Big 12 Media Day Notebook

DALLAS – Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops headed to Dallas on Tuesday with players Jordan Evans, Baker Mayfield, Samaje Perine and Ahmad Thomas in tow to take part in the 2016 Big 12 Media Days at the Omni Hotel. Stoops and company addressed the media and fielded questions about the upcoming 2016 season.

Bob Stoops and Bob Bowlsby

NO TIME FOR A TUNE UP

OU's College Football Playoff hopes will be tested in week one of 2016. The Sooners open the season by taking on Houston at NRG Stadium, the home of the NFL's Houston Texans. The Cougars went 13-1 a year ago, winning the American Conference and ending the year with a 14-point win over Florida State in the Chik-Fil-A Peach Bowl. Houston enters 2016 ranked in the top 10 by most polls.

“I believe it's the right thing for college football and it's the right thing for our fans,” Stoops said of scheduling big-time non-conference opponents. “The fan base is excited about those challenges and it's got our team's attention. We need to be our best right from the start to go down to Houston, a team that beat Florida State by a couple touchdowns in their bowl game. This has been what we've done for 18 years. This isn't new to us.”

Just two weeks later OU must play host to one of the nation's most talented teams in Ohio State. The Buckeye's, coached by Urban Meyer, won the inaugural College Football Playoff in 2014 and narrowly missed making the final four again in 2015. The Buckeyes are tabbed as a top-five team entering the year, making the September 17 showdown in Norman one of college football's most anticipated games of 2016.

“I wouldn't say I see a difference in the way we're working because we always work hard, but you see a difference in the attitude. A lot of guys have been stepping up and being more focused."
- Ahmad Thomas

Oklahoma will get a week off to recharge after facing the Buckeyes before seeing conference contenders TCU and Texas in back-to-back weeks. OU's first five games will certainly set the tone for the 2016 season.

“We are definitely looking forward to that,” Evans said. “We have great competition early on and with the stadium being remodeled it will be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to getting out in front of the fans and having a great season.”

“I feel like we always work hard,” Thomas said. “I wouldn't say I see a difference in the way we're working because we always work hard, but you see a difference in the attitude. A lot of guys have been stepping up and being more focused.”

THE GRAND OPENING

Baker Mayfield, Jordan Evans, Samaje Perine and Ahmad Thomas having some fun during a Big 12 Media Days photo shoot.

Oklahoma's home opener will be extra special this season as it will be the Sooners' first game in a newly renovated Gaylord Family -- Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. On September 10 against Louisiana Monroe fans will get their first opportunity to see the new stadium upgrades.

The south endzone has been bowled in, increasing seating capacity to more than 83,000. Additionally the seating bowl will feature an expanded concourse, additional restrooms and concessions as well as other amenities. The new structure will feature 22 suites, 60 open-air loge boxes and 1,976 club seats. Club patrons will benefit from two new clubs.

Stoops and the players are chomping at the bit to experience the new Sooner atmosphere.

“We work out in the stadium,” Thomas said. “We run ramps and stadiums and sometimes we just go out to the middle of the field and stand in the sprinklers looking around like, 'dang'. The jumbotron is huge. It is going to be totally different. It's just so big. It's going to be a huge season.”

“Really looking forward to seeing the effect of the bowled stadium and the noise,” Stoops said. “The atmosphere will be different. I'm excited to show our players here in a couple weeks and to walk them into the middle of it. It's just really exciting.”

“Just hearing the echoes from the machines going around, you can tell it's going to be a lot louder,” Perine said. “I'm excited for that the most. It got pretty loud last year, but with it bowled in it is going to be so much louder.”

LOOKING FOR NEW VOICES

The Sooners return a healthy chunk of their starters from their Playoff run a year ago, but the players they lost were not only productive, but were also vocal leaders for the team. Zack Sanchez, Sterling Shepard, Eric Striker and Charles Tapper will all be missed in the locker room.

Fortunately for Oklahoma, the returning talent is ready to step into those roles to fill the void. Perhaps the most obvious candidate is 2015 Heisman candidate Baker Mayfield. Not one to shy from pressure, Mayfield's role as a leader will be crucial to the team's 2016 success.

“I had a vocal role last year, but I think it's a lot more important now since we lost those key guys,” Mayfield said. “I'm trying to take on a little bigger role, but I'm not too worried about it. I feel comfortable in getting those guys ready to play.”

“I had a vocal role last year, but I think it's a lot more important now since we lost those key guys."
- Baker Mayfield

OU's veteran-laden defense will be a source of leadership as well. In the center of the defense, seniors Evans and Thomas boast 47 career start between them.

“We've had guys stepping up,” Evans said. “At DB we have Ahmad (Thomas) and Steven (Parker) and at linebacker you have myself hopefully. We got three guys on the d-line with Romar, Dimon and Charles Walker. Hopefully guys will step up and take key roles in that way.”

REPLACING A LEGEND

To get the offense moving at its torid 2015 pace, the Sooners will need to find a way to replace the production of second-round NFL Draft selection Sterling Shepard. Shepard racked up 1,288 receiving yards in 2015 and scored 11 total touchdowns.

“I don't know that you ever replace a guy like Sterling Shepard,” Stoops said. “I do believe that Dede Westbrook is a guy that can make more big plays this year. I believe there are more players in that room now that are capable of competing at that level and making a positive impact. A guy everyone clamored to get on the field more is Mark Andrews, but he played the same position in Sterling. Now Mark will have a bigger role but in a different way. He can be highly effective, I think 80 to 90 percent of the balls he caught a year ago were touchdowns. So he'll have a bigger role. I believe the group overall will be stronger.”

In addition to increased roles for Andrews and Westbrook, two names the kept popping up on Tuesday were those of junior Nick Basquine and freshman Mykel Jones.

“You got your guys like Dede, Jarvis (Baxter) and Mark, but one guy in particular is Nick Basquine,” Evans said. “He went to my high school, most people haven't heard of him, but he is definitely showing out and you better watch out for him this year.”

“Nick catches the ball well and he has just worked really hard to get his body right and to be ready to play,” Mayfield said. “Mykel is a young guy, but he has a lot of juice. He's quick and he's just going to be very fun to watch.”

“Mykel (Jones) really stands out,” Thomas said. “He is a fast dude. He's real fast and I always notice him. Even when I'm not looking at him I'll notice him running past people.”

PLUGGING THE GAPS

Jordan Evans answering questions at Big 12 Media Days.

The Sooners lost three of their 2015 starting linebackers to the NFL during the offseason and now must reload on perhaps the most important position on the defense. Dominique Alexander led the Sooners in tackles a year ago with 103 and Eric Striker and Devante Bond combined for 10.5 sacks and 26.0 tackles for loss.

“The biggest challenge will be at linebacker,” Stoops said. “I believe at every other position we can absorb it, but at linebacker you lose three of your four, that significant. So that will be the biggest challenge, right in the middle of your defense. I do believe we have capable and strong players at those positions.

The favorite to join Jordan Evans in the interior is redshirt sophomore Tay Evans. Evans played in 10 games a year ago, mostly on special teams.

"The biggest challenge will be at linebacker. I believe at every other position we can absorb it, but at linebacker you lose three of your four, that significant. So that will be the biggest challenge.”
- Head Coach Bob Stoops

“Tay is a big, strong, physical guy that had a good spring and has been doing well this summer,” said Stoops.

On the exterior, a favorite to fill the pass-rushing role of Striker and Bond is redshirt junior Ogbonnia Okoronkwo who has played sparingly the last two years and has 4.0 career sacks and 5.0 career tackles for loss.

“Obo (Okoronkwo), out of the jack position is a great pass rusher and now it's his time to hopefully step up and fill that role,” Stoops said. “Will Johnson is a guy that played the Sam/Nickel last year and is going into another year of experience. We have pieces there that need to come together and if they do we'll have another good defense.”

Evans and Thomas know how important the pass rush is to good defense. A year ago OU led the league in both sacks (40) and passing defense (202.8 ypg) and ended the season ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 in total defense.

“It is very important. A lot of teams say the linebackers are the heart and soul of a defense. We have to buckle down and get things right so we can have a good successful season.

NO TIME FOR A TUNE UP

THE GRAND OPENING

LOOKING FOR NEW VOICES

REPLACING A LEGEND

PLUGGING THE GAPS

Players Mentioned

Dominique Alexander

Mark Andrews

Nick Basquine

Devante Bond

Jordan Evans

Tay Evans

Tay Evans

Will Johnson

Mykel Jones

Mykel Jones

Baker Mayfield

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo

Samaje Perine

Samaje Perine

Zack Sanchez

Sterling Shepard

Eric Striker

Charles Tapper

Ahmad Thomas

Charles Walker

Dede Westbrook

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics