Who might benefit from coaching change?
NORMAN — When Lincoln Riley explained why he fired Mike Stoops, he kept circling back to two reasons: the need for a new voice, and a new spark.
Ruffin McNeill is now the voice of Oklahoma’s defense, and with the change could come opportunities for players who might not have clicked with Stoops. The former defensive coordinator admitted to not always meshing with players.
“Certainly being able to connect and have a relationship with them is part of it,” Riley said. “And part of it, let’s be real, too, part of it comes down to success on the field and the confidence that breeds. Players being able to really understand what you’re talking about and if I do this here’s the results that follow with that. I think as coaches we all kind of face our own challenges that way. Players are different now.”
Oklahoma and its 97thranked defense have reached the season’s halfway point. It’s not clear if McNeill’s voice will resonate with players in a way Stoops’ did not. It’s also unclear which players could benefit from the leadership change.
“We’re always going to try to find the best players on the field,” Riley said. “There’s no doubt about that. You’ve got some coaches in new positions who may evaluate guys a little bit differently.”
Here are Sooners who might find themselves in better positions under McNeill:
Tre Brown, cornerback
Oklahoma has employed a three-man cornerback rotation with junior Parnell MotleyandsophomoresTre Norwood and Tre Brown, yet Brown is the only one who hasn’t notched a start.
“I mean, there's really no starter,” Brown said before the Texas game. “We're gonna all do our job. Whoever gets that chance, we're gonna do what we do best.”
Yet a solid chunk of Sooner fans are yearning for Brown to play more. The 5-foot-10 corner from Tulsa Union has arguably been OU’s most dynamic defensive back when the ball is in the air. He’s second on the team behind Motley with four pass breakups.
“Tre will always be involved,” Stoops said before his dismissal. “We have three corners that we play a consistent amount with all three of those guys. He’s certainly going to be in the rotation.”
Under McNeill, he could be a bigger part of that rotation.
Brendan Radley-Hiles, defensive back
"It's different when you love the coach you playin for."
By crafting that tweet, Brendan Radley-Hiles seemed to be the only player who publicly took a jab at Stoops after his firing. The freshman has started every game for the Sooners, but something might have soured between him and Stoops. Production hasn’t quite matched the hype surrounding the former five-star prospect, but his career is just six games old. Radley-Hiles is seventh on the team with 28 tackles.
He’s broken up two passes and has made one tackle for a loss.
“I think you’ll just see constant improvement,” McNeill said. “A lot of times expectations are put on certain players and people, but Bookie’s handled it well and I think he’ll keep handling it the older he gets. He’s still a young player. We have a lot of confidence in Bookie, the team does, and we do as a staff.”
Levi Draper, linebacker
Levi Draper has played in all six games, but his role has been minimal. For those waiting on the redshirt freshman from Collinsville to emerge as an in-state star for the Sooners, the wait might be a while.
"He's still in the mix,” McNeill said. “His mentality's been great. We'll keep preparing him and getting him ready to go. I think being injured last year put him behind a little bit, but we like Levi. I think Levi can be a good player in time."
Draper was the No. 2 prospect in the state in the 2017 class behind OU defensive back Justin Broiles. Draper redshirted last season after suffering a torn labrum in August 2017.
Caleb Kelly, linebacker
Kelly’s career arc took an unexpected dip this season. The former five-star prospect moved from outside linebacker to inside linebacker, where Curtis Bolton beat him for a starting job.
Kelly played as a reserve in OU’s first two games before being held out against Iowa State and Army. It was after the Iowa State game when Riley and Stoops mentioned Kelly as a possible redshirt candidate.
It was a surprising announcement about a junior who started 19 games in his first two seasons. Kelly has since played in Oklahoma’s last two games, and with one more appearance he’ll be ineligible to redshirt.
McNeill seemed open to the idea of trying Kelly out in different spots.
"I'll probably do some other things,” McNeill said. “Caleb's a great young man. I'm glad he's here. Love coaching him, being around him.”