Oklahoma Sooners Football: It looks like Parnell Motley will start at cornerback this weekend

There’s been plenty of plenty of buzz surrounding sophomore cornerback Parnell Motley since spring practice, and he validated that hype with a great performance in the spring game and a solid camp this fall. On Tuesday night, Oklahoma Sooners defensive coordinator Mike Stoops all but confirmed to reporters what many of us have suspected for some time — that Parnell Motley will be the starter at corner opposite Jordan Thomas.

Jordan Parker did an admirable job for the Sooners down the stretch at corner in 2016, but Motley is just someone who’s going to make a lot of plays in the secondary and seems to have a higher ceiling. When Parker suffered an injury midway through spring practice, the door really opened for the D.C. native.

In Motley, the Sooners not only get someone who has a tendency to make plays, but a person who has a bit of edge to him. Here’s what Parker had to say about Motley recently.

That’s something you definitely like to see out of a defensive guy. When asked about his trash-talking ways, this was Motley’s reply:

I have no doubt that Motley will be able to back up the talk against UTEP on Saturday, but I think we’re all really interested to see how he matches up against Ohio State. The corners struggled mightily (as did much of the defense) against the Buckeyes in 2016, and Motley will be one of the keys to ensuring that OU isn’t blown out for the second straight season.