Three Things to Watch For During Oklahoma's Spring Game Saturday

Oklahoma's annual spring game is Saturday and fans are eager to see the new look Sooners.
Three Things to Watch For During Oklahoma's Spring Game Saturday
Three Things to Watch For During Oklahoma's Spring Game Saturday /

Oklahoma fans will get their first look at the 2022 team this Saturday at the annual spring game. There are many storylines to follow from the new-look offense, to the rejuvenated defense and the new signal caller.

As the countdown is on for the first action of Oklahoma football in months, here are three things to look forward to this weekend:

Young Playmakers

On Saturday, the Sooners will have young talent on display all over the field. Many of the youngsters on the offensive side will be shining in front of OU fans for the first time in their careers.

Out of the backfield, Jovantae Barnes is a guy to keep an eye on. The coaching staff has spoken very highly of him throughout the spring media interviews. With Kennedy Brooks headed to the NFL, there are snaps to be earned. Barnes could be a prime candidate for early playing time.

The backfield isn’t the only position group with explosive young talent, though. Sooner fans should keep an eye on the wide receivers, too, led by highly touted recruits Jayden Gibson and Nic Anderson. Both are big-bodied receivers, as quarterback Dillon Gabriel noted how impressive their catch radius is. It will be interesting to see the initial chemistry between the veteran quarterback and his young receivers.

Breakout Players

While the Sooners have plenty of incoming freshmen talent, they also have guys that have been waiting in the wings ready to break out.

On the offensive end, look for Marcus Major and Jalil Farooq to make the leap this season, starting in the spring game Saturday.

Major has been behind the likes of Brooks and Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson for the past few seasons and finally has a path to carries. Farooq came on toward the end of last year, including the Alamo Bowl, and should build off of that success.

Kani Walker and Jordan Kelley are two guys who could benefit from expanded roles on the defensive decide of the ball.

Walker, who transferred from Louisville, didn’t see the field as often as he’d hoped last season. He should be able to push for immediate playing time in a secondary that needed bodies down the stretch.

Kelley has been mentioned numerous times by the coaching staff as a player who has stood out this far into the spring. On a defensive line that has to replace a good amount of NFL talent, Kelley finally has a chance to break out.

Up-Tempo Offense

A topic of discussion throughout the media sessions has been new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s fast-paced offense.

With the Sooners shifting to more of a traditional up-tempo offense, fans will get the first look at that on Saturday. The players have had a full winter of conditioning under new strength coach Jerry Schmidt and it seems to have helped a handful of guys already.

While Lincoln Riley had prolific offenses, they weren’t always up-tempo. The adjustment to the offensive pace will surely be a storyline to follow.

The spring game is set for Saturday at 3 p.m. Baker Mayfield’s statue dedication is set for halftime of the game.


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Ross Lovelace
ROSS LOVELACE

Experience Ross is a young, up-and-coming sports reporter who has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Oklahoma Sooners over the past six years. He's made guest appearances on various radio stations and has helped out with the All Sooners podcast whenever he gets the chance. Ross enjoys public speaking and has done so at multiple churches and high schools across the OKC metro area. In addition to writing, Ross has been the Play-by-Play announcer for Crossings’ basketball and football programs since 2020. In high school, Ross worked for self-starter blogs and latched onto Thunder Digest, where he discovered his passion for writing. From there, he worked for the OU Daily as a women's basketball reporter and was hired by All Sooners. Ross landed an internship with Sports Illustrated's Inside the Thunder and has since become a full-time contributor. One day, Ross hopes to work in the NBA. Work History Education Ross holds a bachelor's degree in Public Relations and a minor in Communication from the University of Oklahoma. Personal Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Ross played basketball and wrote for his own Thunder blog at Crossings High School in OKC, OK. He enjoys reading, New York Jets football and a week at the beach. Ross is engaged to be married at the end of the year. His Twitter handle is @Rosslovelace.