Bob Stoops says DT Casey Walker may not play Sat, dealing with non football related health issue
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) August 29, 2012
Already dealing with the loss, due to suspension, of defensive tackle Stacy McGee the Oklahoma football team could now also be looking a game this Saturday without Casey Walker. Bob Stoops informed the gathered media following Wednesday night's practice that Walker status for Saturday was in doubt due to a "non-football health related issue." It goes without saying we're all hoping everything is okay for Walker, but it's impossible not to also look at the football side of this development.
Without Walker, the Sooners will have to rely even more heavily on David King as well as redshirt freshman Jordan Phillips. All of this against a UTEP team with a group of talented running backs and an offense that could very likely test the middle of that OU defense with a ball control offense to keep the ball out of Landry and the offense's hands.
There may be a number of OU fans out there telling themselves "Well yeah, but it's still just UTEP" and they may prove to be right, but things just got a little bit harder for any already this Sooners defensive line.
A couple other pieces of info from Stoops:
- Stoops stated that true freshman running back, Alex Ross, will travel with the team to El Paso, but that his redshirt status is still yet to be decided. For those of us out there (LIKE ME) who are sincerely hoping the coaches do not completely waste a year of Ross' eligibility, much like they did with Brandon Williams last year, this is potentially dangerous news. Just to be clear, I'm all for Ross getting to play but 3-5 carries at the end of what we all hope will be blowout victories over the next two weeks is not "playing" as far as I'm concerned. We'll see what the coaches do, but unfortunately if I had to put money on it I'd be betting on what I described above as a wasted year.
- Still nothing on Jalen Saunders. Stoops did say that if he was cleared by Friday that he'd travel with the team and I assume could also get some snaps at receiver. And yes, this is way past the point of ridiculous. What could possibly be involved that requires this much time to make a decision? I know you hear this all the time , but it still needs to be said. You suck, NCAA.