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 wide receiver Jeffery Mead (15) catches a pass in front of Oklahoma Sooners safety Prentice McKinney (29) 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 wide receiver Jeffery Mead (15) catches a pass in front of Oklahoma Sooners safety Prentice McKinney (29) during the spring game at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Wideouts Are Still a Work In Progress

Another concern for Sooner Nation for the coming season is the glaring hole left by Dede Westbrook’s departure to the NFL. While Baker Mayfield has proven quite adept at distributing the ball and getting everyone involved in the passing game, it would certainly be nice for Dede 2.0 to emerge.

Jeffery Mead paced all receivers in Saturday’s spring game with a 111-yard performance and an eye-popping 37-yard-per-catch average.

 Dahu Green, even though he was second on the team on Saturday with 43 receiving yards, dropped a couple of passes and, by and large, appeared inconsistent. Green must become more consistent if he hopes to be a significant part of the offense in the fall.

Freshman tight end Grant Calcaterra’s performance must have been pleasing to the coaches, who now have a player similar in build to the outstanding Mark Andrews. If the Calcaterra can break into the rotation and gain significant minutes, he and Andrews could prove to be a lethal one-two punch in the receiving corps. Calcaterra is definitely one to watch in the months and years ahead.

The Sooners enter 2017 with a pretty good situation offensively, It all starts with a Heisman trophy candidate at quarterback and a veteran offensive line that will give him plenty of time to throw the football.

But if the receivers cannot step up, Lincoln Riley’s offense may sputter. So key for the Sooners throughout the summer will be to fine tune this group so that one or two stars can emerge and keep the offense humming along.

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