Who will be the Sooners’ biggest attractions at Big 12 Media Days?
Football season is right around the corner.
Well, OU still has nearly two months before kicking off its season Sept. 2 against Arkansas State, but Big 12 Media Days is nearly here.
The annual gathering of the league’s coaches and several player representatives per team takes place July 12-13 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
OU beat writer Ryan Aber and columnists Jenni Carlson and Berry Tramel discuss which players we’re most looking forward to talking to in Arlington and which ones we wish would be there.
But there’s been plenty of activity on the football front in the lead-up to media days — Thad Turnipseed, Brent Venables’ right-hand man, abruptly departed last week, Baker Mayfield returned to Norman to host a youth football camp, and recruiting kept rolling along:
Which player are you most looking forward to talking to at Big 12 Media Day?
Carlson: Give me Danny Stutsman. The linebacker is likely the face of this defense heading into the season, and frankly, he’s become a face for the program. OU has thrown him out there, allowing him to interview other players and become a personality on program-produced video. So, I think he’ll be good in the media-day setting. Plus, Stutsman plays the position that’s most vital in Brent Venables’ defense. If the Sooners are going to be better defensively, the linebackers must be. That makes Stutsman a good combo: a topnotch talker who plays the defense’s most important role.
Tramel: I’m most looking forward to talking to Dillon Gabriel, because Central Florida is in Arlington on the same day. Gabriel was with the Knights for three years and is held in high esteem in Orlando. Before OU heads out to the SEC, it gets one year in the conference with UCF, including a Sooners-Knights game at Owen Field. The whole portal culture will create strange bedfellows, and Gabriel talking about the Knights, and the Knights talking about Gabriel could make for some interesting fodder.
Aber: I’ll take Drake Stoops. I know most of the talk of the offseason has been upgrading the defense, and rightfully so, but the Sooners have some pressing questions among the receiver group. OU has only two returning receivers — Stoops and Jalil Farooq — with more than eight catches last season. They lost not only Marvin Mims but also Brayden Willis, Eric Gray and Theo Wease. Stoops is one of the most fascinating players on the Sooners, going from walk-on to a key piece and fan favorite. His perspective of a lifetime of being in the middle of OU football — much of that with Brent Venables — is a unique one also.
Which other player do you wish would be there?
Tramel: I wish Dasan McCullough was coming to Arlington. I chatted a little with him back in January, and wow! Incredibly impressive and personable. McCullough will be a big-time team spokesman. If the Sooners have success, and McCullough turns into the player most believe he will, McCullough will become a major personality this season. I wish we were getting a head start on that in Arlington.
Carlson: If OU really interested in bringing the players who reporters want to talk with most, the Sooners would be bringing Peyton Bowen. The Denton Guyer High product is a huge deal in the metroplex, which would make him a big draw for that cadre of reporters. And for people covering OU, Bowen is a big deal for the future development of this defense. Add in the fact that he’s a great talker, and he’d be perfect at media days. OU would be breaking a mold by bringing a true freshman, but who cares? Bowen is the caliber of player worth doing things differently.
Aber: Both McCullough and Bowen would be fascinating to talk to, so zero argument with either of those. I’m going to go with someone with some experience in crimson and cream, though — Tyler Guyton. The massive offensive tackle (6-foot-7, 316 pounds) came on strong late last year and figures to play a much bigger role in Bill Bedenbaugh’s group this season. He’s personable and insightful, and sign me up for anyone with those two traits.