PEDAL TO THE METAL
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NORMAN — Saturday, OU coach Lincoln Riley said none of his players had expressed a desire to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns.
A day later, running back Kennedy Brooks decided to opt out, according to a report from The Athletic.
Brooks has run for 2,067 yards and 1 8 touchdowns over the last two seasons, Brook stopping the
1,000-yard mark each time.
Last year, he had 155 carries for 1,011 yards and six touchdowns. He was set to be a redshirt junior this year.
Brooks would be the latest college football player to opt out of playing this season, though the first with the Sooners.
“We're not all in the same situation,” Riley said. “On the field, our family situations, we all look at this through our own lens and how it directly relates to us. You can't make a blanket decision for everybody.
“And our deal is we're going to be supportive of that decision. We're going to make sure you have all the information you could possibly need to make those decisions and then once they're made we're going to deal with it and we're going to move on.”
Brooks' decision would leave the Sooners with an unproven group of running backs, after Trey Sermon transferred to Ohio State in the offseason.
The most experienced back returning is Rhamondre Stevenson, who ran for 515 yards and six touchdowns last season after transferring from junior college.
But Stevenson is likely to be suspended for at least the first few games of next season.
Stevenson — plus defensive end Ronnie Perkins and wide receiver Trejan Bridges — were set to be suspended for the first five games of the season, though it's not clear if the altered schedule will affect those numbers.
But even if the suspensions were reduced by a game, that would leave Stevenson and the others suspended for the matchup with Texas on Oct. 10.
T.J. Pledger has run for 244 yards and a touchdown over the last two years. Marcus Major had 10 carries for 28 yards last year in limited action before an injury ended his season and led to a redshirt.
OU also signed four- star prospect Seth McGowan in its most recent class.
Riley said Saturday that he was pleased with the group as a whole.
“It's a competitive, talented, hungry room right now,” Riley said.
He especially said he was impressed with McGowan, calling him a “bright spot” of the early part of camp.
“Just as talented as we thought or maybe even a little bit more,” Riley said. “Has some impressive qualities for a young guy.”
Calcaterra returning to football but not OU
Almost a year ago, Grant Calcaterra walked away from football after the latest in a series of concussions he suffered at OU.
Now, Calcaterra is coming back.
The tight end announced the decision Saturday night.
“This is something that I have been thinking about since the day I stepped away,” Calcaterra said on Twitter. “I owed myself the ti me to reflect on the best decision for me. Ultimately, my love and passion for the game, and my desire to accomplish my goals are the reasons for my return.”
That return won't happen with the Sooners, though.
Cal ca terra said in the post that after talking to OU coaches, he had decided to enter the transfer portal.
Calcaterra had 637 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in three seasons as a Sooner. His last game came Oct. 5 last year. Shortly after, he suffered another concussion in practice and in November, announced he was walking away from the sport.
His biggest moment came in the 2018 Big 12 Championship Game, when his one-handed touchdown grab sealed a win over Texas and lifted OU into the College Football Playoff.
Riley announces batch of injuries
The early part of preseason camp hasn't exactly been kind to OU football, even before the six-day break necessitated by uncertainty about the schedule and the season as a whole.
Riley announced Saturday that several players had suffered injuries early in camp.
That group includes linebacker Caleb Kelly, defensive line man Marcus Hicks and walk-on wide receiver Cason Grant. Defensive back Justin Harrington, Riley said, was still dealing with an injury he suffered before arriving in late July.
“Those guys will all miss a substantial part of the season,” Riley said.
He characterized all the injuries as“lower- extremity .” Kelly and Harrington reportedly suffered knee injuries, while Hicks recently had surgery to repair an Achilles tendon tear.