John Hoover: Jaden Knowles
Jaden Knowles knows how to read a radar. But Saturday at Kansas, the thought here is that he’ll be performing under the radar. Oklahoma will get a big lead against KU, and Kennedy Brooks and Eric Gray will be sheltered on the sideline. Maybe it’s a perfect time for Marcus Major to finally return to the field. But Knowles — aka “Weatherman J” for his acumen as a meteorology student — deserves a shot to carry the rock. He’s earned it. The 5-foot-7, 195-pound Knowles is a fun, exciting, talented running back with good vision and great balance. Give him 8-10 carries in Lawrence in the game’s later stages, and he might run for 100 yards and a couple touchdowns.
Ryan Chapman: Marcus Major
After getting ruled eligible once again, running back Marcus Major made his first appearance of the season against the TCU Horned Frogs, though he was given no carries. On Saturday, there should be plenty of opportunity for Major to get plenty of touches in the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks. The redshirt sophomore had his best game in an Oklahoma uniform during last year’s Cotton Bowl, where he gashed the Florida Gators defense for 110 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Rounding Major back into game shape could be important in case he’s needed to be called upon during OU’s November gauntlet, so there’s no better time to let Major run wild than when the game is in hand on Saturday afternoon in Lawrence.
Josh Callaway: Joshua Eaton
The secondary is obviously extremely banged up, so in a game with a team like Kansas it would make sense for Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch to work in some younger guys. Insert Joshua Eaton. Few players are as impressive in warmups as Eaton, the guy just looks like a football player. He looks the part out on the field and was in good position a couple of times against TCU, so maybe this is the game where he gets a real chance at playing time and takes advantage of it. If Eaton could prove he is a legitimate option, that would significantly help the depth at the cornerback spots moving forward. Keep an eye on how he performs against the Jayhawks here, because he may be primed for a breakout day.
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