Oklahoma football: Top spring football storylines

Here’s a look at what to keep an eye on as Oklahoma football prepares to start spring practice on Thursday.

With a firm eye focused toward its 2019 goals, Oklahoma football takes the field on Thursday for the first time to begin spring practice in what should be an interesting few weeks to say the least. The Sooners will look very different from the team that last stepped on the field in the Orange Bowl against Alabama with new faces ready to make their own mark and establish themselves as the next great Oklahoma football players.

So what can we expect? Here’s a look at the top storylines heading into spring football.

Offensive line shakeup

The Sooners lost four starters from last year’s Joe Moore Award-winning offensive front, all of which will be on NFL rosters come this summer. On top of that the Sooners will be without projected starting center Creed Humphrey, who is expected to miss spring practice with an injury. Yet there is quiet optimism in the Oklahoma football camp for the future as the Sooners have been stockpiling talent behind the masterful recruiting efforts of Bill Bedenbaugh.

Can Brey Walker become the star he was has been projected to be at left tackle this season? Who will take over the two guard spots with Marquis Hays, JUCO recruit Finley Felix, Erik Swenson and recently-converted defensive tackle Michael Thompson all looking for playing time at the two positions? Will it be Adrian Ealy or Darrell Simpson at right tackle?

Also, who will fill the role of center through the spring? Swenson seems to be a likely candidate, though moving him over would hurt any development he might be able to make at one of the guard spots for the next few weeks.

The Sooners are hoping to settle a lot of these questions so they can start to build some much-needed chemistry for a group big on talent, but extremely light on experience entering the 2019 season.