Sooners excited to welcome Chris Murray to the fold in the trenches

Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman, formerly of UCLA Bruins, is eligible for Saturday's game vs. TCU after winning eligibility appeal

Will Ronnie Perkins be in uniform Saturday? There's no telling.

Will Rhamondre Stevenson or Trejan Bridges suit up? It's anyone's guess.

But one Sooner who will don the pads for the first time all season Saturday is offensive lineman Chris Murray, fresh off a successful NCAA appeal for immediate eligibility.

Murray transferred from UCLA this past offseason after starting 24 games over his first two collegiate seasons for the Bruins. Oklahoma's offensive line play has been inconsistent over the first four games of the 2020 season, and the Sooners' vaunted rushing attack simply hasn't lived up to its billing.

That's due in part to the absence of Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks, as well as Stevenson. Though T.J. Pledger, Marcus Major and Seth McGowan are talented in their own right, none of the three possess the ability to dominate a game from the backfield. Nevertheless, the blame for the Sooners' paltry 3.6 yards per carry falls primarily on poor run blocking. That's one area in which Murray can provide a huge boost; former Bruin Joshua Kelley rushed for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons behind Murray and the UCLA offensive line.

Don Liebig, UCLA Photography

"Having Chris has been great," said Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley. "I think we have several guys in that next tier group that are, if not ready, very close to being ready to contribute on Saturdays for us, which is a good thing. Our depth is in a much better place; our competitive depth is in a much better place."

Guards Tyrese Robinson and Marquis Hayes both have a full season of starting experience along the Sooner line, but it's reasonable to expect that Murray will at least spell - and perhaps supplant - one of the two by season's end. 

"It was exciting to see he got approved [to play]," said Creed Humphrey of Murray. "He’s a good player. I’m excited to see where he goes from here, for sure. He practices hard and everything. It’ll be exciting to see where he goes from here."

Oklahoma hasn't released a depth chart in advance of Saturday's contest at TCU. The two-deep on the offensive line has remained remarkably consistent through the season's first four games, as there's only been one non-COVID-19-related change (Finley Felix replaced Stacey Wilkins as the second-string right tackle for the Red River Showdown). However, given that Riley has stated Murray will be active Saturday, it stands to reason that he'll move onto the two-deep in short order.

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