3 positions of concern, 3 players with big potential
NORMAN — On Fr i day, Oklahoma's players report for preseason camp. After media day and Meet the Sooners Day later Friday, the Sooners kick off practice Saturday morning.
There are plenty of questions for Oklahoma entering camp, as well as a handful of position battles.
Here are a few of each:
Three positions of concern Safety:
At the end of last season, the Sooners shuffled their secondary a bit to try to find the right combination, with Tre Norwood moving from cornerback to help out in other areas after Bookie RadleyHiles left the lineup. Though the Sooners return nine of 11 starters from last year's defense, there figures to be significant changes to the lineup and safety could be one of the them.
Delarrin Turner- Yell came on strong at the end of last season, playing in seven games but not starting any. Turner-Yell is one of the players who could find his way into the lineup this season. Plenty of other players — Robert Barnes, Justin Broiles, Patrick Fields and Chanse Sylvie — have experience at this spot but what combination of players the Sooners use is very much up in the air.
Left tackle: This could very well be any position on the offensive line not named center, but left tackle is generally the most important and it figures to be on this team as they look to protect Jalen Hurts and clear room for a group of talented running backs.
Erik Swenson has been mostly used in a mop-up role and special teams player in 10 games through his first three seasons, but he enters camp as the favorite at the spot. He'll have some competition there, though, with junior college addition Finley Felix the most likely to push Swenson for playing time.
Kicker/ punt er: This hasn't been a position of concern for a long time for the Sooners. But for the first time in four years, someone other than Austin Seibert will be handling those duties. Oklahoma has been high on punter Reeves Mu nd sch au since his arrival. The more important piece, though, is at kicker. Gabe Brkic enters camp as the favorite at the spot but how will he perform during crunch time and how will he handle kickoff duties?
Three players with big opportunities
R.J. Proctor: The graduate transfer has made 12 starts over the last three season son Virginia' s offensive line but injuries have kept him from becoming an even more consistent performer. The So one rs brought Proctor aboard to give them experience and depth on the interior of a depleted offensive line. If Proctor remains healthy, he could wind up
being a significant piece in Oklahoma's front but he'll have to prove himself fast after not arriving until this summer.
Bookie Rad le y-Hi les: Radley-Hiles fell out of favor late last season as he went through some freshman struggles. With Alex Grinch's insistence on speed and size in the secondary, Radley-Hiles might find it difficult to find a spot. But there's a reason virtually every program in the country wanted Rad le y-Hi les out of high school. Those skills are still there and a productive pres ea son camp could inject the former five-star recruit back into the mix.
Spencer Rattler: Before Jalen Hurts transferred to Norman, there was a belief that Rattler would be competing for playing time sooner rather than later. Now, Oklahoma's coaches would cl early prefer if Rattler could redshirt and Hurts stayed healthy the entire season. But if an injury were to strike, then Rattler could be primed to leap frog expected backup Tanner Mordecai if he puts together an impressive preseason camp.
Like Proctor, Rattler wasn't able to be around during the spring. No matter how impressive Rattler is, he might not find the field much this season but a strong camp can put him in position should an opportunity arise.