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March 29, 2013 | Spring Football Central | Football Notebook | Roster | Twitter

Safety Dance

Defensive coordinator Mike Stoops is also serving as the position coach for the Sooner safeties in 2013 after coaching the entire secondary last season. While replacing an All-Big 12 performer like at free safety Tony Jefferson won't be an easy task, Stoops has liked what he's seen in the secondary and particularly at the safety position this spring.

"They cover a lot of space on the field," Stoops said of the OU safeties. "They're big long guys, and it's probably the biggest group I've ever coached per position. There's a lot of length and a lot of speed in those guys. Quentin Hayes can really run. I think athleticism-wise we look the part. Whether we can make the plays we need to will be determined at a later date."

Julian Wilson will be one of the candidates to work at the nickel back position this year. At 6-2, 191 pounds, Wilson fits the physical bill that Stoops is seeking in the secondary.

"Like Coach Mike (Stoops) says, we're long and fast, so we need to make plays," Wilson explained. "The plays I didn't make last year, they will be made this year. It's really a mindset. Last year, I was probably thinking too much on the field. This year, I just have to know my assignment and go out there and make plays."

After working at nickel last season, senior Gabe Lynn is working at free safety in spring drills along with converted wide receiver Trey Franks. Lynn says the free safety spot feels "more natural and instinctive." Stoops has been pleases with what he's seen thus far from both Lynn and Wilson.

"I like what Gabe Lynn and Julian Wilson have done," he said. "Those guys and Aaron Colvin, you can really see the maturity and the maturation of those guys as players from last year to this year. They're just so much more confident and so much better as players. I think they all have benefited from playing. We have a lot of experience in the secondary. (Strong safety) Quentin Hayes has played well, too."

All-Big 12 cornerback Colvin agrees with Stoops' assessment of Wilson and Lynn.

"Julian Wilson, I've been really impressed with him," Colvin said. "He's stepped up. He's gotten a lot more comfortable. Gabe Lynn looks really natural back there at safety."

Miami Vice

Freshman Ahmad Thomas has been working at the strong safety spot this spring along with Quentin Hayes. Thomas prepped at Miami Central High School, where he helped lead his squad to the Florida Class 6A Championship two of his final three seasons. While there is still much to learn, he has already made a positive impression on Stoops as an early enrollee.

"He's a big, strong, physical guy," Stoops said of Thomas. "He's played in Miami his whole life, so coming up here and playing in Oklahoma isn't any big deal to him. He's got the maturity that you don't see in a lot of high school kids his age, so he has a physical presence about him and he moves around the field and his instincts take over, and that's what you like to see. You coach people how to play things and how to see things, and then they have to be able to go out there and make plays and get in position to make plays, and it comes pretty natural to him."

When asked this week if there was any possibility of moving Thomas to another position to help the Sooners' depth on defense, Stoops quickly dismissed that notion.

"You can't move a guy that young," he said. "You have to teach him one position. He can do a lot of different things, and eventually he can do a lot of different things for us as physical as he is. It depends on things, but right now we need safety help, too."

Thomas has also impressed a pair of veteran teammates, Aaron Colvin and Julian Wilson.

"Ahmad Thomas has played well," Colvin said. "Ahmad has really done a nice job with coming in here and picking things up."

"I feel like the young guys are coming in and learning and are going to make an impact," added Wilson. "I really like what I've seen from Ahmad Thomas."

Podcast Highlights

Earlier this week, head coach Bob Stoops participated in an ESPNU College Football Podcast with ESPN senior writer Ivan Maisel (click here to listen). Stoops has enjoyed working for the same university president (David L. Boren) and athletic director (Joe Castiglione) since his arrival at OU in 1999, a rare feat of stability in collegiate athletics today.

Stoops talked about the importance of the support provided by the OU administration in terms his fellow Youngstown, Ohio, native Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini would appreciate.

"It is just like when you are going into a street fight, which is when you are going into a season with the other big teams in your conference, and you want to have the same stick everyone else has or close to it," Stoops told Maisel. "If I am an athlete being recruited, I want to go to a place that is going to support me in the best way in terms of education, living quarters, dining, etc. In the end, you want to be able to recruit these players like other teams you are expected to beat."

Beginning this fall, few (if any) institutions around the country will be able to rival Headington Hall on the Oklahoma campus. The $75 million facility is scheduled to house approximately 400 students beginning for the fall 2013 semester.

While 51 percent of Headington's population will be students from the general OU population, the other 49 percent will represent all of OU's incoming class of student-athletes in all sports. In addition, Headington Hall will feature the Sam Bradford Training Table. This state-of-the-art dining facility will fulfill the dietary and nutritional needs of all OU student-athletes, not just the residents of Headington Hall, in a vastly expanded modern space.

While first-class facilities are important to attracting world-class student-athletes, Stoops left no doubt about the most fulfilling part of his routine.

"The best part of the day is going to practice, going to meetings and interacting with the players," he added on the ESPNU podcast. "The young energy and excitement and even the good-hearted mischievousness is entertaining and fun and in a way it keeps you young being around them every day."

FRIDAY'S PRACTICE
The Sooners practiced outside for the fourth time this spring and seventh time overall. Here's the latest:

Photo Gallery (63 photos)
Video

Spring Practice Report No. 7
Video

Mic'd Up: Coach Mike Stoops
Oklahoma Drill at Practice

INSTAGRAM P.O.T.D.
The Sooners participated in the Oklahoma Drill for the second time this spring. Check us out on Instagram at @ou_football:

FRIDAY NOTEBOOK
Friday's practice featured the one and only Oklahoma drill. Following special teams work, the team worked for approximately 45 minutes in a "controlled scrimmage" situation on Owen Field with a live play clock.
The team is off for Easter weekend and will return to the practice field on Tuesday when our "Mic'd Up" segment will feature co-offensive coordinator Jay Norvell.

SOONER SAFETIES
RS Senior Gabe Lynn | Bio
Projected to work at free safety in 2013.
Played in 31 career games with 12 starts, totaling 59 tackles, 4.5 TFL, six PBU and a fumble recovery.
Played in every game in 2012 with 10 starts, racking up 37 tackles, 2.5 TFL and three PBU.

RS Jr. Julian Wilson | Bio
Projected to play at nickel back in 2013.
Played in all 13 games with two starts in 2012, totaling 31 tackles, 2.0 TFL and five PBUs.
Career-high six tackles at West Virginia (11/17/12).
Two-time Academic All-Big 12.

RS Jr. Quentin Hayes | Bio
Projected to play strong safety in 2013.
Saw duty in eight games as a redshirt freshman in 2011.
A four-star recruit (ESPN) out of Lancaster HS in Lancaster, Texas.

Fr. Ahmad Thomas | Bio
Early enrollee out of Miami Central HS in Florida.
Leader of a prep team that won the Florida 6A Championship two out of the last three years.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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Twitter: @OU_Football
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SPRING CENTRAL
Track all of our spring football content from analysis to video and photos in Spring Football Central, as well as a practice schedule:

Spring Central | Schedule

QUOTABLE

Senior CB Aaron Colvin
"It took adjusting (to a leadership role) at first, but that's what the winter was for. I tried to step up during winter workouts so that when I came out here this spring it would come easy. I'm just having to step back into it like I did in high school, so it's been good and it's been fun, but I'm ready for the season to start."