Oklahoma readies for Bradford’s replacement

By John Hillman  |   Sunday, April 12, 2009  |  Comments( 1 )

Oklahoma Sooners
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The clock ticks down on quarterback Sam Bradford’s Oklahoma Sooner career. A year from now, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner should emerge as the NFL’s top draft pick. However, no alarm exists at Oklahoma, which has several talented quarterback prospects watching from the sidelines.

In spring drills, the OU coaching staff focused on redshirt freshman Landry Jones as Bradford’s successor. Jones, who enrolled at Oklahoma in January 2008, accumulated impressive high school numbers in Artesia, N.M., but appeared tentative in his debut at last year’s Red-White contest. Hampered by high winds, the 6-foot-4 former Parade All-American threw erratically, misfiring on his first four pass attempts.

But a year of study under quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel has groomed Jones into a worthy backup. In last Saturday’s scrimmage, the second-string quarterback completed 5 of 12 passes for 73 yards and one touchdown.

On his 10-yard scoring toss to Jameel Owens, Jones sidestepped pressure, scrambled to the right, and threw back to his left. He also connected with Ryan Broyles for a first down in a third-and-15 situation.

However, Jones still needs some fine-tuning. On a deep out to Mossis Madu, cornerback Dominique Franks anticipated the route, intercepted the pass, and returned it 42 yards for a defensive touchdown.

Along with his towering frame and powerful arm, Jones’ progress has impressed Bradford, who possesses complete confidence in his potential replacement.

“I think it’s night and day from what he was doing in the fall to how he’s playing right now,” Bradford said. “He could probably be starting at lot of places.”

The Sooners also gave third-stringer Drew Allen a brief look in their annual spring game. Allen, a true freshman who enrolled at OU a semester early like Jones, struggled with his passing game. The former standout at San Antonio Alamo Heights in Texas hit only 4 of 14 attempts for 58 yards with one interception.

The Oklahoma quarterback situation received another boost last week with Blake Bell’s announcement he had selected the Sooners over Nebraska, Georgia, LSU, Iowa, Miami, Notre Dame, Oregon and Texas A&M. The 6-6 Bell, from Bishop Carroll High School in Wichita, Kan., threw for 3,231 yards and 37 touchdown passes last season. The nation’s top quarterback prospect for the 2010 class also averaged 4.1 yards per carry and scored 12 rushing touchdowns in '08.

After spring drills, questions remain along the offensive line and at wide receiver for the 2009 Sooners. But when it comes to replacing Bradford, the answers appear to be simply waiting in the wings.
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About John Hillman

John Hillman graduated from Baylor University in 1974 with a BBA in accounting and earned an MBA from Baylor in 1987. He worked for accounting firms until 1982 when he became the chief financial officer for an independent insurance claims adjusting service, a position he still holds today. ...
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