Alex Grinch: In the Time of COVID, Many Sooners are Getting 'Dual Training'

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Alex Grinch counted on having to be flexible this season, even before some of the preseason injuries began happening in training camp.

It is 2020, after all.

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One of the conversations we’ve had, even before injuries, was just looking at this season from a dual training standpoint,” Grinch said Wednesday on a video press conference. “Between positions, but not only positions, but position groups — an edge guy having to play a defensive tackle spot, or an edge guy having to be a linebacker.”

At the linebacker spot, specifically, losing Caleb Kelly was a devastating blow, not just to the team’s plans at the position, but for the team morale as well. Kelly is one of the most popular players on the roster, and his comeback from a knee injury last season, and the attitude he showed throughout, earned him even more respect from his peers.

“One of the guys we’re looking at in the inside linebacker room, as opposed to the outside linebacker room, is David Ugwoegbu,” Grinch said, “who played for us a year ago at outside linebacker. Pretty good example.”

Grinch said the linebacker group overall does have some experience and has shown the ability to make plays. But there’s just not a true veteran in the group.

“Brian Asamoah, DeShaun White, we’ve got guys that have some experience there,” Grinch said. “Bryan Mead has some experience in that linebacker room as well. So no, it’s created obviously some opportunities for some guys. Robert Barnes, who we transitioned (from safety) to linebacker, (it’s) an opportunity for him to get some reps, as well as Shane Whitter, a freshman in our program, to get some additional reps.

“So It’s a room that does have some experience. Obviously removing Caleb eliminates some of that. But I think it’s a fairly athletic group and one that really shows an understanding of the defense going into year two, even maybe with some of the inexperienced guys.”

The realization that positive COVID-19 tests and minimum 14-day quarantines could decimate the roster — or any specific position — without notice is on the coaches’ minds.

Versatility in 2020, from the starters to the walk-ons, may be the order of the day.

“A lot of that initial conversation we had stemmed from just simply the fact that dual-training guys, it’s gonna be a more fluid roster,” Grinch said. “At least, you’ve got to anticipate as you go through this.”

And it won’t be just the linebackers that have to remain mobile.

“Same thing in the secondary: corner-safety, safety nickel, nickel-corner, so on and so forth,” Grinch said. “So no, it does change some things.”

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