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Sooner Football Numbers You Need to Know: OL Erick Wren, No. 58

By Chip Rouse

Nov 28, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Erick Wren against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. The Sooners defeated the Cowboys 58-23. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Erick Wren against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. The Sooners defeated the Cowboys 58-23. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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When the Sooner football squad takes the field on offense for its first possession of the 2016 season a little over a week from now, don’t be surprised to see No. 58, Erick Wren at the center position.

Dec 31, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) drops back to pass as guard Jonathan Alvarez (68) blocks against the Clemson Tigersin the first quarter of the 2015 CFP Semifinal at the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) drops back to pass as guard Jonathan Alvarez (68) blocks against the Clemson Tigersin the first quarter of the 2015 CFP Semifinal at the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

Oklahoma offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has been very impressed with what he has seen from the 6-foot, 2-inch, 308-pound senior walk-on from Mesquite, Texas, so much so that he is considering giving Wren the starting nod at center to begin the new season.

With the graduation of All-Big 12 center Ty Darlington, the Sooners were expected to move Jonathan Alvarez over from the left guard spot to take over at center this season, but the play of Wren in preseason training camp has put that thought on hold for the moment.

Wren was a junior-college transfer who played his junior season with the Sooners a year ago. as a walk-on. Academic issues out of high school forced his hand to go the JC route to play college football. In his second season at Arizona Western, Wren suffered a meniscus injury to his knee.

He had scholarship offers to play at Division I-AA after his two seasons in the junior-college ranks but turned them down for the chance to walk on at Oklahoma, the school he grew up watching and following as a youth because his father was such a huge fan of the Sooners.

Growing up, the younger Wren has always possessed a strong attitude and the belief that he was capable of doing things others thought he could not do. Playing football at Oklahoma, though, would be the ultimate test of that strong belief.

“He’s got a lot of confidence in himself,” Wren’s father, Greg, told Oklahoma City Oklahoman staff writer Ryan Aber in a story interview recently. “I saw that even early that anytime he’s challenged, it seems like he’ll just fight and fight and fight until he overcomes that challenge.”

Wren saw action in only three games in the 2015 season, but Sooner fans are sure to see a lot more of him this season.

“He’s got good power” Bedenbaugh said when interviewed by The Oklahoman’s Aber. “He’s a little shorter than you would like, but he has long arms. he’s got a lot of power in his lower body, he’s got good balance.

“He’s playing at a pretty high level right now…He’s pushing to start right now.”

Alvarez appears more comfortable playing at guard, so moving him back to that position and inserting Wren at center could make the Oklahoma, which is already considered one of the best in the Big 12 and in the country, even stronger.

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