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Oklahoma football: West Coast road trip is homecoming for 8 Sooners

By Chip Rouse

MORGANTOWN, WV - NOVEMBER 23: Grant Calcaterra #80 of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrates after catching a 2 yard touchdown pass in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers on November 23, 2018 at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
MORGANTOWN, WV - NOVEMBER 23: Grant Calcaterra #80 of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrates after catching a 2 yard touchdown pass in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers on November 23, 2018 at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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Its westward ho for Oklahoma football this weekend, as the Sooners travel to Pasadena, California, and the Rose Bowl to play UCLA.

While the Saturday night, prime-time showdown is classified as a road game on the Oklahoma schedule, for eight Sooner players the trip to California serves as a homecoming.

Since Bob Stoops became head coach in 1999, and now under Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma has done a good job of recruiting in the talent-rich state of California. For the last 10 years at least, the Sooners have generally had three to five players from California on its roster.

In 2010, the California trio of running back Brennan Clay, defensive back Tony Jefferson and wide receiver Kenny Stills made to the Oklahoma plains to play for Stoops and the Sooners (Jefferson and Stills are still playing on Sunday in the NFL).

Two years later, wide receiver Jalen Saunders and running back Damien Williams, both California natives, transferred into the Oklahoma program and were big contributors to a Sooner Big 12 championship in the 2012 season.

In 2014, linebacker Curtis Bolton and running back Joe Mixon were top recruits reeled in from the Golden State.

The 2019 Oklahoma roster includes eight Californians: TE Grant Calcaterra, DB Brendan Radley-Hiles, DT Dillon Faamatau, DB Jordan Parker, S Jeremiah Criddell, LB Caleb Kelley, RB T.J. Pledger and LB Jonathan Perkins. Kelley, who is recovering from a lower-body injury suffered in the preseason, and Faamatau are the only seniors in the group.

Two Sooners who are likely to play important roles in the return to their home state are Calcaterra and Radley-Hiles. At 6-foot, 4 inches and close to 230 pounds, Calcaterra, a junior, is a big target at a position that has paid big dividends in OU’s Air Raid offense in recent seasons. He has only caught two passes for 20 yards in the Sooners’ first two game and is due for a big day, which could come against struggling UCLA.

Radley-Hiles had a interception and a fumble recovery in OU’s 70-14 win over South Dakota last weekend. The sophomore will be looking to play well and be another big contributor to the Sooner defense on Saturday night.

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