2014 Oklahoma Sooners Football Preview | Impact Newcomers

Football recruiting is always hit or miss but the Sooners seem to be on a solid run of hits when it comes to first year guys taking the field and making an impact. Both sides of the ball have shared success stories in recent years with guys like Kenny Stills, Tony Jefferson, and Dominique Alexander to name a few.

Now, with the 2014 class on campus, Oklahoma is looking for the next crop of immediate players and there is no shortage of candidates.

2014 Signing Class

The list of possible immediate players in this class is astounding due to two primary factors. 1) The immediate need at the skill positions. 2) The amount of talent in the class.

JUCO transfer Devante Bond is a pass rushing specialist, in the mold of Eric Striker, that Oklahoma can use in a variety of ways. At 6-3/240 he's thick enough to be more than solid in run support but is strength is his speed on the rush.

"He's an exceptional pass rusher," linebackers coach Tim Kish said about Bond on signing day. "He's athletic enough to drop into space. He plays with a great motor. He loves the game of football. Physically, he's going to be the type of standup outside backer that's going to help progress that position along in my opinion."

I would be shocked if we don't see Bond on the field for Oklahoma this fall.

Fullback Dimitri Flowers has been given the tag as the next Trey Millard and the early enrollee didn't disappoint anyone during the spring. His size and athleticism seems to almost mimic Millard in every way. He didn't get any carries in the spring game but did catch four passes for 40 yards.

The quarterback position is set at Oklahoma but if Baker Mayfield's waver doesn't come through then you can expect freshman Justice Hansen to be in the thick of the competition with Cody Thomas for the job as the Sooners' back up.

"He's a highly competitive and smart kid," quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said about Hansen in the spring. "He prepares and studies extremely hard. Physically he has the tools to spread the ball all over the field. He's a good intermediate passer and has enough arm strength to push the ball down the field, too. He's athletic enough that he can extend plays with his feet, as well."

Looking at the injuries that Trevor Knight struggled with in 2013, the back up QB should be one of the key positions to watch during camp.

A lot of people are looking at the tight end position again because of the transition of Blake Bell and the emergence of Taylor McNamera but don't sleep on JUCO transfer Isaac Ijalana. Another early enrollee, Ijalana participated with the Sooners in spring drills and caught one pass for 18 yards in the spring game.

It goes without saying that possible legal issues have clouded the future of freshman running back Joe Mixon, but another freshman that has impressed during summer workouts has been Samaje Perine. I doubt that he'll push Keith Ford and Alex Ross for a starting position like Mixon could but Perine can certainly push for rotation time with the running backs this fall.

The Sooners have made a living off of small and fast receivers with guys like Mark Clayton, Ryan Broyles, and Jalen Saunders. Freshman Michiah Quick certainly fits into that mold and the Sooners have an immediate opening for him. He'll have to prove himself in a wide open competition for the receiver spots but I would place him as an odds on favorite to make the field.

"He is a super explosive and dynamic playmaker in space," receivers coach Jay Norvell said about Quick after he signed. "He is great punt returner. He has the ability to take a short pass and turn it into a long run. He has a lot of qualities like Jalen Saunders but he is a stronger athlete at this point in the game. He has a thicker frame and is more powerful in space. He played both sides of the ball. He played corner on defense. He is just a really dynamic kid."

You never want to limit the possibilities of any incoming college football player because Stoops and company have shown that everyone gets a chance to prove their merit. Therefore, there are possibly multiple other guys in this class that could very well see the field but these are the names to keep up with from the beginning of camp.