Stormin in Norman
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Four Telltale Takeaways From Sooners’ 2017 Spring Game

By Sixto Ortiz

Apr 8, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops yells to his players during the spring game at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops yells to his players during the spring game at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 8, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Trey Sermon attempts to catch a pass in front of Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Emmanuel Beal (14) during the spring game at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Trey Sermon attempts to catch a pass in front of Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Emmanuel Beal (14) during the spring game at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Running Back Committee Ready for 2017

One of the burning questions for Sooner Nation is how Lincoln Riley plans to replace the huge production hole left by the departures of Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon.

Based on Saturday’s spring game, it looks like a committee of backs will attempt to step up and replace Perine’s thunder and Mixon’s lightning.

One of Saturday’s surprises was Marcelias Sutton, who rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown. Sutton, one of the smaller backs on the roster, ran well and used his speed and vision to put together a nice rushing performance. It’s evident Sutton will have a place in the rotation as a change of pace back who can keep the chains moving.

Just based on sheer size and strength, it appears that Trey Sermon will be the bruiser of the stellar group that arrived in Norman with the 2017 recruiting class. Sermon had a nice outing on Saturday, rushing 13 times for 73 yards. He wasn’t spectacular but was steady throughout. Looking to 2017, it definitely looks like Sermon will be push hard to be part of the Sooner running back rotation.

It was great to see Rodney Anderson finally get on the field, and it didn’t take long for him to reward the 44,000 fans in attendance on Saturday with a dazzling kick return for a touchdown that showcased his breakaway speed. If Anderson can finally stay healthy, he might just emerge as the best back in an outstanding group.

So here’s the takeaway: While no one running back truly stood out and separated himself from the pack, it looks like there is enough talent on the roster for the Sooner running game to be effective in 2017. There’s always a chance that someone will separate themselves and enjoy a stellar individual season. But coming out of the Saturday scrimmage, it looks like running back by committee will be the norm in 2017.

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