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Oklahoma football: Cornerback tears ACL, out for season

By Christopher Dukes

NORMAN, OK - OCTOBER 29: Oklahoma Sooners helmets on the field before the game against the Kansas Jayhawks October 29, 2016 at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Jayhawks 56-3. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - OCTOBER 29: Oklahoma Sooners helmets on the field before the game against the Kansas Jayhawks October 29, 2016 at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Jayhawks 56-3. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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The defensive depth chart got a little thinner with the news that Oklahoma football freshman Starrland Baldwin has torn his ACL and will miss the 2018 season.

It is the second ACL tear for Baldwin, who was ranked the No. 29 cornerback in the 2018 class according to Rivals.com. He chose Oklahoma over offers from Oregon, Houston, Arizona, TCU, Oklahoma State and Arizona State among others.He was an early enrollee and participated in spring workouts with hopes of earning playing time as a freshman.

In addition to providing depth at cornerback, Baldwin was a candidate to help out on special teams as he was a dangerous return man at Cypress Falls High School in Texas.

“And we’ll get it repaired, be excited to do the repair here with our great team, rehab him the whole way through, and I think it could be a good time for him,” head coach Lincoln Riley said according to ouinsider.com. “He can put some weight on. And we liked what we saw of him early, so it’ll be exciting to get him back.”

The good news for Oklahoma is Baldwin was not slated to be a major contributor on defense with the Sooners’ depth at corner.

Oklahoma has five players returning (Parnell Motley, Tre Norwood, Tre Brown, Justin Broiles and Jordan Parker) with game experience at corner. Baldwin is one of three freshman cornerbacks along with Brenden “Bookie” Radley-Hiles and Miguel Edwards – all spring enrollees. There is less room for error now, however and Oklahoma could end up moving either Parker or Broiles – both of whom are currently working at safety – back over to corner should it take any more hits at the spot.

Baldwin had a chance to become a special teams contributor in 2018, possibly on coverage teams or even as a returner.

He also could have been a candidate to take advantage of the NCAA’s new redshirt rule. According to the regulation freshmen can play in up to four games without losing their redshirt status, an addendum that could give several players valuable experience without losing a year of eligibility.

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