Lincoln Riley: Who Could Play Both Ways if Needed?

If COVID-19 forces Sooners coaches to dig deep into their roster, are there starters who might be better playing both offense and defense?

Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley says he’s preparing his team to play this fall.

Will the Sooners play? When will they play? Who will they play? Riley can’t answer those questions just yet.

But they will be ready to play, he said.

Riley was asked on Friday during a video press conference about the likelihood of COVID-19 quarantines during the season, and what that could do to the Sooners’ depth chart.

Specifically, might the Sooners be better off at some positions calling up freshmen and walk-ons? Or might there exist the possibility of some players lending a hand on the other side of the ball?

Could there be instances where wide receivers help out at defensive back and DBs offer assistance at wideout?

Which players could play both offensive line and defensive line?

“There’s obviously several,” Riley said. “There’s a lot of them that could do it. Creed (Humphrey) with his athleticism could do just about everything. Brey Walker could probably anchor down as a nose and be tough to move.

“The other way around? Obviously, some of those big interior guys that are pretty versatile, like Perrion (Winfrey), Zach McKinney and Jordan Kelley, those types of guys. From a size standpoint, they would be the best guys if they got the chance.”

Maybe tight ends Austin Stogner or Brayden Willis could contribute some snaps in pass-rush situations, if needed.

Maybe wideout Trejan Bridges — who is currently suspended but experimented at defensive backs last season — could thrive as a two-way player when he gets back.

Maybe cornerback D.J. Graham — who had the “athlete” tag as a recruit and had more than 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns receiving in his high school career — could fill in here and there at receiver.

There are plenty of others. How Riley and his coaching staff approach this could end up being an important part of an unprecedented year. 

“I mean, this season is gonna be unlike any other,” Riley said, “so we’ve got to prepare our team that way. So in some ways, the preparation of your team is different.”

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