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Oklahoma-TCU GameDay: Under the Radar

Luke Elzinga ... Kani Walker ... Jacob Sexton ... P.J. Adebawore
John E. Hoover|
Oklahoma-TCU GameDay: Under the Radar
Oklahoma-TCU GameDay: Under the Radar

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Oklahoma Sooners

Luke Elzinga

Assuming Oklahoma’s offense is limited by the absence of Dillon Gabriel — returning on a short week from a potential concussion seems unlikely — punter Luke Elzinga will be a key element in the field position game as freshman QB Jackson Arnold gets his legs under him running Jeff Lebby’s offense. Elzinga has been excellent in six games since taking over as the full-time punter, averaging 45.3 yards per punt with only two touchbacks and eight kicks inside the 20-yard line among his 19 punts. When he’s not punting for placement, he’s punting for distance, with four punts of 50-plus yards. 

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— John Hoover

Kani Walker

Last week, Brent Venables laid a lot of Oklahoma’s defensive issues at the linebackers failing to properly fit the run. Regardless of if the Sooners are able to make those improvements on a short week, OU will face a different test in TCU. The Horned Frogs boast the nation’s ninth-best passing offense in yards per game, as Josh Hoover has stepped in an added a jolt to TCU’s aerial attack. Woodi Washington has been steady at cornerback for the Sooners all year, and it’s likely TCU will turn to the other side of the field to find success. Regardless of iwhether Gentry Williams is able to make it back into the lineup, Kani Walker is in line for another batch of significant snaps, and he’ll need to be on top of his game to help OU corral an explosive passing attack on Black Friday.

— Ryan Chapman 

Jacob Sexton

After missing the beginning of the season recovering from a torn ACL, sophomore offensive lineman Jacob Sexton has been fantastic down the stretch. In the past two weeks, Sexton has started at right tackle in place of Tyler Guyton, playing well in the potential first-round draft pick's absence. At his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Brent Venables said that Guyton was healthy last week against BYU, but that the coaching staff elected to play Sexton over the former TCU transfer. After two solid outings, it appears that Sexton will make his third consecutive start this Friday when the Horned Frogs head to Norman.

— Randall Sweet

P.J. Adebawore

The Sooners still have plenty to play for, including a 10-win season and an outside shot at a spot in the Big 12 Championship plus a New Year's Six bowl berth. The youth movement is trending for Oklahoma, though, and the last few games of the season could be a springboard for next year. Kobie McKinzie, Jayden Gibson and Robert Spears-Jennings have all burst onto the scene over the last few weeks, and there’s certainly potential for more youngsters to shine. P.J. Adebawore has gotten his fair share of snaps and showed extreme promise when on the field. His impact as a pass rusher could be a game changer within Oklahoma’s defense, and his speed could help in a handful of ways. Expect him to get extended run this weekend and show what he’s truly capable of.

— Ross Lovelace

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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