Stoops brothers believe trio of linebackers will make impact
SOONERS JOURNAL
NORMAN — After Saturday’s spring game, Oklahoma head coach and defensive coordinator separately brought up a trio of incoming linebackers when asked about outside linebacker play.
“I saw three of them walk in together —
and Bob Stoops said. “Every one of them was 6-3, 6-4, 235, 240. They’re big, strong and a good looking group, physically. I believe every one of them will have an impact next year.”
While all three were in attendance Saturday, none have yet joined the team.
While and have been presumed to be the two leading contenders to replace Eric Striker on the outside, Saturday showed another possible solution in
Johnson played primarily nickelback last season and the Sooners could use that more this year.
Johnson would play the same position Striker did but the pressure would be concentrated more heavily on the opposite side.
“That’s not Will’s forte,” Mike Stoops said of blitzing. “He’s a better cover guy than Striker, but he gives us more flexibility in coverage. Striker could only do so many things coverage-wise. We couldn’t lock him on a No. 2 skilled receiver.”
SOONERS GET THEIR RINGS
Standing off the side waiting their turn while Bob Stoops spoke to the media following the game, quarterback and safety looked down and admired their new jewelry.
The players from last year’s team were presented with their Big 12 Championship rings.
The large rings are white gold with an inlaid red interlocking OU logo on the face and the player’s name on one side.
Plenty of the now-departed players from last year’s team — Striker, and among them — were in attendance.
RODRIGUEZ GETS SOME PAYOFF
After seeing playing time as a freshman two years ago at Tulsa, former Tulsa Union standout
transferred to Oklahoma.
After sitting out last season, Rodriguez — an outside linebacker — made an impact Saturday, getting his hand on a couple of passes and “sacking”
early in the third quarter.
“It’s a big relief that it’s finally paying off,” Rodriguez said. “It’s been a long road but … it’s starting to come together.”
Rodriguez said it “hurt my soul a little bit,” not to play last season.
After weighing just 220 pounds, Rodriguez was moved from defensive line to “Jack” linebacker.
He’s now at around 250 pounds and said the spot fits his game.
“I was kind of excited when I got that,” Rodriguez said. “I like playing more outside so Jack’s like a perfect position for me.”
ALVAREZ: SATELLITE CAMP DECISION WILL HURT BROTHER
When it was announced Friday that satellite camps would be outlawed by the NCAA, effective immediately, Bob Stoops brought up center Jonathan Alvarez as a player who had benefitted from the camps.
After Saturday’s spring game, Alvarez said his younger brother, James, would be negatively impacted by the decision.
“I feel like it’s a bad thing to do,” Alvarez said. “There’s a lot of kids like me, coming out of the DFW area and out of Texas — a really highly recruited area — and we get overlooked a lot. Those little camps really help a lot to show that we are good and we have skills.
“My parents took me on the road every summer, we went to about 10 different camps, and I’m so thankful for them taking me out there and doing that. They’re starting to take my brother out to the same camps if we can still.”
The younger Alvarez will be a junior next season.
SOONERS HOOPS TEAM HONORED
In the first quarter of Saturday’s game, Oklahoma’s men’s basketball team was honored at midfield.
was holding the John R. Wooden Award, which he won Friday night in Los Angeles.
held the West Regional trophy.
Also among the group of players on the field was junior center
Manyang missed the Sooners’ final four games after the death of his brother in Minnesota.