Oklahoma football got some bad news this week.
Tre Norwood will miss the 2019 season with a lower body injury, according to a press briefing from Oklahoma football Lincoln Riley on Friday.
Norwood started all 14 games for the Sooners last year, shifting from cornerback to nickel later in the season to help relieve a then-struggling Brenden Radley-Hiles.
He was a stabilizing presence in the Sooner secondary and a big factor in OU’s win over Texas in the Big 12 Championship game.
Head coach Lincoln Riley lamented the loss of an experienced member of the secondary, but believes his team can rise above the challenge and still accomplish its goal of being a vastly-improved defense in 2019.
He told 247 sports:
"“So tough injury, tough for him, tough for our team. You know, he’s such a valuable guy, can play so many positions, [has] great experience. Certainly we’ll miss him not only defensively, but special teams, too. He’s a guy that was really a jack-of-all-trades for us. But that’s part of this game. That’s gonna happen. We’ve had a couple already, and that’s why you recruit hard, that’s why you develop hard."
The injury means Radley-Hiles – who was battling Norwood for a starting spot at nickel – will have to step up and take control of the nickel position.
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Look for guys like Chanse Sylvie, Jeremiah Criddell and Justin Broiles to all at least get looks at the nickel position as the Sooners strive to find some much-needed depth and stability in a group that will likely be in flux all through fall camp and possibly beyond.
The Sooners finished dead last in Division I football a year ago in pass defense and have been looking for answers under new defensive coordinator Alex Grinch and cornerbacks coach Roy Manning.
The Sooners have three weeks to get everything sorted out before Houston comes to Memorial Stadium. The Cougars will test Oklahoma with talented quarterback D’Eriq King.