Oklahoma's Adrian Ealy was plenty patient, but he's now eager to get his NFL shot

Adrian Ealy showed great patience when he got to Oklahoma. But by the time he decided to leave, he was kind of in a hurry.

Ealy’s declaration for early entry into the NFL Draft surprised most observers who thought another year starting at right tackle for the Sooners would do good things for his draft stock.

Ealy relied on his faith and some deep introspection to guide him.

“I’m a very big believer in my religion,” Ealy said Friday after his Pro Day performance for NFL scouts. “The first thing was just me talking to God about it and really just trying to see what’s the best decision for me. Then it all goes down to my family. I’m a very big family-oriented guy. I talked to my family. They said they were going to support me with everything.

“But really, with me, the biggest thing was talking to my coaches. They said, for example, Coach B (Bill Bedenbaugh), the main thing with me was I have so much love and care for Coach B, just the person he made me within these four years, I really didn’t want to feel like I was going to let him down. And he told me everything I wanted to hear. He was like, ‘Adrian, whatever you do, I know you’re going to do good at it. You’ve got my support. I know you’re going to go there and work hard.’

“Just me seeing that I didn’t let him down and he was proud of me and him saying he was proud of me, it was every (opportunity) for me to just leave.”

The 6-foot-6 1/2, 326-pond Ealy was a two-year starter at right tackle for the Sooners. A former 4-star recruit from Gonzales, LA, he redshirted in 2017, played five games as a backup in 2018, then won the starting job in 2019. He was second-team All-Big 12 in 2019 and 2020.

Like most players at this level, Ealy’s start at OU was typically, painfully slow.

“When we took Adrian, he probably fit somewhere in the world of a ‘project,’ “ head coach Lincoln Riley said. “We knew he was probably a couple years away. We knew he had some talent, obvious length. We thought he had a chance to be really good player but knew it was going to take some work.

“He had to really come in here and one, change his body. He had to really develop the ability to bend because that was not a strength of his when he came in. I give the kid credit. A lot of people don’t like to attack their weaknesses. That kid really has. It’s helped him become a really good player here.”

Said Ealy, “When I first got here, the biggest thing with me was my set. I wasn’t set in the way that I set now. I can definitely say that Coach B, all these coaches here really helped me with that during these four years that I’ve been here.”

Ealy said he surmised during that 2019 season that he might have a future in the NFL.

“I could see me changing throughout those games and that year,” he said, “and we (were) playing versus LSU, I feel like that’s one of the best games I’ve ever played at Oklahoma, going against a lot of stout guys that went first round in there. I held my own. After the season, talking back with Coach B, he was like, ‘Man, you showed that you’ve got a chance and you could really push to be in the NFL this upcoming season.’ ”

Ealy didn’t seem entirely sure about his decision until he turned in a strong performance at the Senior Bowl — basically a job interview for NFL prospects that is run by NFL coaches.

“I’ve seen that going against some top players, I’m ready for this,” Ealy said. “It all goes back to confidence. Yeah, the NFL is a hard league, but you’ve got great players you’re going against every day. At the end of the day, it’s all confidence and you’re just ready.”

Ealy's Pro Day numbers weren't eye-popping, but he performed well for a man of his physical stature. He ran the 40 in 5.38 seconds, broad-jumped 8-feet, 8-inches, reached 24.5 inches on the vertical leap and ran the short shuttle in 4.93 seconds and the 3-cone drill in 8.80 seconds. He also hit 18 reps on the bench press.

Now he’s widely projected as a second- or third-round pick in April’s draft.

“He was like a couple of our guys that were right there on the bubble,” Riley said. “I visited with him a little before the Cotton Bowl and then after the Cotton Bowl win. It was close. We had a few guys this year that were kind of right on that edge of, ‘Do you do it or do you not?’ Ultimately, I think it was just a gut decision on his part to go do it. We support him and certainly look forward to him getting his opportunity.”