Any updates on how Ryan Reynolds is looking?

[SPuL]

The last thing I really could find on him was that video with him and Austin Box from early July on soonersports. Anyone hear Stoops or Brett talking about his performance recently? Just curious.

Btw, he missed most of last season, and I believe all of his sophomore season. Will he be able to get granted an extra year due to injury?

[goingoneight]

most likely, yes on the 6th year. No word on how he's looking because they're only in conditioning, which is supposedly going well overall.

[SPuL]

Good to hear on both accounts man. He's a force.

[JLEW1818]

he got released from his injury in May, that's all i know... changed to number 4, b/c he had bad luck with 8

[goingoneight]

He changed to #4 as in maybe 4th time's a charm? :D

[JLEW1818]

lol, could be!

[SPuL]

Found this from Big 12 media day


Q. Coach, you have Ryan Reynolds going. Can you talk about how important he is to your defense.

COACH STOOPS:
Ryan is important. He's got a lot of experience. Though he's been injured some, he's still a guy that plays at a very consistent level for us. He's been fine. This injury was not nearly as complicated to come back from as his previous one. There wasn't as much collateral damage around the particular injury in this case than there was in the first one. So talking to him, he feels great. He looks great. He's really trimmed up. My guess, again, just natural, being a senior, he looks great as far as physically, and he says he feels good running. He's been running and training and doing everything.

good to hear

[htownsooner7]

I hope he runs well. I have no doubts that tackle to tackle he is fine playing downhill. I do have doubts about him being as versatile as Balogun or Box in the middle. Great kid, but seemed to have trouble in coverage and changing direction.

[SoonersEnFuego]

Sometimes being in the right place is more important than that. Knowledge and experience is something that takes time and he has that.

[cheezyq]

I hope he runs well. I have no doubts that tackle to tackle he is fine playing downhill. I do have doubts about him being as versatile as Balogun or Box in the middle. Great kid, but seemed to have trouble in coverage and changing direction.

I'm going to disagree with this to an extent. He wasn't the fastest guy I've ever seen, but our PASS defense took a HUGE step back with him out of the lineup. We still stopped the run with regularity, but missed tackles frequently after passes over the middle. He kept the intermediate passes from turning into huge gains and kept many of those passes from being complete in the first place, particularly in the RRR last year. Because of him, Colt McCoy had to thread the needle on numerous passes. If Colt is even slightly off that day, we intercept those passes and take them to the house with RR in the lineup.

[JLEW1818]

i thought the entire time b4 texas that we didn't need him... and then he went out... and yah ... wow I've never been so wrong before.

[Eielson]

i thought the entire time b4 *Texas* that we didn't need him... and then he went out... and yah ... wow I've never been so wrong before.

I'm not so sure about this. :P

[JLEW1818]

hahaha, i picked your dang lakers... err!!!

[htownsooner7]

I'm going to disagree with this to an extent. He wasn't the fastest guy I've ever seen, but our PASS defense took a HUGE step back with him out of the lineup. We still stopped the run with regularity, but missed tackles frequently after passes over the middle. He kept the intermediate passes from turning into huge gains and kept many of those passes from being complete in the first place, particularly in the RRR last year. Because of him, *Colt* McCoy had to thread the needle on numerous passes. If *Colt* is even slightly off that day, we intercept those passes and take them to the house with RR in the lineup.

I honestly think Texas gameplanned last year to throw at RR and make him tackle in space. Sure, when he went out, did that become a bigger problem? Yes. Nonetheless, I think teams with speed think he has issues covering spread offenses. The best defensive game we played against a great spread offense was Tech, and RR was not there. I think we also played very effectively against Florida, again, no RR. Its not that simple, I know, but it is an important acknowledgement.

Again, I love what he personifies. Please don't shoot the messenger, but I think he (especially after the multiple injuries) has weaknesses defending the pass that our other guys might not have.