OU lineman quits to join Marines

NORMAN — Some Oklahoma football players might liken strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt to a military drill sergeant. Now Britt Mitchell can make a first-hand comparison.

The freshman offensive lineman left the Sooners late last week and has enlisted with the United States Marine Corps, OU sports information director Kenny Mossman confirmed Tuesday.

“He has the coaching staff’s full support in pursuing something that has been attractive to him for some time,” Mossman said.

Mitchell, a 6-foot-6, 311-pound freshman tackle from Roscoe, Texas, enrolled at OU in January and went through winter and spring workouts with the team. He had begun summer training with Schmidt before deciding on a military career.

Mitchell’s departure won’t have a major impact on the Sooners. He was the least-recruited of OU’s three offensive line signees in February and was one of the lowest rated players in the 21-man signing class, according to Internet recruiting services Rivals and Scout.

However, offensive line depth could become an issue in the future. OU has five full- or part-time starters who will be seniors this fall.