Jalen Saunders Cotton Bowl Status Still Up In The Air

At a press conference Tuesday in Norman, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops spoke out for the first time since one of his star receivers, Jalen Saunders, was arrested for possession of marijuana earlier this month.

Stoops said he could not provide an answer yet regarding whether or not Saunders will play in the Jan. 4 Cotton Bowl game against Texas A&M.

"We're handling it internally, and we'll see where it goes," Stoops said. He added that once a decision is made he will make it public.

Saunders transferred from Fresno State early in the season and played his first game as a Sooner on Oct. 13 during the Texas game. Saunders has since caught 53 passes for 766 yards and scored three touchdowns, becoming one of the most influential players this season for the Sooners.

Saunders and a teammate Cortez Johnson, sophomore cornerback, were arrested in the early hours of Dec. 2 following the Sooners win against TCU. Johnson is sitting out this season under NCAA rules after transferring in from Arizona.

Some other highlights from today's press conference:

1. Stoops was enthusiastic that the team returned to their first practice before the bowl game excited, a lot of times that's often not the case when a team like Oklahoma is not playing in a BCS Bowl.

2. In response to a question about a less-than-stellar recruiting season to date, Stoops said that signing day isn't until February and that sometimes the recruiting services get it wrong: "Sam Bradford was a three-star, right?" Of course Bradford went from Putnam City North HS to OU and won the Heisman Trophy after his sophomore season.