Willis says Rattler has `Baker Mayfield' energy

Spencer Rattler's physical strengths were known commodities going into this season, OU H-back Brayden Willis said Thursday.

“We al l know about t he intangibles, the arm strength and everything like that,” Willis said.

But the way he's taken charge of things, especially since being named the starting quarterback earlier this week, has been the biggest eye-opening area of growth Willis has seen in the redshirt freshman.

“He's a great l eader and he's done a great j ob getting us ready to go day-in and day-out, bringing energy to the offense. You know, a little Baker Mayfield energy. It gets

everybody hyped to play.”

Rattler makes his starting debut for the Sooners Sept. 12 when OU hosts Missouri State.

The Phoenix product went 7-of-11 passing for 81 yards with a touchdown in limited duty last season.

Cutouts to fill stadium bleachers

OU receiver Obi Obialo said even though the crowd at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium will be significantly smaller this season, he'll be picturing full stands when he plays his lone season for the Sooners.

“In my head, I'm gonna see fans,” Obialo said Thursday. “If I score, I'm gonna (highfive) with all the fans there in the stands. But we'll see.”

Obialo might be seeing more fans than the 25 percent of the stadium's capacity expected to be admitted in 2020.

Wednesday, OU announced it would sell cutouts of fans to place in open seating areas, including in the east and west sideline areas behind the benches.

Fans can purchase the cutouts for $50 for the season, with proceeds going to the Sooner Relief Fund, which benefit sO U athletes by helping maintain services as the athletics department's budget took a significant hit in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To be in place for the Sept. 12 season opener against Missouri State, cutouts must be ordered by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Cutouts can be ordered at SoonerSports.com/cutouts.

Obialo didn't know about the plan before Thursday.

“So there' s gonna be like faces and stuff in the stands?” Obialo said. “That's different. That's gonna be different, actually.”

Sooners register to vote after march

Just after last Friday' s march as a show of unity against racial injustice, OU's football team registered to vote, at least the ones who weren't previously registered.

“Coach (Lincoln) Riley set it up,” linebacker Nik Bonitto said. “He didn't really force it, but as players, if we have the right to do that, if we wanted to, they gave us a couple options on what to do.

“It was really a team thing. Everybody wanted to do it. I was proud to see everybody step up and make that decision as a team.”

Junior h- back Brayden Willis worked to start a voter registration drive in his hometown of Fort Worth over the summer, with intentions of doing the same in Norman.

“A lot of times, just speaking in general with youth and people of my race, they don't know a lot about voting,” Willis, who is Black, said.

“When most … youth think of voting, they think about the presidency. But we're talking about municipal (races) and everything. We're talking about all types of voting. I wanted to get some knowledge out to my community about voting, regardless of whoever you vote for. I don't care, I just want to make sure that you know what's going on and how your voice can be heard.”