Robert Congel had few — if any — reasons not to come to Oklahoma.
The former Texas A&M walk-on played his last three seasons at Arizona and built a relationship with OU running backs coach DeMarco Murray, who held the same position for the Wildcats in 2019. And Congel’s family friend Scott Case, a former Sooner safety who played 12 seasons in the NFL, used to share memories of his time in Norman.
But ultimately, Congel said in a Wednesday press conference that the chance to play for offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, one of the best in the business, drew him to Norman even more than his connections. Despite starting all five of Arizona’s games at guard last season, the redshirt senior was looking for a better role and found it, eventually committing to OU on Jan. 23.
“When Coach (Bedenbaugh) gives you the opportunity to come to Oklahoma, you don’t pass that up,” Congel said, speaking to reporters for the first time as a Sooner. “It was an easy choice and I'm really glad I made it.”
Congel said he’s finally settling into Norman and beginning to build chemistry in his position group. He said other transfers like ex-Tennessee o-lineman Wanya Morris and 2020 arrival Chris Murray from UCLA have helped him find his footing in head coach Lincoln Riley’s offense.
Practicing against a stacked defensive line of redshirt senior Isaiah Thomas, senior Perrion Winfrey, redshirt sophomore Jalen Redmond and redshirt junior Nik Bonitto, among others, has also benefited Congel this spring. Perhaps Sooner fans will get a glimpse of that when red faces white in Oklahoma’s April 24 spring game.
Currently, Congel is amid a battle to replace center Creed Humphrey, who declared for the NFL draft after being named Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year in two-straight seasons. Murray, redshirt senior Ian McIver, redshirt freshman Nate Anderson and sophomore Andrew Raym are among the other contenders to replace Humphrey. Raym, who also spoke to reporters for the first time Wednesday, said he’s been taking snaps at center with the first team offense in practice.
“Playing center, it’s been great. You're forced to really take a deep dive into the offense,” Congel said. “You learn it like the back of your hand, and that's been going pretty well. I'd say the biggest thing with that is I played guard last year, but just throughout my career I've been bumping around (at) center, guard, right guard, left guard, so it's nothing new. It’s just getting back settled into a center role, but wherever they need me here, I'm going to play it.”
Regardless of whether he plays center, Congel has the opportunity to carve out a role on OU’s offensive line. His versatility is something not all of the Sooners’ blockers possess, and his knowledge of playbooks from three different schools gives him a wider range of offensive understanding compared to some teammates.
Those two qualities make him a valuable asset should Oklahoma deal with injuries or COVID-19 during the 2021 season. Furthermore, the Sooners are looking to return to dominance after last winning the Joe Moore Award for the nation’s top o-line in 2018.
“It gives us some flexibility,” Riley said about landing Congel on Feb. 3. “I think he was looking for an opportunity to come to a place like Oklahoma and have a chance to compete for championships, and so we had what he was looking for and he had what we were looking for.”
