As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Tulane Green Wave in week one of the 2021 college football season, several items on the agenda must be taken care of. Soon Oklahoma will release its first official depth chart of the season, but tonight they let us know the players representing the 2021 squad as captains.
Two offensive and two defensive players were selected as the Sooners’ captains for the 2021 season — Spencer Rattler and Jeremiah Hall from the offense and Caleb Kelly and Pat Fields from the defense.
đđ¶đł captains.#OUDNA pic.twitter.com/WupwApzHgc
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) August 31, 2021
While Spencer Rattler represents the most important player on the roster because of his position, he’s arguably the best player as well. The Heisman Trophy frontrunner is coming off a redshirt freshman season where he threw for 3,031 yards, 28 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He averaged 9.7 yards per attempt and recorded a passer rating (NFL version) of 118.4. As important as the stats, the way Spencer Rattler rebounded from his benching during the Texas game spoke volumes. He learned from his mistakes and went on to play really good football down the stretch.
Jeremiah Hall is one of the key cogs in Lincoln Riley’s offense. He won’t get the touches that Marvin Mims or Kennedy Brooks will get, but Hall will be an impact player in the passing game nonetheless. In 2020, Hall had five touchdowns on just 21 targets. Not only has he been an impact player on offense, but he also provides veteran leadership on special teams.
Senior Caleb Kelly is making his return to the lineup after sitting out the 2020 season. Kelly is the elder statesman of the Sooners defense. He’s played in 35 games for Oklahoma and will be a key piece of Brian Odom’s linebacker rotation.
Like Kelly, Senior Pat Fields has played in a lot of games for the Oklahoma Sooners. He had a fantastic 2019 season with two sacks and six tackles for loss. In 2020, he recorded one interception. He’s been a steady hand in the secondary, helping oversee the Sooners’ defensive transformation under Alex Grinch.
As the Sooners embark on what many analysts believe could be a national championship season, the 2021 team captains will play significant roles in Oklahoma’s success.
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