Landry coming back for his senior season
CAMPUS CORNER — Well, that didn’t take long. Landry Jones told me and another reporter a week ago that he would likely wait until the Jan. 15 deadline to make a decision about the NFL. Didn’t need that long. He’s coming back for his senior season.
Here’s the story I just filed …
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By TRAVIS HANEY
NORMAN – Landry Jones said he intended to wait until the Jan. 15 deadline to make a decision about his future. The Oklahoma quarterback didn’t need nearly that much time, turned out.
Jones announced through the school Thursday that he will return for his senior season at OU.
“I want to accomplish the goals that I set before I got here, and there is still a lot more to do,” Jones said in a release. “I want to make sure I’ve exhausted every effort in that area.
“And I want to be a senior. I enjoy being at OU and with my teammates and look forward to graduating with the guys that were in my class when I got here.”
OU coach Bob Stoops supported the decision to have the school’s all-time leading passer back for another season.
Without Jones, the Sooners would have had a spring and summer quarterback battle between Drew Allen and Blake Bell, who have thrown a combined 34 passes.
“We know the positive influence Landry has on and off the field with our team,” Stoops said. “We’re excited that he’s coming back to build on what has already been an outstanding career. We expect another great year from him and like the fact that he’s determined to be even better.”
More than any other factor, Jones seemed to take note of what was returning for the Sooners on offense. With Jones returning, there’s a good chance the Sooners will again be among the Big 12 favorites in 2012.
The Sooners started 2011 as the preseason No. 1, but they fell three times on the way to an appearance in last week’s Insight Bowl. They defeated Iowa 31-14 to snare the school’s third consecutive bowl win, but they had set their vision much higher in the summer months.
“We hope to have another opportunity to make a title run,” Jones said. “Most of the offensive line returns and we have several receivers and backs return, too. We’ve also got a lot of guys back on defense, so we’re confident that we can be a strong team.”
Jones threw for 4,463 yards, with 29 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, as a junior. ESPN analysts such as Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay noted a late-season slip in stock for Jones, who went from Nov. 5 until the bowl game without throwing a touchdown.
Despite that perceived slip, Jones was still considered by Kiper the No. 15 overall prospect in the draft – and the No. 3 quarterback, behind only Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Baylor’s Robert Griffin III. Jones still figured to be a first-rounder.
Jones and USC’s Matt Barkley, who announced just before Christmas he was returning to school, will likely be the top two quarterback prospects entering the 2012 season.
“That’s the ultimate goal for anyone who plays football,” Jones said of the NFL. “I’ve thought about that since I was a little boy. It would be a great honor to play in the NFL, and that goal will still be there when I finish at Oklahoma.”
A big part of Jones’ perceived late slide had to do with the loss of senior receiver Ryan Broyles, who tore his left ACL against Texas A&M.
Without Broyles, the NCAA’s career receptions leader, the Sooners lost the threat of their vertical passing game. Defenses were able to key on No. 2 target, Kenny Stills. Then No. 3 receiver, sophomore Jaz Reynolds, was lost with a kidney injury, further hamstringing OU.
Having to go the length of the field to score, that often put backup Bell in the game in the power-run “Belldozer” formation. While Jones’ passing touchdowns disappeared, Bell’s rushing touchdowns spiked. The redshirt freshman rushed for 13 scores after the formation was introduced in the Oct. 29 win at Kansas State.
Bell’s three rushing scores in the Insight Bowl netted him MVP honors. Stoops said he thought Jones was more deserving, despite fairly pedestrian numbers from the starter.
