Oklahoma Sooners

As national signing day approaches on Feb. 1, Brandon Chatmon is breaking down every commitment and signee in the Sooners' 2012 recruiting class. View all of our profiles here.

Name: Trey Metoyer

Position: Receiver

Height, Weight: 6-foot-2, 195 pounds

Hometown/School: Whitehouse, Texas/Hargrave Military (Va.)

Committed: March 12, 2010

Scout grade: 81. Four-star prospect.

Scout rankings: NR (Prep school)

Picked OU over: Arkansas, LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Nebraska.

State of the position: Kenny Stills, Trey Franks and Kameel Jackson are the main receivers returning but OU badly needs difference makers at receiver. The Sooners final three games without Ryan Broyles showed how badly they could use playmaking receivers.

Pros: “The more you watch this guy the better he gets. Given Metoyer's size, strength, speed and playmaking ability he has all the physical attributes you would like in today's wide receiver. He is a player physically capable of taking over a game and he makes plays in all three phases of the passing game.” - ESPN analyst

Cons: “He is not always the smoothest receiver-- will show some tightness in the hips at times, but he is strong and very difficult to handle one-on-one in the open field even if he does not make you miss you still have to tackle him.” - ESPN analyst

Similar to/potential role: Kenny Stills. Metoyer could play a similar role to Stills as an outside receiver who can stretch defenses and also get opportunities to make plays after the catch.

Expected impact: 2012. Another talented receiver who should force himself onto the field. Metoyer has good size and speed and will have spring football to transition into the offense.

We're offering up grades for each team in the Big 12 after their seasons conclude, so here's a look at how the 10-3 Oklahoma Sooners graded out in 2011.

OFFENSE: Oklahoma had as many weapons as anyone to begin the season, complete with a Heisman contender (frontrunner?) in Landry Jones and the man who would eventually hold the FBS record for career receptions, Ryan Broyles, as the team's top receiver. The Sooners were loaded at running back, though Dominique Whaley surprised everyone by leapfrogging top-flight recruits Brennan Clay and Roy Finch to steal the starting job. The offensive line was better this year, and the coaching staff showcased some great creativity with the near-unstoppable Belldozer formation that helped backup QB Blake Bell score 13 touchdowns over the second half of the season, after Whaley went down with a season-ending ankle injury. Ultimately, though, Jones wasn't quite as sharp without Broyles and the receiving corps had some big drops late in the season, and the Sooners were embarrassed in the season finale vs. Oklahoma State with the Big 12 title hanging in the balance. Jones' performance, too, has to be better in 2012. His 15 interceptions are far too many, and it was even more than he threw as a freshman in 2009, when he had the most in the Big 12. Once Broyles went down, receivers Kenny Stills and Jaz Reynolds simply weren't good enough.

GRADE: B+

DEFENSE: Baylor debacle aside, the Sooners defense wasn't as bad as it looked late in the season. Oklahoma State and the Bears made the Sooners' issues in the secondary look really, really serious, but it's easy to forget the Cowboys and Bears are also the nation's No. 2 and No. 4 passing offenses. Oklahoma gave up over 40 points in each of its three losses, though it was dealing with some injuries defensively in the first loss to Texas Tech, namely the loss of top corner Jamell Fleming. Looking big picture, Oklahoma played its best football early in the season, and ranked second in the Big 12 in total defense, behind only Texas. Additionally, DE Frank Alexander won the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and teammate Ronnell Lewis might have been right behind him in the voting if not for a late-season knee injury and academic suspension.

GRADE: B+

OVERALL: It's easy to feel like 2011 was a complete failure, considering the national title hype in the preseason and the year's finish in the Insight Bowl. You can't classify it as a success, and we'll get to the final grade in a bit. But 10 wins is 10 wins, especially in a very, very deep league this year. The Texas Tech loss got more inexplicable as the season dragged on, but Baylor and Oklahoma State were good teams. Better than Oklahoma? Talent-wise, no. But both knocked off the Sooners, who are back to the drawing board in 2012, chasing another national title from the role of dark horse, rather than favorite.

GRADE: B-

MOBILE, Ala. -- Jamell Fleming can’t do what he’s grown accustomed to after five seasons at the University of Oklahoma. At the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., Fleming has been prohibited from running bump-and-run or press coverage, relying solely on off coverage, playing a few yards off the receiver before the snap.

But in the finesse game, Fleming has found a measure of success. In off coverage, corners have to play the ball, careful not to endanger receivers. It puts the onus on defensive backs and their footwork. Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach Joe Woods said he’s been pleased with Fleming’s progress, picking up a new scheme and adjusting to the limiting rules of the game.

“Everything is a new process with him because we’re installing the defenses we run,” Woods said. “Every day you just try to improve. … He’s done a good job and keeps getting better.”

Woods said he thinks Fleming translates well to the NFL, his bulk and long arms matching up with the larger receivers at the next level.

“The thing I like about him is he’s a big guy,” Woods said. “He’s athletic. He’s a big guy. He’s physical and any time you get a big guy with all the receivers in the NFL he matches up in terms of size.”

Fleming said he has had to pick up things quickly, but after three days on the field with the North Team coaches, he’s gotten into a groove.

“Practice is going great. The tempo is a little different and there are a lot of really good receivers out there,” Fleming said.

In front of the scores of scouts and NFL personnel, he’s focused on improving his footwork and “sticking and driving” in coverage. Fleming said there’s pressure in having all the eyes on you, but noted that it’s why he’s there, trying to prove he belongs in the pros.

“It’s a little worrisome but it’s football. It’s what I’ve been doing so I just come out here and do what I do,” Fleming said. “It’s been going good. Working with Coach Woods has been good, learning different technique.

“I want to show them that I can learn different schemes. I’m really anxious. This is a new adventure for me.”

Today, we'll kick off a look at the postseason rankings for each position in the Big 12. Here's a look back on where our first position, quarterback, stood in the preseason.

Quarterbacks' rushing talents are factored into these rankings. As such, it's tough to figure out how to weigh that vs. passing acumen. Ultimately, teams ranked 4-7 were really, really close.

In these position rankings, we take into account backups, though that impact is minimal at the quarterback spot.

1. Baylor

If your quarterback wins the Heisman, you're not finishing below No. 1 on this list. Robert Griffin IIIlit up defenses and broke the NCAA record for passing efficiency, even though Wisconsin's Russell Wilson did the same this year, and finished higher than RG3. Even when RG3 suffered concussion-like symptoms against Texas Tech, backup Nick Florencecame in and burned Texas Tech's defense in a 66-42 win. Griffin finished with as many touchdowns as Brandon Weeden (37), but threw as few interceptions as Collin Klein (6), despite throwing the ball 121 more times than Klein.

2. Oklahoma State

Brandon Weeden is a solid second place in this ranking, and backup Colton Chelflooked good in lots of mop-up duty, too. Weeden was the star, putting together an All-Big 12 caliber season, though Griffin's otherworldly performance in 2011 knocked him off his first-team perch from 2010. He led the league with 4,727 yards and 37 touchdowns. He also had the second-most pass attempts in the league, with 564.

3. Oklahoma

Landry Jones got some help late in the season when Blake Bell's BellDozer racked up a team-high 13 touchdowns. Jones wasn't outstanding late in the season after Ryan Broyles' knee injury, but his receivers didn't help him much, either. The dropsies seemed to infect everybody after Broyles' college career ended. Jones finished with 4,463 yards passing, second most in the Big 12. He also added 29 touchdowns but must improve on his 15 interceptions, a regression back to freshman-year Jones.

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As national signing day approaches on Feb. 1, Brandon Chatmon is breaking down every commitment and signee in the Sooners' 2012 recruiting class. View all of our profiles here.

Name: Alex Ross

Position: Running back

Height, Weight: 6-foot-1, 205 pounds

Hometown/School: Jenks, Okla./Jenks

Committed: Feb. 9, 2011

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There are no moral victories, but it is clear Lon Kruger’s team is getting better.

No. 7 Baylor pulled away in the final minutes of regulation to knock off Oklahoma, 77-65, at the Lloyd Noble Center on Tuesday night. The Bears, known for their athleticism, stopped their two-game losing streak with sharp shooting, finishing 27 of 50 on field goal attempts (54 percent), including 9 of 18 (50 percent) from the three-point line.

OU kept battling back from deficits throughout the second half but could never get over the hump. After the Sooners cut Baylor’s lead to 62-60 with 4:42 remaining, Baylor outscored OU 15-5 in the final minutes. The Sooners dropped to 12-7 overall and 2-5 in Big 12 play.

Player of the Game: Romero Osby was in beast mode against the Bears. The junior finished with 16 points, on 5 of 11 shooting, and 11 rebounds. He had five offensive rebounds and added two blocks and one steal in 38 minutes of action.

Unsung Hero: Sam Grooms. The junior point guard did a terrific job running the team against Baylor’s 1-3-1 zone defense, helping OU finish 27 of 58 (46.6%) from the field. Grooms had seven points and seven assists with zero turnovers in 35 minutes.

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