Oklahoma has found a replacement for departed quarterback Landry Jones – and surprisingly, his name is not Blake Bell.
Coach Bob Stoops announced Thursday evening that redshirt freshman Trevor Knight pulled the upset over favorite Bell to win the starting job in the season opener against Louisiana-Monroe on Aug. 31.
Bell, nicknamed the “Belldozer” because of his 6-foot-6, 252-pound frame, was the anticipated starter because of his extensive playing time during the past two seasons. Bell had used his bruising size for short yardage situations, but reports out of Oklahoma’s camp said he wasn’t consistent enough in all areas of his game to win the job.
Knight threw for 2,092 yards and 27 touchdowns and just three interceptions at San Antonio Ronald Reagan High School. He also rushed for 943 yards and 15 scores.
Bell, a junior, rushed for 24 touchdowns in the past two seasons.
Knight becomes the first new Sooners’ quarterback since Landry Jones took over for an injured Sam Bradford during the 2009 Red River Rivalry game against Texas.
While Knight is the starter, Stoops has not closed the door on the competition.
"Both Trevor and Blake (Bell) have competed hard and both will be ready to play against Louisiana-Monroe," Stoops said in the statement. "Like every other position on our team, I expect them both to continue competing for the starting job."
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