Oklahoma football: Staff roundtable – 12 questions facing OU in 2019

Who is the most important member of the offense?

CR: He may not be the most talented member of Oklahoma’s perennial high-powered offense, but quarterback Jalen Hurts is clearly the most important. OU’s Air Raid offense is centered around the play of the quarterback and his ability to read and adjust to defenses and avoid mistakes. The Sooners won the offseason transfer portal sweepstakes by luring Hurts to Norman.

Other than the center, the quarterback is the only player who touches the ball on every offensive play. Oklahoma is counting on his dual-threat physical skills and the experience Hurts brings having played three seasons for Alabama in the Southeastern Conference
to lead a seamless transition at the QB position while highly-touted freshman Spencer Rattler learns and develops behind Hurts as the Sooners’ quarterback of the future.

CD: I expect Jalen Hurts to have a huge impact on this year’s team as the starting quarterback, but for me the most important player on this offense is sophomore center Creed Humphrey.

Humphrey is the only returning starter from last year’s Joe Moore Award winning offensive line and will be the lynchpin that holds a group of talented, but inexperienced players together.

The Sooner offense runs as well as it does because of stellar quarterback play and dynamic athletes at the skill spots, but the real driver over the past three seasons has been the ability of the OU offensive line to take control of the game in the trenches. Without that established dominance up front, many of the Sooners’ schemes start to break down and become ineffective.

Having Humphrey in the middle will provide a bridge from last year’s great line to what Oklahoma fans are hoping will be another one in 2019.