Broyles' draft status not in jeopardy, Stoops says

During his weekly press conference Tuesday afternoon, OU coach Bob Stoops said senior wide receiver Ryan Broyles’ ACL tear was clear and no other parts of the knee seem to be damaged, which is good news for Broyles’ NFL draft hopes.

Once the swelling goes down in Broyles’ knee, he will have surgery and begin the rehabilitation process to be ready for NFL Combine events and individual workouts with NFL teams.

But Stoops said he isn’t worried the injury would hurt Broyles’ draft status.

“I believe he has a huge body of work that’s impressive,” he said.

Stoops said he’s heard from one NFL general manager that teams know what Broyles is capable of and missing the last few games this season doesn’t change that.

Although Broyles’ future remains bright, the Sooners still are faced with filling the hole the senior leaves in OU’s offense. Stoops said Broyles’ versatility to play in the slot, move to different positions in various formations and his punt returns makes replacing the Norman native difficult.

“For a guy that isn’t so big in stature, it is a big presence to replace,” Stoops said.

He said the remaining receivers — mainly senior Dejuan Miller and sophomores Jaz Reynolds, Kenny Stills and Trey Franks — have their work cut out for them.

“These guys will need to pick up their leadership and toughness to stay on the field more,” Stoops said. “They will need to make the kind of plays that Ryan has been making.”

James Corley

James is a former staff member of The Oklahoma Daily who worked as Sports Reporter, Sports Editor, Night Editor, Sports Reporter, Inside the Huddle Editor, Managing Editor and Sports Reporter.