Clapp in the running at fullback
Coaches like what they see in rising junior from Phoenix
Clapp in the running at fullback

NORMAN — During team drills Wednesday, fullback Matt Clapp received a carry out of the backfield and raced right.

There waiting for him was linebacker Austin Box. So Clapp lowered his shoulder and knocked Box onto his back and into the turf before finally being dragged down by Ryan Reynolds.

"At fullback, you've got to be a physical guy,” Clapp said. "You've got to be the type of guy who loves to deliver the hit.”

In the Fiesta Bowl, Oklahoma had trouble stopping West Virginia fullback Owen Schmitt, who had 64 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Now, the Sooners might have their own version of Schmitt in the lineup.

"Matt has a good feel back there, and he is a powerful guy,” coach Bob Stoops said. "He is doing well back there.”

With DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown out with injuries this spring and Mossis Madu and freshman Justin Johnson the only healthy tailbacks on roster, OU has experimented handing the ball off to Clapp out of necessity.

And through four spring practices, the Sooner coaches have been pleased with his running ability.

"He's ran hard and well and instinctively looks kind of nice,” offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. "He's really good at fullback, and playing tailback, he's really a pretty nice runner.

"Out of necessity, sometimes you run into something you didn't know you had.”

Last season, OU had a logjam at fullback with seniors Ian Pleasant and Dane Zaslaw manning the position.

Tight end Brody Eldridge also showed he could play fullback, too, well enough that he earned first-team all-Big 12 honors at fullback last season.

So, the Sooners asked Clapp to redshirt and wait another year for his turn.

"Redshirting last year really helped me out a lot,” said Clapp, a rising junior out of Phoenix. "Now I'm the man, I think, for the spot. I'm getting a lot of carries in practice. Running the ball has been a fun deal.”

How many carries are around for Clapp next season remains to be seen, especially after Murray and Brown return and Jermie Calhoun, one of the nation's top high school running backs, arrives on campus in the summer.

But Wilson hinted at a couple of scenarios in which Clapp might get the ball despite the deep and talented backfield.

One, when OU wants to line up Murray in the slot ormotion him there out of a two-back formation.

Two, when OU wants to play power football on short yardage situations or near the goal line, perhaps putting Eldridge at fullback and Clapp behind him at tailback.

"That would give us a lot of lead back there,” Wilson said. "That is just one more thing for us to look at. Maybe that is not a move that we want to do, but Clapp should do well at fullback. We'll still have Brody back there, and he is an all-league fullback. Either way, I think that is going to be a position of strength.”

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