Joe Jon Finley received an unexpected phone call this offseason.
On the other line was Austin Stogner, a former OU tight end in the transfer portal after spending last season at South Carolina.
Finley, who coached Stogner for a season in 2021, didn’t hesitate to bring back the 6-foot-6 target when Stogner requested to return to Norman.
“He wanted to be back here,” Finley said Monday. “I couldn't say yes fast enough. I know what kind of player he is. I had no hard feelings, you know. I was pulling for him when he was at South Carolina and could not be happier to have him back. He should have a big year.”
Finley and Oklahoma brought in Stogner to fill the production left behind by Brayden Willis, one of Stogner’s former teammates, who’s off to the 2023 NFL Draft.
Stogner is one of just a few tight ends available for spring camp, as second-year options Kaden Helms and Jason Llewellyn are battling injuries.
Finley said Stogner is on a ‘pitch count’ in order to keep him healthy with reduced options at the position. Behind Stogner is Texas A&M transfer Blake Smith, former Cameron University basketball player Josh Fanuiel and, temporarily, walk-on defensive lineman Hayden Bray.
“It's a challenge because you have to take care of the guys that are healthy,” Finley said. “We’re just trying to do a great job of getting those guys reps when they can and then whenever we can try to get some other personnel to try to (get in work) there.”
The situation has left a lot to be desired on offense, especially for second-year offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.
“I don’t feel great about it this spring,” Lebby said March 20. “I think that’s pretty obvious without some of these guys practicing. But we’ve gotta create it and the guys that aren’t getting the reps on the field, they gotta get all the mental reps and find ways to get better while not being on the field. If we do that, we’ll be in a good spot this fall.”
Last season, Stogner caught 20 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown with the Gamecocks. But the Plano, Texas, native’s best season came in 2020, when he caught 26 passes for 422 yards and three touchdowns with the Sooners.
While Finley said the fifth-year tight end is “extremely intelligent and knows football,” Stogner is still adjusting to Lebby’s tempo, which ranked No. 6 in average plays per game last season (78.4).
“It's totally different,” Stogner said. “At South Carolina we were huddling on a pro-style offense that was more spread out. And signal wise, we're running a lot faster. So, I gotta get used to the tempo (here).”
With Stogner, Finley is hoping to recreate what he had with Willis last season. Willis finished 2022 with a career-high 39 receptions, 514 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Finley thinks Stogner is an ample replacement.
“It's very hard (to replace Brayden Willis),” Finley said. “It helps having a guy like Stogner, you know, because he's a very similar type of player. They're both veterans.
"They know football, so you're not having to teach them the little details of the inside zone or pass blocking or whatever it is. They can just step out there. They know how to play the game.”
This story was edited by Austin Curtright and Colton Sulley.
