There’s no doubt which Oklahoma freshman is expected to make the biggest splash. Tight end Jermaine Gresham has done nothing but land cannonballs since practice began.
OU coach Bob Stoops said big things are expected from the 6-foot-7, 257-pound Ardmore native.
“He’s really a special player,” Stoops said after Wednesday’s practice. “He’s one of those guys … the players know it and they can see it. He caught a ball or two today and he was dragging about eight guys with him.”
OU’s true freshman aren’t allowed to speak to the media until they’ve played a game. But when it comes to Gresham, few are at lot a loss for words.
“Jermaine is just a specimen,” junior tight end Joe Jon Finley said. “He’s 260 pounds, he’s 6-6 and runs like a receiver. You have to find ways to get him the ball.”
It seems every practice has highlight reel potential for the young tight end.
He was tabbed the No. 4 tight end in the nation coming out of high school. His ranking might have been higher, but he suffered a knee injury that kept him off the basketball court his senior season.
Few have ever labeled an injury as a blessing in disguise, but offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, who is also the tight ends and fullbacks coach, believes the injury may have helped Gresham.
“You’d never think a guy getting hurt would be good, but when he couldn’t play basketball, he lifted weights for six months and went from 230 to 257 (pounds),” Wilson said.
The bulked up version has made a strong impression since practice began.
He only caught one pass for 4 yards in OU’s first scrimmage. Wilson believes those numbers won’t be that low when the season begins.
“He takes a lot pride in what he does,” Wilson said. “He’s as good a freshman you’ll see in that position at most places and he’s one of the better freshman players I’ve been around.”
Second scrimmage
OU conducted a 45-minute scrimmage at the end of Wednesday’s practice. It was closed to the public and no statistics were kept.
Stoops said he liked the way the team performed.
“It went well,” he said. “We still have a lot of progressing to do, but we’re making progress. All our guys are getting better.”
Wilson said quarterback Paul Thompson also improved from last Saturday’s first scrimmage. He said Wednesday’s effort included no interceptions.
“I think his confidence is growing and he feels very comfortable,” Wilson said. “He is playing very well right now. I like the way he’s playing.”
OU has another scrimmage slated for Saturday. It will also be closed to the public.
Injury update
Sophomore center Jon Cooper was held out of Wednesday’s practice due to a knee injury. Stoops said the injury wasn’t serious and expected him to return to practice soon.
John Shinn366-3536jshinn@normantranscript.com
