The start of fall camp in early August is nearly here for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners came up just short in the College Football Playoff last year and they'll need to use fall camp to get the new starters and newcomers ready for the season. As with every team around the country, there are some areas of concern for OU. With fall camp nearly here, it's time to take a look at the five biggest question marks surrounding Oklahoma Football.
5. What About Backup QB?
Baker Mayfield is a Heisman contender and one of the best QBs in the country. But if he goes down, the Sooners could be in trouble. Trevor Knight wasn't perfect, but with Knight at Texas A&M, there's a hole behind Mayfield. True freshman Austin Kendall is the likely backup and although he looked sharp in the spring game, that's a bit dangerous. This doesn't matter if Mayfield stays healthy, but given his style of play, the Sooners should be at least a bit worried about the QB depth.
4. Who Are The Impact Players On Defense?
First-Team All-Big 12 members Eric Striker, Charles Tapper, Dominique Alexander and Zack Sanchez are all gone. The Sooners have lost their top playmakers on defense and they'll need to find a way to replace. At corner, Jordan Thomas will be counted on to make more plays, while Dakota Austin and P.J. Mbanasor fight for the vacant starting spot. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo will likely take over the Striker DE/OLB pass rusher role and he'll need to deliver. Ricky DeBerry will likely play a key pass rusher role as well. Tay Evans will assume the starting LB role next to Jordan Evans, who missed the Orange Bowl. The Sooners have talent on the defensive side, but that talent will need to take a step forward.
3. Who Replace Sterling Shepard?
Of all the players the Sooners lost this year, WR Sterling Shepard might be the biggest. He had 86 catches, 1,288 yards and 11 TDs, figures that eclipsed any two returning Sooners combined, since No. 3 option Durron Neal is also gone. WR Dede Westbrook must go from No. 2 WR to No. 1 this year to keep the Sooners' offense humming. TE Mark Andrews should take the step from red-zone threat to all-around threat in his sophomore year. But at least one more weapon must emerge. Perhaps it's Geno Lewis, the Penn State transfer who could find his 2014 form again. Getting steady production out of Michiah Quick, Jarvis Baxter, A.D. Miller or Dahu Green would be ideal.
2. How Does The Offensive Line Play?
Two starters need to be replaced up front, with the openings coming at guard. Ben Powers, a junior, and Cody Ford, a redshirt freshman, are the likely starters. The Sooners will need steady play from those two, especially considering how important the running game is to OU. Jonathan Alvarez moves to center and he'll be the lynchpin. Left tackle Orlando Brown could take another big step forward, although right tackle Dru Samia might be better off at guard. But, he'll likely stay at RT. If the Sooners get steady play from the line, the offense will once again be deadly.
1. How Do The Sooners Handle The Expectations?
OU has been ranked in the preseason Top 10 an impressive 13 times under Bob Stoops. However, they've surpassed or matched that ranking just twice. The Sooners will surely be ranked in the top 10 again this year, so that stat is a bit worrisome. Playing a difficult non-conference schedule that features Houston and Ohio State early in the year could cause issues early. The expectations are College Football Playoff or bust for the Sooners this year. There's almost always a few teams that fail to reach the expectations placed on them. Will it be Oklahoma this year?