Trey Morrison hardly knew about Oklahoma’s football program but had always admired Brent Venables’ defensive success at Clemson.
The fifth-year defensive back transferred to OU on Jan. 17 after spending four seasons at North Carolina. Morrison was brought back to his high school relationships when the Sooners started recruiting him after he entered the portal on Dec. 31, a day after the Tar Heels’ loss to South Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
“Since high school, I’ve always been a fan of Clemson, Coach Venables and his defense and what he does,” Morrison said on Monday, his first time speaking at OU. “So I mean, when I hit the portal, and Oklahoma reached out, I just felt like it was a no brainer. Me and Coach (Ted) Roof had a great relationship in high school as well when he was at Georgia Tech. So, I just felt like it was the perfect opportunity for me to come in.”
Morrison brings much-needed experience to a defensive backs unit that lost three-year starters Delarrin Turner-Yell and Pat Fields at safety, and was plagued by inconsistent performances at cornerback.
Experience is what the Norcross, Georgia, native provides, with 163 tackles at his previous school and an All-ACC Honorable Mention choice in 2020. During his battle-tested career, Morrison started at cornerback, nickelback and safety in Chapel Hill, providing Oklahoma’s defense with versatility as he participates in his first spring practices in Norman.
“Love his mindset, love his attitude,” Venables said of Morrison. “He’s been really good. He’s a really good teammate. Just has a maturity about him, like you would hope a lot of the transfer guys do. He has showed up here with no entitlement whatsoever and is completely bought into what we’ve asked him to do.”
It shouldn’t take long for Morrison to assert his status as a veteran, either. His 42 starts line up against just 58 from the rest of the Sooners’ defensive backs combined.
Although Morrison has seen more game action than any of his position mates, he isn’t worried about what position he’ll play in 2022, but rather earning a spot period. However, he mentioned he’s done most of his practicing with Jay Valai, who oversees OU’s cornerbacks and nickelbacks.
“I mean you never know,” Morrison said on if he had a position set. “I’m just coming in and competing for a position. I feel like everybody’s trying to compete for a position. There (are) no guaranteed starters in spring football.”
Morrison suffered a left-hand injury during the 2021 season, and recently had a cleanup procedure to make sure he’s “100 percent” for the fall, he said. During spring practice, the 5-foot-9, 189-pound defender has been participating with a cast on his arm.
Playing with a cast is tough for defensive backs according to Venables, but that hasn’t been Morrison’s toughest transition. His greatest adjustment has been to the off-the-field differences, like OU’s historic success in football, compared to basketball’s prominence at North Carolina.
But now, Morrison feels part of the program after getting acclimated with his teammates.
“Coming into any situation new is kind of hard at first, just getting to know everybody,” Morrison said. “But, I mean, after I feel like I got to meet everybody and understanding how they are as people and on the field as well, I feel like I just mesh well with them.”
One of Morrison’s early established relationships is with sophomore defensive back Billy Bowman, who made starts at cornerback and nickelback last season. Bowman sees himself in Morrison, whereas Morrison sees Bowman as a younger version of himself, given their position versatility and ability to play as freshmen.
“He definitely carries himself as experienced,” Bowman said of Morrison. “Me and him (are) sometimes on the field together, and we got a good relationship off the field as well. So, getting to know Trey and getting to know him on and off the field has been good for me and I feel like chemistry is going to be there.”
Morrison hopes to use his adaptability learned from changing positions to help him as he heads into his first season with the Sooners. The newcomer is excited to finally play a role in Venables’ defense that he’s seen wreaking havoc from afar.
“He shows up with a consistent mindset (and) knows how to respond,” Venables said. “(He) Can quickly take a new language and translate it to what he understands in regards to football 101, and should expedite his development schematically. ... He’s a tough kid and plays fast.”
