Jake Trotter answers readers' questions about Oklahoma football in his mailbag every Friday. Got a question for Jake? Submit it here.
Michael in Long Beach, Calif., writes: Was Brandon Williams’ departure a two-way thing? Was he not what OU thought he was going to be? Or would the Sooners have liked to keep him?
Jake Trotter: No, the Sooners didn’t want him to leave and actually tried to talk him into staying. Ultimately, Williams wanted to be closer to his family in Brookshire, Texas. That’s why leaving OU and going to Texas A&M made sense.
Matt in New Mexico writes: I am all for Landry Jones coming back next year. With that in mind, how will our offensive line be next year?
Jake Trotter: It has a chance to be better, especially in run blocking. Freshman guard Adam Shead proved to be a ferocious run blocker, and he’s only going to improve. Ben Habern and Gabe Ikard are all-conference caliber, and Tyler Evans is solid. The key will be the tackles. Can Lane Johnson make a seamless transition from right to left tackle? Will someone (Daryl Williams, Tyrus Thompson?) emerge on the right side? What happens on the bookends will be paramount to the success of the entire line.
Jeff in Shekou, China, writes: I haven't seen Brent Venables being interviewed by any teams. Pittsburg, Arizona State and Houston all just hired their new coaches. When is Bob Stoops going to pull the plug and bring Mike Stoops back before someone else hires him?
Jake Trotter: It’s been very quiet with Venables and other coaching gigs. But Stoops isn’t going to can Venables, nor he should he. That doesn’t mean Mike Stoops won’t end up on the OU staff. There’s still a chance someone takes a job elsewhere, which would then create a spot for Mike.
Eric in Weatherford, Okla., writes: Defensive tackle depth is a big need for OU going forward and it was a big struggle this year. What is up with the lack of recruiting DTs this year?
Jake Trotter: Eric, it’s very curious. The Sooners made some offers in the summer, and didn’t get any bites. Since, they’ve been dormant. Considering that a couple of young tackles on roster could be on the way out, it seems odd the Sooners haven’t been more aggressive recruiting a position where they could sure use some help.
Mikey in Edmond, Okla., writes: Why doesn't Oklahoma have a special teams coordinator yet? Special teams is a huge part of the game.
Jake Trotter: I’ve been saying this for three years, but to no avail. Until Stoops feels he needs a special teams coach, he isn’t going to hire one. And I can tell you right now Stoops doesn’t believe he needs a coach dedicated to special teams full time.
Jeff in Midwest City, Okla., writes: Jake, I think OU is doing great things. I gotta admit, the mass exodus thing was getting a bit worrisome, but I think we are past the madness.
Jake Trotter: Anytime there’s a big break in media availability like there was, people tend to get anxious. But the truth is, nobody that’s left so far, with the exception of Brandon Williams, has been a key contributor on the field.
Mike Bassi in Campbell, Calif., writes: There have been a lot of defections and attitude issues this year. Bad kids or bad ideas in coaching that the kids don't agree with?
Jake Trotter: It’s too harsh to call them bad kids. But there has been some bad behavior, which Stoops referenced earlier in the week: missed classes, poor attitude, failed drug tests. Stoops is done dealing with the less than exemplary behavior of a few.