Stormin in Norman
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Ten Most Indispensable Oklahoma Football Players in 2016

By Chip Rouse

Dec 31, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA;Clemson Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners line up in the first quarter of the 2015 CFP Semifinal at the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA;Clemson Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners line up in the first quarter of the 2015 CFP Semifinal at the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 9, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners kicker Austin Seibert (43) attempts a field goal during the first half of the spring game at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners kicker Austin Seibert (43) attempts a field goal during the first half of the spring game at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Punting, Kicking, Scoring Specialist Austin Seibert

Last season, in his true freshman year at Oklahoma, Austin Seibert handled the punting, field-goal and extra-point responsibilities for the Sooners. And this season, he just might be adding kickoff duties to the mix.

Seibert, who came to OU as the No. 1 kicking prospect in the country out of high school in Illinois, led the Big 12 and the Sooners in scoring in 2015 with 124 points. He successfully converted 18 of 23 field-goal attempts in his debut college season and 70 of 72 point-after attempts.

As a punter, he averaged 42 yards per punt, with 11 traveling longer than 50 yards. Even more important, 30 of Seibert’s 57 punts resulted in fair catches and 20 were downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

Oklahoma led the nation last season, allowing a punt-return average of just 1.1 yards.

It may not show up immediately in the scoring summary, but these are the kinds of numbers that win you a lot of games, particularly the close ones.

The Sooners had the luxury last season of having half of its 102 kickoffs go for touchbacks, which is the No. 1 way to avoid a long kickoff return. The player responsible for that success rate, Nick Hodgson, is now gone. Seibert is the favorite to inherit those responsibilities in addition to his other kicking duties.

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