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12/22/2010, 08:30 AM
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NORMAN — A few days before Oklahoma's first game this season, coach Bob Stoops pulled all 29 of his true freshmen into a room. Without the upperclassmen.
“I'd never done this before,” Stoops recalled. “I told them, ‘This is the most impressive class we've ever had. A lot of you will play. Some of you that aren't going to play, don't be discouraged because your time will come, too.'
“And that was before any of them played a game.”
Tuesday, Stoops continued to heap praise on his freshman class, which is a huge reason why the Sooners reclaimed the Big 12 Championship and will meet Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day.
They're also a huge reason why OU figures to be a national championship contender in 2011.
“We are a very young football team,” Stoops said. “So it's exciting the way these guys have played, their attitude, their work ethic.
“There's a lot of young players. ... We should remain strong.”
As extraordinary as they were during the preseason, Stoops admitted this freshman class has gone on to exceed even his lofty expectations.
Wideout Kenny Stills, fullback Trey Millard and safety Tony Jefferson have been starters since Week 1. Many more have made considerable impacts on either side of the ball, including cornerback Aaron Colvin, linebacker Corey Nelson, receiver Trey Franks and running back Roy Finch, who will miss the Fiesta Bowl due to the re-aggravation of a stress fracture.
“You can't say in any one case, ‘Boy, that was a freshman mistake,' or, ‘That really hurt us,'” Stoops said. “I don't know if there's any one of those from the true freshmen that stick out that way.
“They've all really played solid and well through the year."
After it was put together in February, OU's class was held in high regarded by all the recruiting services. Rivals.com ranked it seventh in the country. ESPNU had it fifth. And Scout.com rated it second.
But not even Stoops himself believed the class would turn out to be as prolific as it has.
“Probably not,” Stoops said. “You always like your class. We were very excited. The number of them, too, there were 29, all freshmen, and so we felt really good about them.
“Of course when you start to work with them, which we got to see a few of them in winter conditioning and four guys coming in early, you got to see there in spring ball that a few of them were really going to stick out.”
In 2011, several more figure to stick out. Especially those on the offensive and defensive lines who spent this past season redshirting to either bulk up or heal from injuries. Defensive end Geneo Grissom was all set to play until suffering a hairline fracture in his foot in August. So was defensive tackle Torrea Peterson, who was dealt a knee injury shortly after arriving on campus.
On the offensive side, the Sooners are also pumped about the potential of tackles Daryl Williams and Tyrus Thompson and guard Adam Shead, who physically weren't ready to contribute this season, but next year should be able to.
“A lot of those guys up front on both sides of the ball are going to help,” Stoops said.
“There's a bunch of (redshirting freshmen) that really look good and play well and have really worked hard through the fall. I think they could all have an impact.”
Read more: http://newsok.com/bob-stoops-praises-his-freshman-class/article/3525680#ixzz18qZbdlAL
really excited about line comments
NORMAN — A few days before Oklahoma's first game this season, coach Bob Stoops pulled all 29 of his true freshmen into a room. Without the upperclassmen.
“I'd never done this before,” Stoops recalled. “I told them, ‘This is the most impressive class we've ever had. A lot of you will play. Some of you that aren't going to play, don't be discouraged because your time will come, too.'
“And that was before any of them played a game.”
Tuesday, Stoops continued to heap praise on his freshman class, which is a huge reason why the Sooners reclaimed the Big 12 Championship and will meet Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day.
They're also a huge reason why OU figures to be a national championship contender in 2011.
“We are a very young football team,” Stoops said. “So it's exciting the way these guys have played, their attitude, their work ethic.
“There's a lot of young players. ... We should remain strong.”
As extraordinary as they were during the preseason, Stoops admitted this freshman class has gone on to exceed even his lofty expectations.
Wideout Kenny Stills, fullback Trey Millard and safety Tony Jefferson have been starters since Week 1. Many more have made considerable impacts on either side of the ball, including cornerback Aaron Colvin, linebacker Corey Nelson, receiver Trey Franks and running back Roy Finch, who will miss the Fiesta Bowl due to the re-aggravation of a stress fracture.
“You can't say in any one case, ‘Boy, that was a freshman mistake,' or, ‘That really hurt us,'” Stoops said. “I don't know if there's any one of those from the true freshmen that stick out that way.
“They've all really played solid and well through the year."
After it was put together in February, OU's class was held in high regarded by all the recruiting services. Rivals.com ranked it seventh in the country. ESPNU had it fifth. And Scout.com rated it second.
But not even Stoops himself believed the class would turn out to be as prolific as it has.
“Probably not,” Stoops said. “You always like your class. We were very excited. The number of them, too, there were 29, all freshmen, and so we felt really good about them.
“Of course when you start to work with them, which we got to see a few of them in winter conditioning and four guys coming in early, you got to see there in spring ball that a few of them were really going to stick out.”
In 2011, several more figure to stick out. Especially those on the offensive and defensive lines who spent this past season redshirting to either bulk up or heal from injuries. Defensive end Geneo Grissom was all set to play until suffering a hairline fracture in his foot in August. So was defensive tackle Torrea Peterson, who was dealt a knee injury shortly after arriving on campus.
On the offensive side, the Sooners are also pumped about the potential of tackles Daryl Williams and Tyrus Thompson and guard Adam Shead, who physically weren't ready to contribute this season, but next year should be able to.
“A lot of those guys up front on both sides of the ball are going to help,” Stoops said.
“There's a bunch of (redshirting freshmen) that really look good and play well and have really worked hard through the fall. I think they could all have an impact.”
Read more: http://newsok.com/bob-stoops-praises-his-freshman-class/article/3525680#ixzz18qZbdlAL
really excited about line comments