Joey Halzle and Sam Bradford:

[goingoneight]

I know, I know... beat BS before starting this thread... I see a good future here, though and just felt I'd share it. Number one guy people ask about it JH, is he good enough to compete at the next level? If you ask me, he was only inches behind Rawlmar in the 2006 Red/White game. Brent Rawlmar was a better runner, but we're not VYU. OUr version of a "running quarterback" has less than 300 rushing yards this year and won a conference title. Halzle didn't seem to have great pocket presence, but he was wearing a blue jersey, playing against an awesome front seven, and had been on campus less than four months, having practiced much less than that. Jason White, Josh Heupel, PT, even N8 were not spectacular runners in their prime, but all notched BCS visits. JH may not be the answer, but look who else you have...

The last 4 n00b quarterbacks nobody believed in that I can think of who come to mind are that "scrawny Heupel kid, that pegleg Jason White kid, that wide-receiver Paul Thompson and that little boy Colt McCoy..."

Hear me out on this...

Sam Bradford is a kid who always wanted to wear the crimson and cream. He wasn't ripped from somewhere in Texas, badgered by the media or highly touted by recruiting analysts. Do you see how the pressure on Sam Bradford is well, say... Tony Romo-ish??? As in, "just don't screw up too bad, man..." The average Sooner Fan just wants to see a guy do well and have respect for the team, coaches, fans and school. He is a great kid, a great public speaker like PT and Josh are and had to have been recruited by OU for some really awesome talent. If he couldn't cut it at QB, Stoops wouldn't even whisper about him as a potential candidate. Take Hays McEachern, in the spring game, HM played, but you all knew he wasn't playing QB for OU unless we were on special teams and Stoops decided to gamble.

I really think from what I know about him, that he is the darkhorse "surprise" you'll see soon. I know Sooners hate the Texas reference, but if Joey, Sam, Hays, Keith or #5 guy (Nimmo?) have a Colt McCoy-like debut, we're gonna be awesome on O in 2007.
What do you think, anyone seen these guys practice other than game warmups???

[BOOMERBRADLEY]

I really hope Sam Bradford is as good as some advertise. I think his teammates like him a lot. And I seem to remember reading on here that the team thought Halzle sucked ?

Who knows, maybe I am imaging that

[goingoneight]

Probably useless to add this, but you do have every wideout returning, along with Joe-John and Jermaine, quite possible the best stable of backs in the country and an all-conference caliber OL to work with...

[AzianSooner]

JH and SB are good for sure. But, can they be the NC caliber qb? that is the question.

[RRWSooner]

I'm thinkin each one of those qbs need a solid year under their belt before we talk NC. Look how far PT has come in 1 season. If we had him for another season that offense would be absolutely sick..

[King Crimson]

i'd like to see Bradford get a chance. he committed early and was still top 20 nationally at the QB position.

Josh Heupel wasn't anyone's top 20.

[Egeo]

no way hazle was as good as the other qb in the spring game. it wasnt even close. he threw 5 pics to our second team defense! now, thats not saying he's not any good because most people arent going to perform well in an offense they've been learning for less than 3 months...

*i dont think we'll be able to make judgements on next years qb until after the spring
im definitely interested to see what bradford's got

[SoonerGM]

I'm thinkin each one of those qbs need a solid year under their belt before we talk NC. Look how far PT has come in 1 season. If we had him for another season that offense would be absolutely sick..

now, i understand you are trying to say something positive, but PT today is not a result of just 1 season. and his debut last year was in no way indicative of his skills last year, it was indicative of how badly our entire team sucked at the beginning of last season.

[KingDavid]

There is only one hope we have for the quarterback position next year . . . and his name is . . . Josh Heupel.

If we compete for a NC with our stable of QB's (their experience, not so much their talent), it will be because Heupel is the position coach of the year.

[OUmillenium]

JH could mean Sooner Magic...Josh Heupel, Joey Halzle

[OUmillenium]

oh, and Jason wHite

[goingoneight]

Just a Hunch, but I think we could stand to use a PT guy as well...

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

There is only one hope we have for the quarterback position next year . . . and his name is . . . Josh Heupel.

If we compete for a NC with our stable of QB's (their experience, not so much their talent), it will be because Heupel is the position coach of the year.

Not saying it is going to happen but what if I QB next year is currently in an LSU uniform?

[OUGreg723]

'H' last names are good luck at QB.

Jimmy Harris*, Jamelle Holloway*, Josh Hueple* Nate Hybl, Joey Halzle*.

*4 National Championships at OU with a QB with the initials of 'JH'. Also 7 Conference Championships with an 'H' QB.

This is just a silly coincidence, but maybe Halzle can carry on that tradition. Hueple has only said good things about him from what I've heard.

[#1-Erin-Higgins-Fan]

Tony Romo-ish!!! That's funny! :D

[OUGreg723]

Out of the 'H' QBs I listed, OU has a record of 95-11!!!!

Jamelle Holloway--- 30-3
Jimmy Harris------- 25-0
Josh Heuple------- 20-5
Nate Hybl--------- 20-3

[JohnnyMack]

Bradford or Nichol.

[Egeo]

bradford was co-scout team player of the year

[SCOUT]

It is funny that everyone remembers the nobody's that became great but forgets the nobody's that were well... nobody's.

With that said, I am happy that Bob can now choose from Halzle, Bradford, and Nichols (sp?). With our returning wide receivers, the winning QB should be in good shape.

[snp]

Bradford or Nichol.

Yup.

Flynn is a pipedream at the moment and none of the players think Halzle is all that great.

[birddog]

NORMAN — Oklahoma's next great quarterback debate is already taking shape.
The Sooners seek a quarterback for 2007 with no clear candidate to start.




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There's the current backup, sophomore Joey Halzle. There's the hot-shot recruit, Michigan prep star Keith Nichol, who arrives on campus in January for early entry into the anticipated battle.

Then there's redshirting freshman Sam Bradford, unheralded and an unknown and oft-overlooked as a long-term answer. A darkhorse, perhaps, yet also not to be dismissed.

Can anyone say Colt McCoy?

A stretch? Perhaps. No one is predicting such sudden success for Bradford — yet. But those who know Bradford best warn not to discount his place in the race or the possibility of a McCoy-like breakthrough.

"I don't know that he couldn't be the next Colt McCoy,” said Bob Wilson, Bradford's high school coach at Putnam North.

"A lot of people ask me, ‘Is he going to be the guy? Will he be able to compete?' I don't know who will be the guy; I do know Sam Bradford will compete for the job.”

With Bradford, there are similarities to the situation that thrust McCoy into the hot spot at Texas this year as a redshirt freshman.

Both quarterbacks were mid-level prospects, three-star recruits according to Rivals.com. McCoy was believed to just be holding the spot warm until touted recruit Jevan Snead took over, while the recruiting geeks already have Bradford supplanted by Nichol as OU's hope for the future.

McCoy proved, of course, to be much more than anticipated by both would-be talent scouts and Snead, who has already left the program in fear of an inability to unseat McCoy.

And there's more to Bradford.

"Sam's got a tremendous competitive spirit about him,” Wilson said. "Doesn't matter what the sport. He's always played at the highest level in whatever he's played.”

Football. Basketball. Hockey. Baseball. Golf.

Bradford played and excelled at all.

"He's always loved sports,” said his father, Kent Bradford. "Played them all, almost.”

Sam's first season at OU has been quiet, spent mostly directing the scout team.

Still, there's a buzz about his strong arm and smarts. And he was named the team's Scout Team Player of the Year at the recent football banquet.

With early bowl practices more focused on young players, Bradford's opportunities to work with OU's offense have increased. He and Halzle have split about 80 percent of the practice snaps, with starter Paul Thompson taking the other 20 percent just to stay sharp.

"Sam's got a tight spiral,” said Thompson, one admirer of Bradford's arm. "It comes out tight and on a line. Very rarely does he have balls sail on him or come out on a wobble.

"He's got a real sharp, crisp pass.”

Wilson said Bradford "probably had the strongest arm to come out of the state of Oklahoma in a long time.”

Bradford, at 6-foot-4, is bigger than McCoy. And Wilson said he projects his former pupil to reach 230 pounds someday.Like McCoy, who took over a veteran Longhorns offense, the Sooners' next quarterback won't be taxed with carrying his team.

OU returns nine of the 11 starters who opened the Big 12 Championship game.

That factor alone soothes Sooner coaches.




More stories By John Helsley:
Opportunity knocks
Don't give up on Bradford yet
Oklahoma football: Quarterback debate
Could Sooners' redshirt frosh be another McCoy?
OU women's game sold out
The new ‘No. 7'
Quarterback recruit Nichol seems like the anti-Bomar
OU has seen it all in nonconference play
Oklahoma vs. Northern Colorado
Sooners have traveled coast to coast
Seamless transition
Junior-college transfer Ah You quickly has become an OU stalwart
P.T. deserves an MVP
Sooner quarterback’s leadership makes him valuable
Paris leads Sooners in blowout
No. 3 Oklahoma 87, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 42
Sophomore has 24 points, 11 rebounds as OU moves to 8-0
Sooners’ Welch feeling good
Stirring the quarterback mix
Nichol’s plans didn’t include joining Sooners

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[CobraKai]

The last 4 n00b quarterbacks nobody believed in that I can think of who come to mind are that "scrawny Heupel kid, that pegleg Jason White kid, that wide-receiver Paul Thompson and that little boy Colt McCoy..."

Those are the last 4 n00b QBs that nobody believed in that actually did something. I can think of several more QBs that nobody believed in that did absolutely nothing. For every Josh Heupel there are 10 Jerry Smiths or Freddie Epsteins that nobody gave a chance, and as it turned out they were right to not give them a chance! Just sayin...

[goingoneight]

You think Stoops took Bradford in as a *quarterback* to direct a scout team?

It looks like Bradford will be in a battle like Hybl and White were to succeed the great one...

You're right, however... I have seen some guys fade out who were pretty dim in the first place. Bank on it... Bradford, Halzle, Nichol or McEachern... whoever plays, their backup will get the loudest cheers upon his entry. I remember the spring game when Rhomar started out and it was fairly quiet... people criticizing his throwing motion, his spiral, his accuracy. Then Halzle came in, a guy who most didn't know who the hell he was. But in fact, they loudly applauded him after two or three good plays. Then when the D started playing tough pass-coverage, the all silenced. I also remember Rhomar getting cheers over PT in a fall scrimmage of 2005. Both stunk it up that day.

[proudsoonergal]

*4 National Championships at OU with a QB with the initials of 'JH'. Also 7 Conference Championships with an 'H' QB.


Well, that explains what happened in the 90's. Justin Fuente? Brandon Daniels? Eric Moore? DANG it....wrong initials!!!! ;)

[mightysooner]

In one of Stoops' latest press conferences he was questioned about the QB position going in to next season. He remarked about having the same question asked going in to this season and how it turned out and he said "we'll be fine next season at the QB position. I promise you that." I've never heard him promise anything. I'd say he knows something we don't and he's assured already that we'll be fine one way or the other. My opinion? Bradford is coming along nicely.