Oklahoma football: Breaking down Sooner special teams for 2020
By Chip Rouse
In the final installment in our continuing series breaking down the Oklahoma football position groups as the team prepares for the 2020 season, we take a look at special teams.
The Sooners are in great shape in the kicking department heading into the modified 2020 season, which for Oklahoma and the rest of the Big 12 has been shortened to 10 games because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Redshirt sophomore Gabe Brkic, a preseason candidate for the Lou Groza Award, which recognizes the best kicker in college football, was successful on all 17 of his field-goal tries a year ago and also was perfect on 52 of 52 extra points. His longest field goal in 2019 was 50 yards.
Redshirt junior Reeves Mundschau handles the punting duties for the Sooners. He averaged 42.4 yards per kick last season on 38 punts, which ranked fourth in the Big 12. A dozen of his punts importantly were downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
In addition to field goals and extra points, Brkic also has kickoff duty for the Sooners on special teams. Of his 106 kickoffs last season 59 were touchbacks.
Kasey Kelleher, a walk-on redshirt junior is back as the long snapper on both punts and placekicks.
OU loses All-American CeeDee Lamb, the team’s primary punt returner that past couple of seasons, to the NFL. Sophomore wide receiver Drake Stoops, son of former head coach Bob Stoops, was used on punt returns some in 2019 and could replace Lamb in that role this season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see redshirt junior wide receiver Charleston Rambo, one of the team’s fastest players, used to return punts, as well.
Senior cornerback Tre Brown returned 23 kickoffs last season and averaged 17.9 yards per return, fourth best in the Big 12. Junior running back T.J. Pledger also returned kicks last season.
The Sooners have not had a kickoff or punt return for a touchdown since the 2016 season.