Switching positions hurting team?

[emoinwinter]

Figured I would throw this out there. Hopefully it won't sound like I'm saying the obvious, but I wanted to get your guys' opinion.

Does all of this switching positions in the secondary hurt us this upcoming year? It seems like it never helps out players, i.e. Eric Bassey. Even though he does have great athletic ability, it seems like he may have never found his groove in a position, and that could be partly due to him switching positions. Holmes is moving to safety, but they aren't sure where. Clayton, according to Rivals, is not yet solidified as either a strong or free safety. It is still up in the air where Reggie Smith is playing. I'm just afraid that during the spring they are not going to gain some much needed experience.

Even though things are up in the air right now, I certainly hope that they get everything worked out in the spring. If they don't, then I don't see how the players can really get the best workout possible over the summer. Instead of trying to mold their bodies towards a position, they may just simply try to find somewhere in between their two positions. I would much rather have a player that is great at one position, instead of good at two positions.

[BOOMERBRADLEY]

Having good athletes on the team allows them to kind of play where they want to and get switched around like they did in high school. In my opinion if these kids want to see the field so badly that they will switch positions to do so that can only be a good thing. IMO only of course

[NickZeppelin]

Well they weren't all that good at the other positions so switching positions should help.

[emoinwinter]

I understand that some players are such great athletes that they are able to do this, like Reggie Smith and D.J. Wolfe. However, I would just rather have Reggie Smith solidified in a position, that way he can not only learn the basics, but the intracacies of a position. That is what turns a player from a great player to a legend.

However, I will give you guys that some of the players are just too far back within the depth chart, like Allen Patrick.

[MojoRisen]

I think this year- they should be able to establish the 2 deep pretty quickly- the others can get moved around a bit until they stand out somewhere or take hold.

We are so damn deep- it is hard to just say what the strategy is- but it must be geared around Depth, experience combo'd with pure talent- and mixing it up.

I think we will have starters- than a lot of guys will get mixed in for experience.


DJ Wolfe Corner
Marcus Walker Corner
Reggie Smith FS/Coner
Brian Jackson/ Corner

Reggie Smith/ FS
Nic Harris/ Strong Safty

Keenan- can hit- I believe so I would play him at one of the Safty spots-
Darien Williams
Jason Carter
Bret Bowers..
Holmes...
All the Freshman- This is a really deep secondary- should be ultra competitive in the spring...

Sure I left someone really good off some how...

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

the question isn't the individual, its the whole

[BASSooner]

I don't really mind the position switches for these players, however, I would not take the procedure for the player's interest, but for the best of the team. I wouldn't care if one of the players wanted to play, let's say, a safety. If he's better at linebacker, he's stays there. I could care less of where he wants to be put. I would just guarantee him to be a better player at that position due to the experience we've had here at OU.

[MojoRisen]

Lewis Baker- KILLER ROVER -

[BASSooner]

wasnt everage a QB before he came here?

[caphorns]

I honestly don't know how else coaches could make sure to put their best players out there. They have to switch off and use their judgment as to whether the kid can develop at a different position. Of course that's often going to look like they did the wrong thing because most players don't pan out period - and presumably most of the switch-offs are players who aren't necessarily doing the best job fielding their prior position.

[NickZeppelin]

Here are some position switches that have worked out for OU since Stoops has been here. I believe Derrick Strait was a WR out of HS. Brandon Daniels was played like 3 or 4 different positions atleast. I think atleast 2 or 3 of the WRs were DBs before coming to OU. Woolfolk played WR atleast for parts of a season till his senior year. Frank Romero moved from DE to OL in the spring after the staff came in. He ended up being really good for 3 years. Dan Cody was a TE in HS I think. Jimmy Wilkerson was a QB in HS I think. I could be wrong on Wilkerson. JD Runnels in HS wasn't a full back. He played TE on offense and he was whatever Carl Albert wanted him to be on defense. As I recall he played mostly LB but you would sometimes see him line up as DE or even in some situations as a safety.

I think more and more HS especially in the higher classes are having more and more specialized players. Even more then 5 years ago. You don't see as many kids play both sides of the ball. I remember at my HS 5 years ago atleast 3 of the 5 starters on OL played some on DL. And you would see WRs play as DB. Or even the QB played DB some. Heck the QB North had that was All-State and shattered all types of state records that one year was a DB the year before. That may have something to do with why position changes aren't as successful now as they were when Stoops first came in here.

[BASSooner]

Eric Winston is going to be a 1st-2nd round pick as a OT from miami and he played tight end out of high school. The kid is wicked. I never pay attention to position "rankings" anymore because nowadays I see almost half of the recruiting classes changing positions. Speaking of position changes, is Jeremey Beal being moved to linebacker and Pryce Macon being moved to defensive tackle?

[Old Sooner]

What about Jammal Brown?

[BASSooner]

Oh yeah Jammal was more of a defensive prospect I believe.

[CobraKai]

Don't forget Rawls too. He was brought in to play QB and ended up playing water boy.

[Scott D]

a lot of kids in college don't necessarily play the same position(s) they did in high school depending on how they finish filling out.

[BASSooner]

Position changes are actually making the team better. We just may not know it. We've done it so much in the past and it has guided us to success. I have confidence that Stoops know what he is doing, because he IS Bob Stoops....

[william_brasky]

they move players to help the team.

just as long as offensive guards aren't being moved to the secondary, i'm cool.