program will host a pretty major one as dozens of OU commits and targets head to Norman for the second annual Champ U BBQ.
“Guys come here and they’re not asked to work out or run or test, it’s just, ‘Hey, this is who we are, man,’” defensive backs coach Kerry Cooks said at Wednesday’s golf scramble. “We wanna build that family atmosphere, we want to get to know you, we want to get to know your parents, we want you to obviously get to know us and be comfortable being around OU.”
A year ago, 2018 safety commitment Patrick Fields made his first official trip to OU for the barbecue, and that family environment went a long way in securing his eventual commitment.
“My family, we didn’t know anyone,” Fields said, recalling last year’s visit. “Everybody we brought in, my grandfather, who was oblivious to everything, they really brought him in treated him like family.
“Kind of from then, I really knew.”
Along with a big spread of food, last year’s event included corn hole, a Madden NFL setup, kickball and a water balloon fight.
Among the guests expected for this year’s barbecue are 2018 commitments Tramonda Moore, Ron Tatum and Fields along with 2019 four-star running back target Isaiah Spiller and 2018 three-star linebacker target DaShaun White.
Murray, Terry vie for inside linebacker spot
After making the move to inside linebacker in the spring, freshman Kenneth Murray is in the mix for a starting job, linebackers coach Tim Kish said.
Murray, a Rivals four-star early enrollee from Missouri City, Texas, was recruited as an outside linebacker, but slid inside the week before the spring game.
“Kenneth Murray is definitely gonna be a contender for a starting job,” Kish said. “We moved him from Sam to Will and a little bit of Mike now. We’re just trying to get the best players on the field. Where he ends up is hard to say, but obviously he’s gonna start inside.”
Murray’s main competition will be Jon-Michael Terry at the middle linebacker spot. With Terry redshirting last season, neither has any game experience, but defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux said the competition will be stiff for the starting job.
“That’s critical for our success,” Thibodeaux said of the competition at middle linebacker. “Jon-Michael’s got to take another step. This kid has a lot of raw talent.”
‘Business as usual’ for running backs
Despite losing two of the most prolific running backs in program history, Jay Boulware isn’t too worried about his position group entering fall camp.
It’ll be an adjustment without Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine, but with five scholarship running backs on the roster, including a fully healthy Rodney Anderson, the running backs coach feels confident in his group.
“We’ve got as much depth as we’ve had since I’ve been here,” he said. “I’m looking forward to see how those guys develop and see who comes out on top.
“Obviously when you have Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon, I can choose to come to work or not come to work and we’ll still be successful. Now those guys are gone, and it’s just business as usual. It was business as usual when they were here too. It’s not any different for us as coaches.”