OU notebook

The quarterback wasn't Bob Stoops' only announcement Tuesday. The Oklahoma coach gave out the names of his team captains for the upcoming season, as voted on by the players.

Allen Patrick and Joe Jon Finley were chosen as the offensive captains, with Lewis Baker and Marcus Walker representing the defense. Once again, Jacob Gutierrez was named the special teams captain. All five players are seniors.

"Those guys have been awesome leaders, great players for us, and really, workers throughout the year,” Stoops said. "I was really pleased. They overwhelmingly got probably 95, 96 percent of the vote.”

•Beeler to Stanford? Former Oklahoma center Chase Beeler has been released from his scholarship and might transfer to Stanford, according to a report in Tuesday's San Francisco Chronicle.

The 6-foot-3, 270-pound Jenks product left the Sooners last week to focus on academics. Beeler was recruited by Stanford out of high school and reportedly made an official visit to the school Saturday.

•No scrimmage: Stoops has seen all he needed to see from his team in a game situation with fans around. A scrimmage originally scheduled for tonight at 6 will not take place. Instead, the team will practice behind closed doors, as usual.

•Hurricane preparations: Game-planning for the season opener against North Texas began this week, but Stoops and his coaching staff are also trying to work in some pieces of what they'll do against Miami in the second game, Sept. 8.

"We've been working them both, trying to get extra work,” Stoops said.

•Patrick's return? Allen Patrick's sprained ankle continues to improve, but there is not yet a timetable for his return.

"What day it'll be, I don't know,” Stoops said. "He's getting better every day.”

By Scott Wright