Oklahoma’s Blake Bell will sit out the final week of spring practice thanks to a knee injury. Bell sprained his knee but will not require surgery, which is always good news. Carey Murdock of Sooner Scoop was the first to report the injury, via Twitter.
Bell was making a position switch this spring, from quarterback to tight end. Bell’s move to a new position sorted out a quarterback dilemma for head coach Bob Stoops. With Bell moving to tight end, Trevor Knight was cleared to be the full-time quarterback for the Sooners, instead of switching off packages with Bell. It was reportedly Bell’s decision to pursue a position change, perhaps realizing his days playing quarterback at Oklahoma were coming to an end following Knight’s performance in a Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama.
Bell, if healthy, should bring good size to the Oklahoma passing game at the tight end position. His height and athleticism seem to make him a solid target for Knight. Because he does not require surgery, it is realistic to believe he should be OK for the Sooners when summer camp opens and when the season kicks off in the fall.
Oklahoma’s spring game is scheduled for Saturday, April 12. With a sprained knee injury so close to the end of spring practice, it makes sense to keep Bell on the sideline and take it easy.
With Bell out for the spring game, the Sooners will look to split reps between sophomores Tyler McNamara and Connor Knight, as well as JUCO transfer Isaac Ijalana. All are competing for a starting job at the position, along with Bell.