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This is one amateur's assessment of how the Oklahoma quarterback derby will shake out this spring.The Contenders:
Joey Halzle (JR) 6-3, 198
Sam Bradford (R-FR) 6-5, 197
Keith Nichol (FR) 6-2, 180
As you can see, all three quarterbacks lack that classic dropback build. They're smaller, more combo-style passers, particularly Nichol who has some running ability and played cornerback as well as quarterback in high school. He's also the closest thing to a blue-chipper among the quarterbacks. The Sooners earned his commitment late in the recruiting game this year after he spurned homestate Michigan State where he would have been one of the gems in their recruiting class.
Halzle was signed out of a junior college last year (probably as much-needed insurance) and failed to beat out senior Paul Thompson last year after incumbent quarterback Rhett Bomar was kicked out of school.
The way I see it, Halzle has a slight edge on Bradford thanks to his junior college experience and extra semester with the offense. Neither quarterback distinguished himself as a backup last year. If form holds this spring and fall, Halzle will probably be the Sooners' starting quarterback as ties tend to go to the veterans.
Eventually, Nichol has a chance to make a push for the job as his pedigree's a little better than the other quarterbacks who are both relative unknowns at a position that tends to be played amongst blue chippers at major programs like Oklahoma.
I suspect Halzle earns the starting nod in the fall and plays well enough to hold the job for much of the year. From there he's either going to run away with the job, look decent and buy time for Nichol or fall on his face and open the job to Bradford or Nichol. The first option sounds unlikely, as does the third, leaving the second option as a time-buyer who will complement the Sooners' ground game rather than propel the offense as happened with guys like Jason White and Josh Heupel.
The real question at that point becomes this: can Nichol distinguish himself enough through spring, fall and the early season to be ready to outplay Halzle and become a long-time starter in the mold of Rhett Bomar before he got himself kicked out of school? There's no way to really know, obviously, but I suspect he'll fall just short and Halzle will ride out the season as the Sooners' starting quarterback.
Agree? Disagree? Be kind as this is just an outsider's perspective to what certainly will be a very guarded, highly competitive situation.
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