Lincoln Riley indicates there's no guarantee Perkins, Bridges, Stevenson play this weekend
Sooner Nation certainly expected that Ronnie Perkins, Trejan Bridges and Rhamondre Stevenson would return to the fold for Oklahoma this weekend.
However, as a road date with TCU looms, Lincoln Riley remains noncommittal on the statuses of his three suspended players.
Perkins, Bridges and Stevenson have each missed five games due to positive drug tests before the Peach Bowl last December. Drug suspensions carry a ban of half a season, and that five-game total represents half of the modified 10-game slate that the Big 12 has implemented in 2020. Thus, the widespread belief was that the three players would be available this weekend against the Horned Frogs. But Riley said there's no definitive verdict yet on their eligibility.
"That process is ongoing," Riley told media on his Monday teleconference. "So still yet to be determined."
Perkins is perhaps the most talented defensive player in Alex Grinch's arsenal; his six sacks last season were second only to Jalen Redmond's 6.5. Bridges played both wideout and defensive back for Oklahoma as a true freshman in 2019, and was expected to inherit an expanded offensive role in 2020. Meanwhile, Stevenson exploded onto the scene by averaging eight yards per carry in limited action last season. He entered 2020 as the presumed feature back after Trey Sermon transferred and Kennedy Brooks opted out.
The Sooners would benefit immensely if Perkins, Bridges and Stevenson are able to play this Saturday, as nothing has historically come without difficulty against Gary Patterson and TCU. Even last season, when the Horned Frogs were arguably as bad as they'd been since joining the Big 12, Max Duggan and company took Oklahoma down to the wire in Norman. The Sooners barely escaped with a 28-24 triumph.
"There's nobody in the country defensively that I have more respect for," said Riley of Patterson. "It's never easy against those guys, that's for sure."
Riley will speak to media again Tuesday afternoon in his weekly press conference. If there's still no update regarding the Sooners' suspended trio, their respective statuses may become a guessing game as Saturday's 11 a.m. kickoff approaches.
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