{"id":15223,"date":"2018-07-19T09:00:14","date_gmt":"2018-07-19T13:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosoncfb.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=15223"},"modified":"2025-09-13T16:14:53","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T20:14:53","slug":"new-and-notes-from-oklahoma-media-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2018\/07\/19\/new-and-notes-from-oklahoma-media-day\/","title":{"rendered":"New and Notes from Oklahoma&#8217;s Media Day"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This week, <strong>Oklahoma<\/strong> met with the media as part of the Big 12 media days leading up to the 2018 season. These sessions serve as the first opportunity for media and fans to start talking about the upcoming season. <strong>Lincoln Riley<\/strong> along with <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/rodney-anderson-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rodney Anderson<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/kenneth-murray-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kenneth Murray<\/a><\/strong>, <strong>Ben Powers<\/strong>, and <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/amani-bledsoe-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amani Bledsoe<\/a><\/strong> met with the media. Today, we&#8217;ll look at news and notes from the Oklahoma Media Day.<\/p>\n<h2>Quarterback\u00a0Competition?<\/h2>\n<p>Since the end of last season, it&#8217;s been a foregone conclusion that <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/kyler-murray-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyler Murray<\/a><\/strong> would take the reigns this year. However, according to Riley, we should pump the brakes.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Lincoln Riley when asked how the offense will change with Kyler Murray at quarterback.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Kyler&#39;s not the quarterback yet. There&#39;s a really good competition going on and Kyler&#39;s gonna have to fight like crazy to win this job.&quot;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Sooners?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Sooners<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Big12MediaDays?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Big12MediaDays<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/U2NFObiL6Z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/U2NFObiL6Z<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; \ud835\udd7a\ud835\udd90\ud835\udd91\ud835\udd86\ud835\udd8d\ud835\udd94\ud835\udd92\ud835\udd86 \ud835\udd9b\ud835\udd98. \ud835\udd7f\ud835\udd8d\ud835\udd8a \ud835\udd82\ud835\udd94\ud835\udd97\ud835\udd91\ud835\udd89 (@soonergridiron) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/soonergridiron\/status\/1018919296481873921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 16, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Reading between the lines, one has to believe there is a little bit of coach speak as well as motivation. Most likely, those comments were meant to keep <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/austin-kendall-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Austin Kendall<\/a><\/strong> interested enough to stay engaged in the competition. Be that as it may,\u00a0Murray is not the biggest guy on the field.\u00a0At 5&#8243;10 and 195 pounds, with the grind of the season, Kendall might be counted on in some capacity.<\/p>\n<h2>Leadership<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/baker-mayfield-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Baker Mayfield<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/ogbonnia-okoronkwo-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ogbonnia Okoronkwo<\/a><\/strong> were the clear leaders on both sides of the ball last year. And, with both players in the NFL, there is a need for new leadership to emerge. Players like Anderson and Murray must take that extra step forward as leaders.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LincolnRiley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@LincolnRiley<\/a> identifies some of the leaders for the 2018 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Sooners?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Sooners<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1gwSmuAnFW\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/1gwSmuAnFW<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OU_Football\/status\/1018918199746748416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 16, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Defensive Development<\/h2>\n<p>It&#8217;s no secret that the Sooners have struggled defensively in the recent past. That was never more evident in the <strong>Rose Bowl<\/strong>\u00a0playoff game loss to <strong>Georgia<\/strong>. With that being said, there may be proof of solid development on that side of the ball.\u00a0Junior defensive end <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/amani-bledsoe-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amani Bledsoe<\/a> had some interesting words about development.\u00a0&#8220;Discipline and mindset, and understanding and trusting the defense and playing as a unit,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Offensive players can kind of get away with it a little bit, but (on) defense, you have to all play together and be on edge at the same time. Everyone has to be on the same page and communicate and play as a unit. That&#8217;s important for a defense.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Loaded Backfield<\/h2>\n<p>Could this be the year of the running back in the Big 12? If so, Oklahoma appears to be in a good position. The Sooners return the top two rushers in Anderson and <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/trey-sermon-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Trey Sermon<\/a><\/strong>. The duo\u00a0combined for over 1,900 yards last year. Also, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/marcelias-sutton-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Marcelias Sutton<\/a><\/strong> is back and the Sooners welcome true freshman <strong>T.J. Pledger<\/strong> to the fold. Oklahoma may rely on the running game a bit more in 2018.<\/p>\n<h2>Summary<\/h2>\n<p>It&#8217;s interesting to note that Riley called this team possibly the most talented team since he&#8217;s been here. With players such as <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/baker-mayfield-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Baker Mayfield<\/a>, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/samaje-perine-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Samaje Perine<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/joe-mixon-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joe Mixon<\/a><\/strong>, and <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/dede-westbrook-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dede Westbrook<\/a><\/strong> just to name a few that is quite a bold proclamation. With that being said, the pressure will again be on the shoulders of <strong>Mike Stoops<\/strong> and the defense. As there are aspirations of a conference and national title, improvements must be made defensively to make that happen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week, Oklahoma met with the media as part of the Big 12 media days leading up to the 2018 season. These sessions serve as the first opportunity for media and fans to start talking about the upcoming season. Lincoln Riley along with Rodney Anderson, Kenneth Murray, Ben Powers, and Amani Bledsoe met with the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":669,"featured_media":15226,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[3306,3307,1746,37,1748,2194],"class_list":["post-15223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-big12","tag-big-12-media-days","tag-kenneth-murray","tag-lincoln-riley","tag-oklahoma-sooners","tag-rodney-anderson","tag-trey-sermon"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/669"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15223"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15223\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79054,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15223\/revisions\/79054"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}