The Oklahoman's Jason Kersey took questions from readers in Tuesday's OU Power Lunch Chat. Below is a complete transcript of the chat.
10:30 a.m.
Jason will be signing in at 11 a.m. to chat. You can start submitting your questions now.
11:00 a.m.
Good morning everyone and welcome to the chat!
11:00 a.m.
Your thoughts on OU's next game against K State, and what is your score prediction?
11:03 a.m.
I think it's going to be a lot tougher for the Sooners than I thought it'd be a couple weeks ago, that's for sure. K-State looked really good against Miami, although it's unclear how good Miami really is. I'm willing to bet Miami's a better squad than UTEP, though. If Casey Walker gets back to form that adds some depth which should help against KSU's run game. I'm not ready to make a score prediction yet because I know it will change in some way before the actual game. Check back with me next week!
11:03 a.m.
Will Damien Williams take over the starting position at RB? Do you think he is better than Whaley?
11:06 a.m.
At this point, I don't think there's any doubt that Williams is playing better than Whaley. I'm not sure Whaley is entirely back to form. Josh Heupel said he didn't see any contact during fall camp, so I'm sure there's an adjustment period for him. If I had to guess, I'd say that if Williams doesn't take over as the starter, he'll definitely be the guy who gets the most carries by Texas week if not sooner.
11:06 a.m.
I haven't seen Chaz Nelson on the field yet. Do you know why he isn't playing?
11:08 a.m.
Chaz Nelson hurt his knee during two a days and is out for probably at least two or three more weeks
11:08 a.m.
Your thoughts on Landry's performance after these 1st 2 games?
11:11 a.m.
I think he's done OK. In the first game, I think he really showcased this newfound mobility that we've heard so much about. This week, I thought he was really telegraphing his passes and made some very questionable decisions on one pass early in the first quarter that should've been intercepted, and then a pass early in the second quarter that was actually intercepted. I think he might be starting to rely a little too much on Kenny Stills, kind of like he did with Broyles last year, and we all saw how that turned out when Broyles was taken from him. By my count, 13 of Jones' 28 pass attempts were intended for Stills. But I think as Justin Brown and Trey Metoyer get more acclimated to the college game, that might get better.
11:12 a.m.
Who is the best team right now, in your opinion, in college football, and why?
11:13 a.m.
Alabama. They just seem absolutely dominant right now, and I'm not sure anyone outside of LSU or USC would be able to hang with them.
11:13 a.m.
Will Tony Jefferson be able to play against K State?
11:14 a.m.
Yes, I think he will be fine for the K-State game. Coaches said he probably could've played against FAMU if the game had been closer. He was held out of practice Monday, but I think that's more precautionary than anything. He should be good to go by next Saturday.
11:14 a.m.
Didn't OU recruit a RB names David Wilson? If so, will he play this season. Will Alex Ross redshirt?
11:16 a.m.
They've got a true freshman RB named David Smith, is that who you're referring to? I wouldn't expect him to play this season, and, just based on what we've seen through 2 games, Alex Ross is looking more and more likely to redshirt. The emergence of Damien Williams means Smith and Ross will probably get another year to develop, which I don't think is a bad thing
11:16 a.m.
Any of the tightends separating themself from the others yet?
11:17 a.m.
Brannon Green is the only one that I can remember catching a pass through two games, and against UTEP it was a big-time TD pass. McNamara was the first TE to play Saturday, though. I think they all three bring a little something different to the table and will all contribute
11:17 a.m.
Any word on when any of the suspended players might return?
11:18 a.m.
No word yet.
11:19 a.m.
With Casey Walker back, does King move to DE. How long until Anderson/Phliips are playing meaningful snaps at DT to provide some depth at the position?
11:20 a.m.
King said he worked at DE yesterday at practice, so I would assume he'll start lining up more there in games. Still, King moved inside when Stacy McGee was suspended and Casey Walker was still there, so I would expect King to still play inside quite a bit for now.
11:20 a.m.
Is the primary reason Whaley is getting so few touches because he keeps fumbling?
11:22 a.m.
Well, possibly. I think easing him back in has something to do with it as well, and Damien Williams is playing lights out and earning carries in his own right.
11:22 a.m.
Blake Bell looked very good on Saturday but wish he would have played more. Will we see him passing more out of the BellDozer formation?
11:23 a.m.
I wouldn't rule anything out. Stoops said before the season that they were expanding the Belldozer package, so it's certainly a possibility
11:23 a.m.
Jason it seemed like every one was questing the defense at the start of the season
11:23 a.m.
Season. Seems lilke the d is playing gine to me sure they csn brush up. But seens like the o line is the question mark now ur thoughts
11:25 a.m.
I think questions remain about the defense. They haven't played any great competition yet, and have still given up some big plays.
11:26 a.m.
Why doesn't OU consider using Bell to run some option plays out of the Belldozer??
11:27 a.m.
I think because it's really not necessary. The way they've used the Belldozer has worked just fine, and Damien Williams and his tough running may have made its use not as necessary
11:27 a.m.
Is Danzel Williams still on the roster?
11:28 a.m.
Yes
11:28 a.m.
Alex Ross did not see any play during the FAMU game so is it safe to say he will be redshirted if he hasn't been already?
11:28 a.m.
I think it's a safe assumption at this point
11:28 a.m.
Why has OU, and Texas for that matter, constantly had excellent recruiting classes, but over the past few years underperformed. It can't be a lack of talent so is talent at the wrong positions being recruited or is there something systemic going on?
11:29 a.m.
Great question, and it's something I'm going to be exploring in a story soon. I think it's a combination of players not being as good as advertised and players leaving the team for various reasons.
11:29 a.m.
interesting to see how Alabama recruits compared to OU. They go after big OT & DT from JUCO - will we see more of this from OU?
11:30 a.m.
Not sure if OU will change the way it recruits, but it's definitely a good question and something worth exploring
11:31 a.m.
Thanks everyone for your questions! Have a great rest of your week
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