OU football: Sooner guard to transfer

Sophomore offensive guard Alex Williams told The Oklahoman Friday that he is transferring from Oklahoma, leaving more questions about an inexperienced Sooner offensive line heading into next season.

Williams said he and OU coach Bob Stoops had a conversation two weeks ago regarding his status with the team.

After that conversation, both parties decided Williams would be better off at another school.

“Basically, it's nothing against anyone,” Williams said in a telephone interview from his hometown of New Orleans. “It's no controversy or nothing. We just felt like I could do better somewhere else.”

Williams played in six games as a backup in 2008 during his redshirt freshman season.

In the spring, he was running with the second team at guard behind senior Brian Simmons and sophomore Stephen Good.

Williams' departure means that Simmons and Good will be OU's only two returning scholarship players at guard.

First-year walk-on Brian Lepak proved to be a dependable backup at guard during the spring, but he will also have to split time as the backup center behind Ben Habern, since center Jason Hannan decided to transfer in March.

The Sooners lost another guard during the off-season in Enid native Kody Cooke, who is also transferring.

Incoming junior-college transfer Tavaris Jeffries, who was lightly recruited out of Clarksdale (Miss.) Coahoma Community College, will now be counted on to immediately fill one of those reserve roles at guard.

Williams said he has just started the transfer process and has no idea at the moment which schools he will be considering.