Here's what kind of player Oklahoma is getting in Arizona transfer Robert Congel

A two-year starter at guard for Arizona, his "true love" is at center, where he'll compete to replace Creed Humphrey ... but could also play guard for the Sooners

So what exactly is Oklahoma getting in Arizona transfer Robert Congel?

A smart, versatile and experienced member of the offensive line who may be the ideal candidate to take Creed Humphrey’s spot at center.

That’s the scouting report from Michael Lev, who covers Arizona Wildcats football for the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson.

“While not overwhelming physically, I thought he was one of the Wildcats’ most reliable linemen,” Lev told SI Sooners.

Robert Congel (66) and quarterback Grant Gunnell (17)

Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

Congel comes to Oklahoma from Greenwood Village, CO, via IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, plus a year at Texas A&M and two years at Arizona.

He was originally a walk-on for the Aggies and played in five games, then transferred to Arizona when coach Kevin Sumlin took the Wildcats job. He hit the transfer portal and landed at Oklahoma on Jan. 19.

OU must replace two starters on the offensive line next season after Humphrey and right tackle Adrian Ealy jumped to the NFL. Tennessee tackle Wanya Morris joined the Sooners on Jan. 18 and will probably be one of the tackles, and the 6-foot-4, 321-pound Congel arrived a day later.

In Tucson, he sat out 2018 as a transfer, then played in 10 games (with eight starts) in 2019 and led the offensive unit in total snaps. In 2020, he started all five games at right guard.

Lev said that Congel originally came to Arizona with the intent to play center, but “While he sat out (2018), Josh McCauley emerged as the starter at that spot. When Congel became eligible, he shifted to guard. He can play either position, but I always got the impression that center was his true love.”

On Wednesday, OU coach Lincoln Riley finally got to talk about his new offensive lineman.

“We were excited about him,” Riley said. “Another one that had some mutual interest when he got in the transfer portal. Really liked him on tape. He reminded us of a couple of guys that we’d had before with some of his position flexibility and some of the experience that he had. And obviously, gave us a little bit of depth in there with losing a couple of guys. And a guy that’s played both center and guard that we’re going to work at both.”

Arizona last year went 0-5 and, other than a 34-30 loss to USC, wasn’t very competitive. The Wildcats ranked 86th nationally in total offense, 118th in scoring offense and 119th in quarterback sacks allowed and finished the truncated season with a 70-7 loss to rival Arizona State.

“His (Pro Football Focus) grade wasn’t good last year; he was next-to-last among qualifying guards in the Pac-12,” Lev said. “But the entire offensive line was a mess, and there were far bigger problems than Congel.”

Congel, who’s already attending classes at OU and will participate in spring practice, figures to fit immediately into the rotation if not straight up take the center job, which is his more natural position. Rising senior Ian McIver was Humphrey’s backup the last two seasons. Sophomore guard Andrew Raym also could play that spot.

Robert Congel

University of Arizona Athletics

“Obviously, we’ll be looking to replace Creed, whether it’s a current center in our program or it’s shifting somebody into center,” Riley said. “Those are options that will be worked through. But getting a guy like Robert gives us experience and gives us flexibility.”

Congel comes from a long line of college football players. According to his Arizona bio, his father (Syracuse) and grandfather (Fordham) both played college football. Still, he wasn’t rated by 247 Sports or Rivals and has referred to himself as “a zero-star guy.”

“He’s kind of a self-made player in that he joined Texas A&M as a walk-on,” Lev said. “He became close friends with (Arizona) quarterback Grant Gunnell, a former A&M commit, and they lived together while here. Once Gunnell decided to leave, it wasn’t surprising that Congel did as well.”

Said Riley, “He was looking for an opportunity to come to place like Oklahoma and have a chance to compete for championships. And so we had what he was looking for and he had what we were looking for.”