Coaches and players would argue that every fall camp is the most important. However, the Sooners are heading into a season with a whole new set of challenges. If they’re able to make the College Football Playoff in their first year in the SEC, Oklahoma will need to be physically prepared to handle the added number of games.
After their second fall camp practice, a select group of players met with the media, and Nic Anderson was asked what the offseason was like.
“(Jerry Schmidt) got after us,” Anderson said. “I feel like this was the toughest summer that we’ve had since I’ve been here. And I feel like we all handled it really well. He broke us down and built us right back up. So I feel like this is the best shape the team has been in a while.”
From the gains the team has made on the scales to the reputation that follows Schmidt, the Sooners put in the work this offseason to better prepare for their first venture through the SEC.
While a lot of the leadership responsibilities have fallen to the veterans like [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], and [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], the younger guys are starting to develop as leaders as well. The group accountability is what takes a good team to a great team and Anderson shared that this is a motivated group.
“The standards were raised a little bit higher as they are every year,” Anderson shared. “And we just felt like we need to push each other, not just ourselves. And I feel like we had a lot of leaders step up and push everyone to the next level. So I feel that’s what made this summer a little bit tougher.”
For Anderson, who was limited in spring ball, he’s healthy and ready to roll after Schmitty put him through the paces this summer.
Anderson said, “Trainers got me right and threw me right back out there. Schmitty got me right. So just left it all to him and he got me good for the summer.”
This is a team that has a lot to prove. The media picked the Sooners eighth in the SEC preseason poll. On3’s J.D. PicKell has the Sooners struggling. Soon, it won’t matter. The Sooners will get to prove their worth on the football field. Physically and mentally, they’re ready to roll.
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