Spring football under way
Reina Lyons, The Oklahoma Daily
Freshman quarterback Blake Bell takes a snap during a spring scrimmage Monday. Bell redshirted last season. (Reina Lyons/The Daily)
It’s time for spring football.
“Time to get out of the weight room and play some football,” OU coach Bob Stoops said during a press conference Monday to kick off the Sooners’ spring action.
With the spring game right around the corner on April 16, the team is addressing some question marks.
Junior defensive back Jamell Fleming’s status is still uncertain for the fall due to off-field issues, and Stoops offered no further insight.
“Since he’s not here, I’m not going to talk about him,” he said. “I’m not sure whether I’m allowed to or not.”
In Fleming’s place, 5-foot-11-inch sophomore Aaron Colvin is slated to start at strong safety. He appeared at corner or special teams in all 14 games last season and started against Texas.
Although he has little experience at safety, Stoops said he believes the “experimental” move will be good for Colvin.
“The way that strong safety plays, in today’s world, the guy has to have corner-like ability, to be able to run and change direction, because of the nature of so many spread-out teams,” Stoops said.
Several other Sooner starters will miss spring action or have limited participation due to injuries and offseason surgeries.
All-Big 12 second team freshman fullback Trey Millard and junior tight end Trent Ratterree will both be out all spring recovering from shoulder surgeries.
Even though Millard won’t be ready until summer, Stoops said he wants to use the Columbia, Mo., native more next season.
“He’s one of the best players on our team. I would like to see us enhance more of what we do with him,” he said.
Freshman tailback Roy Finch, who missed the Fiesta Bowl with a stress fracture in his left foot, is expected to go, Stoops said.
Sophomore hybrid defensive end Ronnell Lewis also is expected to be active this spring after sustaining a neck injury during OU’s 48-20 Fiesta Bowl win over the Connecticut Huskies.
“We want to be smart on how much (action) we give [Lewis], but he went through the whole second half of our winter with no problems,” Stoops said.
Stoops raved about incoming tailback recruit Brandon Williams, who graduated from high school early for a head start in the program.
“He’s a very exciting guy to be around and coach — very, very competitive and tough,” Stoops said. “He’s got a bunch of talent, so he’s going to be an exciting guy to watch.”
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