Oklahoma’s offseason will take a quick break.
The Sooners’ spring football is set to begin on Tuesday where expectations can’t be higher.
Oklahoma will begin the 2020 season less than six months from now and will get plenty of practice this spring for it. Lincoln Riley will be working through position battles at quarterback and left tackle as Alex Grinch will be finding replacements for Neville Gallimore, Kenneth Murray and Parnell Motley.
Here are the five key returners from the 2019 team heading into the 2020 spring.
CREED HUMPHREY
The 6-foot-5, 316 pound center was the glue of Oklahoma’s offensive line in 2019.
Creed Humphrey explored NFL Draft possibilities after his redshirt sophomore season, but chose to return to Norman, Oklahoma, as one of four returning starters off of the 2019 offensive line. He’ll be the only returning Rimington Trophy finalist from a year ago.
Oklahoma’s never had a Rimington Trophy winner before.
RONNIE PERKINS
The status of Ronnie Perkins for the first five games of the 2020 season is still up in the air, but the talent can’t be denied.
There were no other indicators for Perkins’ impact in 2019 than the Peach Bowl game he missed. Neville Gallimore was taking on triple teams as LSU was able to single block against any defensive end on the field in pass protection.
Perkins made 38 tackles, including 13.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks as a sophomore.
DELARRIN TURNER-YELL
Much the same for Delarrin Turner-Yell.
LSU attacked replacement Justin Broiles for majority of the College Football Playoff semifinal. Turner-Yell became a key piece to what Alex Grinch was able put together in his first season as defensive coordinator for Oklahoma.
He made 75 tackles in 2019, including 5.5 for loss. Turner-Yell missed the Peach Bowl after breaking his collarbone during practice for the game. His status for the spring has not been determined.
JADON HASELWOOD
When you talked to Jalen Hurts and CeeDee Lamb throughout the 2019 season, one of the trio of five-star freshmen receivers stood out more than the others.
Jadon Haselwood had a promising year one in a backup role behind Lamb, who is going to be the first or second wide receiver off the board come NFL Draft time in late April. The Georgia native should plug right into Lamb’s role in 2020 in an offense better suited for receivers.
GABE BRKIC
Da Kicka.
Don’t expect Gabe Brkic to go perfect again in his sophomore season, but Oklahoma should be comfortable at the kicking position once again.
A Freshman All-American by the Athletic and Football Writers Association of America, Brkic went 17-for-17 on field goal attempts and 52 for 52 on PATs in 2019.
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