What player or players will be unheralded contributors to OUr 2007 season?

[stoopified]

By this I mean which redshirts,rexerves and incoming frosh devoid of big pub will make their mark.An example of this IMHO was last year when Chris Brown stepped up and played after AD's injury.He was proably the least heralded of OUr RB recruits.It could also be argued that AP falls into that category as I do not think anyone envisioned he would rush for over 700 yards last year.In any case my nominee is Adrian Taylor DT (RSfr.).

Merv Johnson just raved about him last year.I have over the years asked Merv who the lesser known players are who will step up and he is usually right.Case in point is Chris Brown.The week of the ISU game I asked him who he thought was most ready to step up and play RB-wise and his reply was CHRIS BROWN.AD gets hurt later that day and Chris steps into the rotation the next week.This is while EVERYONE ELSE(internet experts,TV and newspaper experts,fans) were all saying Mosis Madu was the guy.

So who are the unsung players who are going to step up?

[MojoRisen]

Lewis Baker

[Sooner Among The Pack]

I'd nominate Adron Tennell, though I'm not sure if he qualifies as being "unhearlded".

[htownsooner7]

DJ Wolfe/Keenan Clayton at SS. Whichever one wins the job will have a big impact on this team..

[PAW]

Tommy Taggert

[mikeelikee]

Austin Box will tear it up on special teams.

I also think John Williams will finally be healthy and play with the same abandon he did against TCU before he tore his ACL.

[swardboy]

Not to threadjack, but this kind of thread came up last summer I think, and I don't believe AP was anyone's radar.

[goingoneight]

Possibilities:

1. Sam Bradford. Everyone is hoping for him to be good, I just honestly feel like he's going to be an amazing freshmen QB if given the chance (starting yob).

2. Quentin Chaney. For what it's worth, he really stepped up and played well when called upon last year in limited duty. He's a junior now, so he's got the time in the system to truly blossom. He's not a bad run-blocker, either.

3. Lewis Baker. Always gets trash-talk from the fans but has been a serious contributor in tight games over the years. It's kinda like this: you make a hundred great hits and tackles, and everyone remembers the ONE TIME you got burnt on a hook-and-lateral. Best on special teams coverage also.

4. Jacob Gutierrez. Now hear me out... I'm not predicting a tremendous season for him rushing the ball, but he plays with everything he's got and is a TREMENDOUS leader. If you want your team to be led by example of greatness and class, Gute is a sure-fire candidate.

[D-Sweet]

I'd nominate Adron Tennell, though I'm not sure if he qualifies as being "unhearlded".
Gonna be tough for him: unproven QB, great pack of runners and a lot of experience (Kelly, Iglesias and Johnson) ahead of him. Then there's the tight ends...

Amazing how many weapons the team has this year.

[IronHorseSooner]

Brody Eldridge, if he comes back healthy. He has NFL-potential as an H-back. Also look for John Cooper anchoring that line. He's a tactician and I am surprised that he is not on any AA or even All Big XII lists.

[King Crimson]

i'd love to see Jacob Gutierrez have a big year. Kid is all class. people forget what a big game he had against Baylor in 05 (a game that should never have gone to OT if we can cover the deep ball down the middle and not fumble when setting up a game clinching FG).

KeJuan and Peterson are out, and Gute and Runnels make plays. D let us down that game.

i doubt Gute sees the ball much, but he's a gamer and a great Sooner.

[Collier11]

dane zaslaw...seriously!

[LittleWingSooner]

This has turned to unheralded overall players instead of freshmen. My pick is Brody Eldridge because he'll always be criticized for dropping passes. But this guy will be the key to our run game which should be really good. He may end up a better blocker then JD Runnels was.

As far as freshmen is Austin English a redshirt freshman? He may be our best defensive end this year.

[illinisooner]

Brody Eldridge, if he comes back healthy. He has NFL-potential as an H-back. Also look for John Cooper anchoring that line. He's a tactician and I am surprised that he is not on any AA or even All Big XII lists.

He will be on those lists by the end of the year.

[insuranceman_22]

This is a little off track, but I'll look to the coaching ranks and hope it's BV.

[goingoneight]

^^^ you and me both.

[OuFan55]

If the circumstance arrives, and he gets to play, watch for Jordan Nix.

Nix had a major impact on his H.S. team Lawton MacArthur. Nix participated in the State Finals with his team, the Highlanders and was very disruptive in the opposing teams backfield as a DT.

David Anderson a team-mate of Nix's is a D.E. and was also a major reason the Highlander Defense was one of the best in the State of Oklahoma last year.

Anderson and Nix are used to playing together and could form a future Sooner Defensive Line. These guys are incoming freshmen and have kind of been "under the radar". Don't be surprised at how good these guys are when you see them play. You heard it here first.

[rhombic21]

I like the Chaney pick. He stepped up and had a big game in the Fiesta bowl when Malcolm went down, and I think he's poised to have a breakout year.

I would nominate Chris Brown again as well. Everybody is talking about Patrick and Murray lighting up scoreboards from the run-game situation, but I think Brown is our most polished runner between the tackles, and is very good in pass protection as well. I think he'll make a bunch of very important plays for us this year. I could even see him overtaking Patrick as the starting runningback, if Patrick doesn't curtail some of his issues with fumbling the ball.

Defensively, I also like the Clayton/Wolfe pick. I could see either of those guys stepping in and making a big impact. Clayton has the prototypical build and physical tools that you expect in a big-time safety, so I'm excited to see if he can finally get the schemes down. Wolfe is a great story and the ultimate team player, so I would also love to see him find a home at safety, because he's a great athlete that keeps getting lost in the shuffle at other positions.

I will also throw out Brandon Caleb. Everybody has been talking about Tennell from that class, but Caleb really impresses me with his size and strength. We have a bit of a logjam at WR, but I could see him coming in and being a Travis Wilson type from 2004.

[AzianSooner]

I am sure 100% that whoever chosen to be QB.

[insuranceman_22]

Yep Azian - I've got to go with the starting QB also.