Sooners sign another stellar class, but QB Jones could make the biggest impact Sooners sign another stellar class, but QB Jones could make the biggest impact
NORMAN — Oklahoma signed one of the top-five recruiting classes in the nation Wednesday, filling needs at wide receiver, linebacker and defensive back.
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But blue-chip, 4-star quarterback Landry Jones — the recruit often overlooked by fans because of Sam Bradford — could be the player who makes the biggest impact from this class when he finally gets his chance.
"He's one of the top quarterbacks in the country,” coach Bob Stoops said Wednesday. "He's a big, strong guy that has a big arm. He's a guy who just won a state championship. A guy that's used to winning.”
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Jones led Artesia High School to two New Mexico state championships and Artesia compiled an overall record of 24-2 in his two years as the starter.
As a senior, Jones threw for 3,850 yards and 44 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions.
As a junior, he threw for 3,432 yards and 45 touchdowns.
Jones earned Parade Magazine All-American honors and drew scholarship offers from Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, UCLA, Virginia and Wisconsin.
But early on in the recruiting process, Jones knew he wanted to be a Sooner.
Last March, he committed to OU.
"Lots of people wanted him,” OU quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel said. "We're excited about him, his future here. You don't know what's going to happen. Landry has confidence about what he can do on the football field and he doesn't mind competing against guys who are older than him.”
Jones didn't waiver in his commitment either, even after Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency as a redshirt freshman last fall.
"He still wanted to go to OU after what Bradford did,” Artesia head football coach Cooper Henderson said. "That's where he wanted to go and that's where he went.”
Jones graduated from Artesia early and enrolled at OU this semester so he could participate in Sooner practice this spring along with freshman running back Justin Johnson and freshman offensive lineman Britt Mitchell.
"Landry Jones is the unsung hero in this class, the biggest guy no one talks about,” said Jeremy Crabtree, national recruiting editor for Rivals.com. "He's one of these kids, down the road, everyone will be relatively surprised just how talented he is. And he's not going to hand things over to Sam. He's going to push Sam to get better.”
But while Jones could push Bradford, beating him out altogether would be highly unlikely.
Instead, barring injury to Bradford, Jones probably won't take a meaningful snap for the next three seasons.
Then, perhaps as a redshirt junior, Jones will battle Keith Nichol to replace Bradford.
"What I love is that none of them have flinched,” Stoops said. "They want to compete.
"I love guys like that.”
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I'm sure Jones and Nichol are good guys and I wish them well, but thankfully the OU coaches are smarter than you people. Competition is fine, but they want no part of a controversy. There are a lot of positions up for grabs this spring and fall, quarterback ain't one of them. Again, no injury to Bradford and he gets 95% of meaningful snaps. I even predict DeMarco Murray gets more snaps behind center than any backup qb.
Took my son over to Lovington, NM this past season to see Landry's first game of Senior year and watched him throw 40 yards "on a rope". Also able to run well outside the pocket which conventional wisdom does not usually give him credit. Although, I have to say he was not facing a high level of competition that night as the best thing Lovington had going for itself was the brand new BLUE turf field partially provided by their most famous alum, Brian Urlacher.
two headed quarterback system?? Give me a break! What did Bradford do this past year? The rest of these guys are sitting the pine unless Bradford get hurt, then...if they play well you may see something. I guess I am one of the few that was "very satisfied" with Bradford and doesnt think its very likely that someone else will top it.
Maybe for the first time under Coach Stoops, we'll have a two-headed monster at QBack. Bradford/Jones as drop-back traditional passers and Keith Nichol as a run/pass threat during different situations in games...similar to what Florida and LSU have done in the past...
Nichols should have gotten the ball when the Sooners are inside the ten. Bradford doesn't have the speed to run the bootleg. Wilson sometimes can't see passed his nose. Maybe we Stoops should look for some help for Venerable also. I agree with the assessment about Jones, saw him on the Burger King contest. If not for one miss he would have won the thing. He certainly doesn't look like a senior in high school. Great arm. He's also big enough to take a hit. I like Bradford but he better be looking over his shoulder. Hope Stoops give them all equal ammount of snaps. I ran into a OSU fan here in Texas and he said he was for OSU and everyone else who were playing the Sooner's. He was a former lineman on the OSU team from Enid. They never won while he was playing. Lots of good Sooner fan around Longview. Go Sooner's, never heard so much crying over the guys that went north of the river. You know its sort of like the USA everyone wants in but you don't see them wanting out. Texas guys like Oklahoma.
If Nichol is so special why didn't he get the ball in the Tech game? He's still buried on the depth chart and will be 3rd again going into Spring. He does show a lot of character sticking around. What the heck does it mean to have one qb who is more "physical"? Is that a good thing? Smarter, yes, better at reading defenses, yes, leader in the huddle, yes, physical....? Bradford didn't come in with the hype. That's it. He might be one of the best athletes on campus. I saw him play football and basketball in high school, and he was outstanding at both. Oh, and he's a scratch golfer also. OU's very fortunate to have him behind center for 3 more years.
I agree with Howard. Keith and Landry are both going to give Sam a run for his money. Not saying Sam isn't a good quarterback but I believe Keith is way more physical then Sam. It will be a spring training for the quarterbacks and can't wait to see how they all do
I don't know about rotating QB's but I wouldn't mind seeing the #2 get more playing time. This staff has never been one to bring a starter out when the game is well in hand to give the back up an ample amount of playing time. You could tell when Halzle was thrown into the fire at Tech that he was a little lost at first. Once he got his rhythm he did well but by then it was too late.
Cody I agree also. Both schools have their bottom of the barrel fans. To bad those are the fans you see and hear the most from. They don't represent themselves or their schools in a positive way. That image they portray makes all Oklahomans look like simple back county folk with no class or education.
It would be nice to have a QB that was not one dimensional, when the opponents see this they load up the box and bring 6 or 7 on 3rd down. If they had a 2 QB system that bring the element of surprise, that would really loosen things up for Gresham and tha boys.
George- I agree, people should have more class. That said, Almost every article about OU has OSU fans posting things about the "cheating gooners", etc. Both schools have fans with little class, probably it is often the people who never attended either university. I've come across plenty of OSU fans that are just like the OU fans you've seen.
It's amazing to me. I just read an article about one kid committing to OSU. There were as many or more comments about the kid and his "stupid" decision to sign with the OSU "losers" by the Sooner nation than the OSU faithful welcoming him in. All comments by OU fans were negative. Most all called the kid and his chosen team losers. Nice class. Now I read an article about several kids choosing to play for OU and noticed one thing. Not one negative comment posted by an OSU fan. It just proves to me that most OSU fans have more class and respect for these young men, their abilities, and there decisions than the rabid OU fans. Yes I am a OSU fan first but I also cheer for OU and think it's great that you have signed a great recruiting class. But don't start dumping on these 17 year old kids and their decisions before they even leave the gate. It shows your lack of class and respect for others.
Controversy? Bradford just had the best passing season for any freshman quarterback in NCAA history and led the nation in passing efficiency for all classes. You want him to play defense too? No one is beating him out, if he's healthy.
Quarterback controvery coming our way? If so, with the caliber of quarterbacks we have and their positive attitudes toward OU it will be good for the program.
Not Justin Jones, Justin Johnson. Don't count out Keith Nichol, he's a badboy when it comes too slinging it. When he understands the offence he will have some serious MOJO on his side. So will Landry Jones tho. Bradfords job is under serious attack for the next two years at least..BOOMER SOONER!!!
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Muskogee receiver Jameel Owens, right, smiles as he signs a letter of intent to play football for Oklahoma on Wednesday in Muskogee. Stacy McGee, left, also signed with the Sooners. BY Cory Young, FROM THE TULSA WORLD
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