Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler has a method for coping with tough days of practice.
He’ll go home afterward, and try to take his mind off the struggles, although he admits when he does mess up it ruins the rest of his day. But resolve kicks in later, as he says he’s determined to “go in the next day and be better.”
“Everybody does that differently, but I’ve definitely had some experience with that, and I feel like I’m getting better and better at that,” Rattler said of handling failure during a Wednesday press conference, 10 days ahead of OU’s season opener.
Rattler’s ability to rebound from mistakes last season proved crucial to the Sooners’ turnaround from a 1-2 start to a Big 12 title. Ahead of the 2021 slate, Oklahoma has national championship expectations and Rattler’s the Heisman Trophy favorite. Those expectations require more of Rattler than is asked of plenty of other college players.
“I would just say the toughest thing — it just comes with being in this position — is just staying on your P's and Q's at all times,” Rattler said. Being in such a light you have to be doing everything right, and that's something I take very seriously. You can't be a normal college kid, so that's probably the toughest thing, but everything else you just live life and have fun.”
Rattler’s no stranger to the spotlight, having been the most accomplished high school quarterback in Arizona history and starring in the Netflix series “QB1: Beyond the Lights” before coming to OU. He seems to be handling the latest round of expectations well, too.
“There's no pressure at all,” Rattler said. “That's what we worried too much on last year was pressure and expectations and all that stuff. We’ve just got to go out, play ball and do our job, and that's really what it comes down to.”
***
Junior linebacker David Ugwoegbu during practice March 24.
David Ugwoegbu wants to put on a show this season.
The junior linebacker said the Sooners are extremely ready to begin their 2021 campaign, which kicks off Sept. 4 against Tulane in New Orleans. Ugwoegbu believes OU’s increased desire to get back on the field stems from the team having a full offseason. Oklahoma didn’t hold spring or summer camps in 2020 due to COVID-19 precautions.
“I feel way more comfortable,” Ugwoegbu said. “And I feel extremely more confident out there. … This is my second year and I’ve been through a whole offseason, so now I feel like I can start taking more of a leader role. I'm focusing on learning the position and perfecting the position and everything.
“This isn’t my first year here anymore. I know this game, I know what I need to do.”
Ugwoegbu said he’s also excited for full capacity crowds to return to Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Him and the upperclassmen Sooners have been trying to get the team’s newcomers ready for that experience, but he thinks they’ll need to experience it firsthand to fully understand it.
On top of that, the team’s veterans are looking to instill high work ethic values into OU’s new faces. Senior safety Delarrin Turner-Yell said he and fellow senior safety Pat Fields have prioritized this summer, and he credited Fields with taking on that responsibility when he missed spring camp due to an undisclosed injury.
“He’s one of the leaders of the defense,” Turner-Yell said of Fields, who was the Sooners’ defensive team captain last fall. “He always kept guys uplifted and kept in high spirits. When a young guy comes off the field, if (Fields) notices they made a mistake or anything like that,, he corrects them (and) helps them out from that standpoint.”
Fields isn’t OU’s only player known to speak up. Both Turner-Yell and Ugwoegbu said that’s a result of defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s motivation.
“Every day, before we go back to practice, he’ll have (advice) to give us, “Turner-Yell said. “He'll get in front of the whole defense and talk to us. And if you're not inspired after that, then you're not in the right sport. There hasn't been a single day that he hasn't gotten us fired up."
***
Redshirt senior offensive lineman Marquis Hayes during practice March 24.
When OU’s offensive line won the prestigious Joe Moore Award — presented annually to the best unit in the nation — in 2018, Marquis Hayes was just a developing redshirt freshman. Future NFL draft picks Cody Ford, Bobby Evans, Dru Samia, Ben Powers and Creed Humphrey were ahead of Hayes, who eventually grew into a two year starter and is likely to reprise that role this fall.
Humphrey, the last member of that 2018 line, was drafted by Kansas City in the spring. Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has reloaded the group during fall camp and Hayes says he and position mates are starting to develop chemistry akin to the 2018 group’s connection.
“I feel like since fall camp has started and ended, from the beginning to the end, we look very different, but I feel like we know each other's tendencies,” Hayes said. “We know what we need to do and what we don't need to do with each other, and I feel like we’ll keep going. With the depth we have also, it’s good because it's good competition still, so we're still competing right now for jobs and for spots so it's great depth.”
Sophomore Andrew Raym is expected to replace Humphrey at the starting center position and Hayes said the younger lineman is learning to become more of a vocal leader. Interestingly though, it’s fellow redshirt senior and projected starting tackle Tyrese Robinson who seems to best command the offensive line.
“His energy he brings every day, it's just like you just have to come along,” Hayes said of Robinson. “Like if you’re down, he will always bring you up, if it's a joke, if it’s a yell out ‘Come on,’ or him dancing, it’s just motivation or energy. Everybody’s playing for our leadership, but I feel like he's the guy that brings everybody along.”
