OU’s offensive line continues to take shape
NORMAN — Oklahoma’s offensive line is still a work in progress.
That has been the case all offseason following the departure of Creed Humphrey and Adrian Ealy. But with the Sooners set to kick off their 2021 campaign this Saturday against Tulane, head coach Lincoln Riley claims there are three virtual locks on the offensive line.
Riley confirmed on Tuesday that Tyrese Robinson will start at right tackle, Chris Murray will get the nod at right guard and Marquis Hayes will hold it down at left guard.
“I think we’re getting pretty close,” Riley said. “We’ve started to mess around with a few different lineups, certainly starting to narrow in.”
The remaining two spots on the line are still up for grabs, though. The biggest ongoing battle is at center, where Andrew Raym and Robert Congel are looking to replace Humphrey.
A starter at left tackle also hasn’t emerged yet. Erik Swenson, Anton Harrison and Wanya Morris are all competing for that honor.
While there are three confirmed starters on the offensive line so far for Week 1, Riley expects there to be movement on Saturday.
“I think we’ll try to play a few different lineups in this first game to get everybody out there on the field, see how they do in a game situation,” Riley said. “They’ve been productive. I like the mentality of the group. I’m excited to see them play.”
Sooner bloomer
It’s never too late to reinvent yourself. Justin Broiles was a rare bright spot during OU’s 63-28 loss to LSU in the 2019 College Football Playoff semifinal. The then-redshirt-sophomore safety racked up a career-high 11 tackles, setting the stage for what many people believed would be a strong 2020 campaign.
But that didn’t happen. Broiles tallied just six tackles in six games before missing the Sooners’ last five contests due to an undisclosed injury.
Now a redshirt senior, the Oklahoma City native is hoping to re-establish himself as a key piece to OU’s secondary.
“I want a Hall of Fame standard so I can measure myself up to the best,” Broiles said during a media session in April. “I’ve still got a long way to go. I still could take my game to a completely other level right now.”
That mindset translated onto the field this offseason, and defensive coordinator Alex Grinch acknowledged Broiles’ late bloom on Tuesday.
“Justin Broiles has had a tremendous spring football/fall camp,” Grinch said. “We talk about patience in this business. Sometimes you are rewarded for it. Sometimes you’re not... I told him this after spring – I’m not sure I expected him to have that type of progress like he’s had.”
OU announces team captains
OU announced its four team captains on Monday.
The Sooners’ two offensive captains are redshirt senior tight end/halfback Jeremiah Hall and redshirt sophomore quarterback Spencer Rattler.
Hall is a fifth-year veteran who has embraced his role as a glue guy, while Rattler is a Heisman Trophy frontrunner who’ll shoulder most of the offensive load this season.
“We try to keep (Rattler) focused on meeting his own and our expectations and him being a productive member of this team,” Riley said. “I think that’s why you saw that he was chosen as one of our captains. I think he’s done a good job of that.”
Meanwhile, OU’s two defensive captains are senior safety Pat Fields and redshirt senior linebacker Caleb Kelly.
Fields provides some much-need experience at free safety, making him a valuable piece to the defense. Kelly’s role won’t likely be as large this season, but his resiliency through two ACL injuries makes him an ideal player to represent OU football.
“For (Kelly) to stay here and want to be a part of this, I just think spoke volumes to how much he cares about this place,” Riley said. “He’s an Oklahoma guy. He’s a great example for all young players out there.”
Vaccination numbers
When asked about team vaccination numbers on Tuesday, Riley offered up a percentage for the first time this offseason.
“We’re, you know, 95-percent-plus vaccinated,” Riley said. “The staff is basically entirely vaccinated. You feel better because there is some degree of protection and because most of us have been through this a little bit.”
While most of the team is vaccinated, the Sooners are still proceeding with caution due to rising case numbers of the Delta variant.
“This Delta variant is obviously a serious deal,” Riley said. “Maybe some of that degree of security or comfort that we all felt there for a while has started to be diminished a little bit... So we’re, honestly closer right now from a protocol standpoint to where we were last year than maybe I thought we would be right now.”
Justin Martinez can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or @JTheSportsDude on Twitter. Make sure to subscribe to The Oklahoman to stay up to date with all local sports.