Once thought to be a near lock to leave early for the NFL draft, Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Landry Jones announced Thursday that he’s coming back for another year in Norman.
Did Jones make the right decision? To me, the answer is much like what I tell people when they ask me why I haven’t given exotic dancing a try. Yes, the money and adulation are nice, but I just don’t find it intellectually stimulating.
I won’t offer an opinion on whether or not Jones made the right call, but I will give you one about what it means for OU and the rest of college football.
A helluva lot.
A vocal segment of OU fans were hoping to start a new era under center in 2012. The unfortunate truth for them is that in a win-now business, Jones is easily the Sooners’ best bet.
The reasons Jones returned probably have a lot to do with why his detractors wanted him to leave early. Ryan Broyles’ knee injury seemingly submarined not only the receiver’s season, but Jones’ year as well. After Broyles was lost for the season, Jones threw for just one touchdown in the four remaining games and combined for eight turnovers. The swoon included a four-turnover meltdown in OU’s 34-point loss to Oklahoma State in the Bedlam season finale.
All in all, Jones’ late-season slide raised questions about whether his success had more to do with playing with a top-notch pass catcher than the quarterback’s own skills. Redshirt freshman Blake Bell running out of the “Belldozer” package simultaneously set Sooner Nation’s collective imagination dreaming about the future.
As exciting as a prospect like Blake Bell may be, breaking in a new quarterback typically puts a cap on a team’s ceiling, no matter how talented the guys surrounding him may be. The Sooners need only look south of the Red River at what transpired in Austin the past two years for proof.
What about the Big 12, where quarterback play is paramount? Look at the QBs leaving the league: Robert Griffin III (probably), Brandon Weeden, Ryan Tannehill, James Franklin. In fairness, the conference is inheriting Geno Smith at West Virginia and Casey Pachall at TCU. However, factor in that Jones already has a conference title to his credit to go along with 30 wins in three years as a starter, and OU is as strong as any team in the conference under center.
With Jones back, the Sooners once again look like the favorites to win the Big 12.
