Two weeks into Oklahoma’s spring practices, quarterback Chandler Morris still hasn’t been released to TCU.
Lincoln Riley spoke to reporters Friday in a Zoom press conference, again expressing his disdain for intraconference transfers. New tight ends and H-backs coach Joe Jon Finley talked to reporters for the first time and both Riley and Finley gave updates on junior tight end/H-back Austin Stogner’s recovery from injury.
Here’s three takeaways from Riley and Finley’s press conferences:
Chandler Morris
Despite announcing his intention to transfer to TCU on Jan. 3, Morris has yet to be released by Riley. After Horned Frogs head coach Gary Patterson revealed that to media members on March 24, Riley gave reasoning for Morris’ hold in his own press conference days later, saying he believes intraconference transfers are unhealthy for college football.
However, on Friday, Riley touched on Morris’ situation once more, revealing the process has taken a toll on him mentally due to the bond the two built in Morris’ one season at OU. If released by the program, he would become the second Sooner quarterback to transfer in-conference under Riley’s tenure as head coach. Austin Kendall became the first to do so in 2019 when he joined West Virginia.
“Myself and most other college coaches, for years and years, have been against intraconference transfers,” Riley said. “The reason I eventually released Austin Kendall is because at the end of the day, I believed I should not be able to restrict somebody that earned their degree and that was a graduate.
“I didn’t like the fact that there was gonna be a transfer in-conference and be eligible … (but) the guy earned his degree. That’s no different than a coach. There isn’t a coach getting hired that hasn’t earned their degree. … If you’ve done your part in the classroom and earned a degree, I think that should give you some rights that other people shouldn’t have.
“There’s more transfer portal (players) than there are scholarships out there. (Intraconference transfers) will do nothing but increase that. I don’t think it’s good for leagues … I don’t think it’s good for the college game.”
Joe Jon Finley
Finley, hired as OU’s tight ends and H-backs on Jan. 19, participated in his first press conference since returning to Norman on Friday. A former Sooner tight end from 2003-07 and offensive grad assistant under former coach Bob Stoops from 2012-13, Finley returns to Oklahoma for what he called “one of the best jobs in the country.”
Finley inherits an experienced group of tight ends and H-backs, including redshirt senior Jeremiah Hall, senior Brayden Willis and Stogner. This spring, Finley is focused on getting acclimated to the program.
“You’ve gotta develop trust,” Finley said. “You’ve gotta prove to those guys that you’re here for them and you want the best for them and everything you’re going to do is to help them be successful on and off … This is a special group, they’ve all played in huge games, they know exactly what to do on the offense.”
Riley echoed Finley on his ability to become comfortable with the staff, saying he’s done a “nice job” with the players and coaches and he’s a “relationships guy.”
Finley grew up knowing he wanted to be a football coach. After stints with Ole Miss, Missouri and Texas A&M, he gets to work with Riley, who’s known for being one of the best offensive minds in college football.
“Everything that (Riley’s) done here speaks for itself,” Finley said. “This guy’s the best in the country at what he does and (I’m) just excited to get around here and learn a new system.”
Austin Stogner’s recovery
Stogner continues to rebuild strength after a quad injury sustained Nov. 7 against Kansas developed into a staph infection. The infection required surgery and cost him three games and 35 pounds.
“He’s been a little limited for us throughout spring,” Riley said. “It’s been kind of a slow return, and I wouldn’t say really a slow return off of his injury, but there’s just some natural ups and downs you’re gonna have with that thing that he’s going through right now.
“And so, we don’t have him full go for every practice. There’s some where he feels really good and does the whole deal, and then there’s some days where we’ve gotta back him off and even shut him down for a period of time. So it’s been a little bit back and forth."
Stogner caught 26 passes for 422 yards and three touchdowns across eight games in 2020. He averaged 16.2 yards per catch and was third on the team in total receiving yards, becoming a top target for quarterback Spencer Rattler.
Now after two seasons playing for Shane Beamer — who became South Carolina’s head coach in December — Stogner has a new tight ends coach to learn from in the recently hired Finley. Just two weeks into spring practice, Finley’s already noticing progress from his new pupil.
“We're trying to work on his total game,” Finley said. “We're still working on routes, releases, stems, all that good stuff that he loves, but he knows he's also gotta be able to put his hand in the dirt and be a complete tight end in the run game, pass game protection, all parts of it.
“And he embraces that and he takes notes when we're talking about passes, but he's taking even better notes when we're talking about the run game, because that's all about technique. He's got the body. He’s got the want to do it. Now it's all about the tools that you have and the tools that you can use to block these guys that are coming off the edge.”
