Early in the offseason, the Oklahoma Sooners received good news after good news. Several players decided to return on the defensive side of the ball. One of those was Woodi Washington.
Washington has been a key fixture at the outside cornerback position for the Sooners for the last several seasons. But he decided to return to Norman in hopes of upgrading his value. And as the Sooners work through spring ball, he may not only be working to improve his draft stock, but adding value to the defense in a variety of roles.
He talked about that after practice last week. “I’m trying to add more value,” Washington said. “Just play as many positions as I can as far as the next level goes.”
Washington also said it was something he went to the coaching staff about before deciding to return for one more year. “I kind of went to them,” Washington said. “It was kind of around the time of the bowl game last year. When I first thought about coming back. Once they said that it was a go, I was all in for it.”
Right now, Oklahoma is tinkering with different spots to play him during spring practices. He’s reportedly been working at cheetah, safety, and cornerback this spring. Washington has spent time at safety due to injuries but has primarily been an outside cornerback in his time in Norman.
I’m sure a lot of where he ends up playing will have to do with if they have guys step up on the outside to take his place. The Sooners added [autotag]Dez Malone[/autotag] to a group that featured young and promising players like [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Kani Walker[/autotag], [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag], [autotag]Jacobe Johnson[/autotag], and [autotag]Jasiah Wagoner[/autotag]. The depth chart looks good, but that group of players still has a lot to prove.
But for now, it’s always good to have that versatility in the secondary. Now, it’s up to the coaching staff to figure out what to do next.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.