Oklahoma entered its weekly scrimmage Wednesday still awaiting the emergence of a starting quarterback among three candidates.
“Nothing’s changed. We’re still working through it,” Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said before the Sooners began practice. “I like where it’s going and feel the guys are getting better. I feel we’ll be fine in that position.”
Junior Joey Halzle, redshirt freshman Sam Bradford and freshman Keith Nichol are competing for the starting spot vacated after Paul Thompson graduated.
Stoops said he expected the Sooners to scrimmage for about 40 to 50 plays in the section of practice usually reserved for team drills. The scrimmage would allow players to tackle to the ground instead of holding up players whose progress had been stopped.
Stoops said the scrimmage was a normal part of Oklahoma’s practice regimen and shouldn’t be considered a sign that coaches are seeking separation among the quarterback candidates or are near making their decision.
“I didn’t say a few days. I didn’t say a week. When we feel we want to, we will,” Stoops said. “It could be possible after today. It could be possible next Wednesday. Anything’s possible.”
Oklahoma has a full scrimmage planned Saturday at Owen Field.
Beyond the part of their performance that can be measured by statistics, Stoops said the quarterbacks will be evaluated for their consistency, how they handle the huddle and whether they’re reading the defense thoroughly and accurately.
Stoops said he thought Oklahoma had done “probably better than most” with its process of choosing a quarterback, since four different ones had led the Sooners to Big 12 championships in the past eight years.
Outside the quarterback competition, Stoops said that sophomore Noah Hughey and freshman Jason Hannan moved up the depth chart after backup center Chase Beeler left the team this week, and that backup guard Brandon Walker could also play the position.
Pittsburgh: Freshman quarterback Pat Bostick practiced with the team one day after returning to preseason football camp. Bostick had left Aug. 6 to deal with an undisclosed personal issue.
“It set him back, but we did a lot of things without pads,” offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh said. “But the tempo really picked up when the pads went on, and he missed that. Situations that we could’ve put him in during those 10 days would’ve helped, but we’re going to get him caught up.”
Bostick is Pitt’s top recruit and a likely challenger for a starting job this season. He threw for 7,259 yards during his career at Manheim Township High School near Lancaster, Pa.
“He can’t be in full pads, but we’re not scrimmaging. So he was able to go out and throw and make some decisions,” coach Dave Wannstedt said. “I was pleased with his start, but it’s just Day Number 1.”
New Mexico State: Receiver A.J. Harris rejoined the team after athletic director McKinley Boston said a resolution to his misdemeanor battery charge had been “worked out.”
Harris, 21, was accused of slapping a former girlfriend. He pleaded not guilty at his July 16 arraignment. Police responded to a July 8 call by a woman about damage to her Las Cruces, N.M., home. When Harris was questioned, police said he told officers he had slapped her.
Harris, who has remained free on bond since July 9, was the Aggies’ second-leading receiver last season, with 71 receptions for 789 yards and seven touchdowns.
