Completed Event: Football versus Illinois State on August 30, 2025 , Win , 35, to, 3
Final
Football
35
vs Illinois State
3
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Preview: 2009 Oklahoma Offense
April 08, 2009 | Football
NORMAN, Okla. -- The calendar read January, yet the moment felt so much like February
that the question made perfect sense.
Bob Stoops had just announced that Sam Bradford, Jermaine Gresham, Gerald McCoy and Trent Williams were bypassing the NFL Draft to remain in school when a reporter asked, "Bob, have you ever had a better signing day this?"
The Oklahoma coach smiled at the irony of the question, looked at the ceiling and said, "No, I guess not."
No indeed. Rare are the days, whether they fall during February's national signing period or not, when a coach knowingly retains the services of a Heisman Trophy winner, three All-Americans and four All-Big 12 players.
But more than playing accolades, Stoops knew that the group of four also represented a pair of team captains (Bradford and McCoy) and the cornerstone on which a team can be built.
Now the Sooners look toward 2009 with a good chunk of its Big 12 Championship and BCS title game team still intact. New faces will be introduced along the offensive line, at wide receiver and in the secondary, but those are manageable holes, the kind often opened by graduation.
That turnover was anticipated and recruiting and playing time were allocated in such a way as to mitigate them. At all of those positions, younger players are poised to step forward.
The stage is set then for Oklahoma, the only program to win back-to-back Big 12 crowns, to shoot for an amazing fourth in a row while also battling for its fifth BCS Championship Game appearance in Stoops' 11 seasons.
For the glass-half-empty folks, the talk with focus on the offensive line and wide receiver, and even the negative Nellies can be forgiven for such musings. With four starters gone from the line and two at receiver, they are positions worth watching. Still, the glass-half-full crowd will point to the likes of Bradford, Chris Brown, Ryan Broyles, Matt Clapp, Gresham, Williams and a bevy of running backs and wonder why anyone would worry.
The 2008 offense was arguably the most potent in the history of college football and it would be hard to expect that standard early in the season. Still, there is a reasonable expectation that those who return can play at an even higher level and that those who will assume more prominent roles are gifted enough to put up another set of big numbers.
Sam Bradford returns as one of the most accurate quarterbacks ever to play the college game. He'll spend the off-season honing his ability to read defenses while also looking to add strength and weight.
Otherwise, the Sooners will focus on Bradford's backups. Gone is Joey Halzle, who was in that role for the last two seasons, but back is Landry Jones, who redshirted last season. Jones' attributes aren't totally unlike those of Bradford and coaches will look to get him snaps as opportunities present themselves.
The only other scholarship quarterback on the roster will be true freshman Drew Allen, who enrolled at OU in January.
Bringing back one 1,000-yard rusher is nice. Bringing back two is unheard of, but that is precisely the situation at Oklahoma. DeMarco Murray spent most of the season as the team's top rusher, but was injured on the opening kickoff of the Big 12 Championship game and did not play again. He finished with 1,002 rushing yards, but was eclipsed over those final two games by Chris Brown, who ended the season at 1,220.
The return of those two alone would be enough to keep most coaching staffs happy, but Oklahoma also returns its No. 3 rusher from a year ago in Mossis Madu, who piled up 475 yards and six touchdowns.
The only other running back who played in 2008 was Justin Johnson and he will be back for his sophomore season. He'll be joined by redshirt freshman Jermie Calhoun and true freshman Jonathan Miller. The fullback position is strong with Matt Clapp and Brody Eldridge, both of whom have been All-Big 12. Marshall Musil, a player similar in style and stature, is a true freshman with promise.
Oklahoma lost a couple of fixtures in Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson, who, by catches, finished No. 2 and No. 9, respectively, in career receptions at OU. That means the Sooners will look to new faces at the outside positions.
Candidates include juniors Brandon Caleb and Adron Tennell and sophomores Dejuan Miller and Jameel Owens. The latter two were part of a decorated receiver recruiting class in 2008. In the slot, elusive Ryan Broyles returns. It is not out of the question that Broyles could move to the outside.
The coaching staff will experiment with running back Mossis Madu in the slot this spring. The outcome of that work could determine what kind of flexibility exists. Newcomers at receiver include junior college transfer Cameron Kenney and high school product Jaz Reynolds.
The tight end position is in capable hands with Jermaine Gresham, the pre-season favorite for the Mackey Award, Brody Eldridge, junior Erik Mensik and sophomores Trent Ratterree and James Hanna. Incoming freshman Gabe Ikard joins the team in the fall.
With four starters, all of whom were invited to the NFL Combine, gone, there will be an overhaul across Oklahoma's offensive line. The cornerstone is tackle Trent Williams. An All-Big 12 player at right tackle last season, he will move to the left side for the 2009 season. He was considered by some the top performer on last year's offensive line.
Look for Donald Stephenson also to compete at that position. At Williams' vacated tackle spot, Cory Brandon and LSU transfer Jarvis Jones will be among those hoping to land the starting job.
At left guard, OU is looking to replace two-time All-American Duke Robinson. Brian Simmons, who made a start at left guard last season, is one candidate while Colorado State transfer Brian Lepak is another. The coaches hold Simmons in very high regard and view him as a returning starter in some ways due to his immense amount of playing time.
The right guard spot could wind up in good hands, literally. Stephen Good played sparingly last season as a true freshman and has been projected as a bright prospect since the day he signed. Alex Williams is another who figures to make a push.
The center position presents another opportunity. The Sooners are faced with the prospect of replacing four-year starter Jon Cooper. There is no way the team can match that kind of experience, but redshirt freshman Ben Habern and transfer Brian Lepak are bright prospects.
Oklahoma signed a pair of junior college recruits in the February signing period and both have the potential to get on the field this season. Jeff Vinson is a tackle while Tavaris Jeffries is a guard. From the high school ranks, OU added Josh Aladenoye and Tyler Evans. Their roles will be determined once they are on campus.
There is no disputing the quality and experience that the Sooners lost from their offensive line. Those players were part of two, and in some cases, three Big 12 Championships. The mitigating factor is the quality of what remains to step forward. The coaching staff likes the current cast and the opportunity for another bumper season.
- - - - - - -
Coming on Thursday...
Preview the 2009 Oklahoma defense and special teams. | 2009 OU Spring Football Central
Bob Stoops had just announced that Sam Bradford, Jermaine Gresham, Gerald McCoy and Trent Williams were bypassing the NFL Draft to remain in school when a reporter asked, "Bob, have you ever had a better signing day this?"
The Oklahoma coach smiled at the irony of the question, looked at the ceiling and said, "No, I guess not."
No indeed. Rare are the days, whether they fall during February's national signing period or not, when a coach knowingly retains the services of a Heisman Trophy winner, three All-Americans and four All-Big 12 players.
But more than playing accolades, Stoops knew that the group of four also represented a pair of team captains (Bradford and McCoy) and the cornerstone on which a team can be built.
Now the Sooners look toward 2009 with a good chunk of its Big 12 Championship and BCS title game team still intact. New faces will be introduced along the offensive line, at wide receiver and in the secondary, but those are manageable holes, the kind often opened by graduation.
That turnover was anticipated and recruiting and playing time were allocated in such a way as to mitigate them. At all of those positions, younger players are poised to step forward.
The stage is set then for Oklahoma, the only program to win back-to-back Big 12 crowns, to shoot for an amazing fourth in a row while also battling for its fifth BCS Championship Game appearance in Stoops' 11 seasons.
 |
The Offense |
For the glass-half-empty folks, the talk with focus on the offensive line and wide receiver, and even the negative Nellies can be forgiven for such musings. With four starters gone from the line and two at receiver, they are positions worth watching. Still, the glass-half-full crowd will point to the likes of Bradford, Chris Brown, Ryan Broyles, Matt Clapp, Gresham, Williams and a bevy of running backs and wonder why anyone would worry.
The 2008 offense was arguably the most potent in the history of college football and it would be hard to expect that standard early in the season. Still, there is a reasonable expectation that those who return can play at an even higher level and that those who will assume more prominent roles are gifted enough to put up another set of big numbers.
|
Quarterbacks |
Sam Bradford returns as one of the most accurate quarterbacks ever to play the college game. He'll spend the off-season honing his ability to read defenses while also looking to add strength and weight.
Otherwise, the Sooners will focus on Bradford's backups. Gone is Joey Halzle, who was in that role for the last two seasons, but back is Landry Jones, who redshirted last season. Jones' attributes aren't totally unlike those of Bradford and coaches will look to get him snaps as opportunities present themselves.
The only other scholarship quarterback on the roster will be true freshman Drew Allen, who enrolled at OU in January.
|
Running Backs |
Bringing back one 1,000-yard rusher is nice. Bringing back two is unheard of, but that is precisely the situation at Oklahoma. DeMarco Murray spent most of the season as the team's top rusher, but was injured on the opening kickoff of the Big 12 Championship game and did not play again. He finished with 1,002 rushing yards, but was eclipsed over those final two games by Chris Brown, who ended the season at 1,220.
The return of those two alone would be enough to keep most coaching staffs happy, but Oklahoma also returns its No. 3 rusher from a year ago in Mossis Madu, who piled up 475 yards and six touchdowns.
The only other running back who played in 2008 was Justin Johnson and he will be back for his sophomore season. He'll be joined by redshirt freshman Jermie Calhoun and true freshman Jonathan Miller. The fullback position is strong with Matt Clapp and Brody Eldridge, both of whom have been All-Big 12. Marshall Musil, a player similar in style and stature, is a true freshman with promise.
|
Receivers |
Oklahoma lost a couple of fixtures in Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson, who, by catches, finished No. 2 and No. 9, respectively, in career receptions at OU. That means the Sooners will look to new faces at the outside positions.
Candidates include juniors Brandon Caleb and Adron Tennell and sophomores Dejuan Miller and Jameel Owens. The latter two were part of a decorated receiver recruiting class in 2008. In the slot, elusive Ryan Broyles returns. It is not out of the question that Broyles could move to the outside.
The coaching staff will experiment with running back Mossis Madu in the slot this spring. The outcome of that work could determine what kind of flexibility exists. Newcomers at receiver include junior college transfer Cameron Kenney and high school product Jaz Reynolds.
The tight end position is in capable hands with Jermaine Gresham, the pre-season favorite for the Mackey Award, Brody Eldridge, junior Erik Mensik and sophomores Trent Ratterree and James Hanna. Incoming freshman Gabe Ikard joins the team in the fall.
|
Offensive Line |
With four starters, all of whom were invited to the NFL Combine, gone, there will be an overhaul across Oklahoma's offensive line. The cornerstone is tackle Trent Williams. An All-Big 12 player at right tackle last season, he will move to the left side for the 2009 season. He was considered by some the top performer on last year's offensive line.
Look for Donald Stephenson also to compete at that position. At Williams' vacated tackle spot, Cory Brandon and LSU transfer Jarvis Jones will be among those hoping to land the starting job.
At left guard, OU is looking to replace two-time All-American Duke Robinson. Brian Simmons, who made a start at left guard last season, is one candidate while Colorado State transfer Brian Lepak is another. The coaches hold Simmons in very high regard and view him as a returning starter in some ways due to his immense amount of playing time.
The right guard spot could wind up in good hands, literally. Stephen Good played sparingly last season as a true freshman and has been projected as a bright prospect since the day he signed. Alex Williams is another who figures to make a push.
The center position presents another opportunity. The Sooners are faced with the prospect of replacing four-year starter Jon Cooper. There is no way the team can match that kind of experience, but redshirt freshman Ben Habern and transfer Brian Lepak are bright prospects.
Oklahoma signed a pair of junior college recruits in the February signing period and both have the potential to get on the field this season. Jeff Vinson is a tackle while Tavaris Jeffries is a guard. From the high school ranks, OU added Josh Aladenoye and Tyler Evans. Their roles will be determined once they are on campus.
There is no disputing the quality and experience that the Sooners lost from their offensive line. Those players were part of two, and in some cases, three Big 12 Championships. The mitigating factor is the quality of what remains to step forward. The coaching staff likes the current cast and the opportunity for another bumper season.
- - - - - - -
Coming on Thursday...
Preview the 2009 Oklahoma defense and special teams. | 2009 OU Spring Football Central
Brent Venables Media Availability - 9/9/25
Tuesday, September 09
Ben Arbuckle Media Availability - 9/9/25
Tuesday, September 09
Sooner Sports Talk - 9/8/25
Monday, September 08
Sooner Football With Brent Venables - 9/7/25
Sunday, September 07
