Oklahoma Spring Game Notebook

Notes and observations from Oklahoma's spring football game.

- It certainly appears the quarterback position is Blake Bell's to lose. He was the most poised on Saturday and make a number of good throws, while not making any mistakes.

- Surprisingly, Bell didn't really run much, preferring to stay in the pocket. That's probably what the Sooners are looking for the most: a quarterback that has the ability to run, but would rather pass.

- Thompson has great speed and shiftiness, and throws very well on the run. If he were the starter, OU wouldn't be in bad shape at all. He seemed a bit quick to pull the ball down and run, but with his speed, that's not a bad thing, and something he'll learn to control in the future.

- Knight just needs more time before he's ready to be the starter. He only made one big mistake — fumbling at the two-yard line that allowed Frank Shannon to score for the defense — but also made some tough throws that could have been picked off.

Related: Oklahoma Spring Game: White Rallies In Fourth Quarter For Win

- Not to say Knight doesn't have talent. He's got a great arm and great speed as well. He made some really good throws, particularly to Trey Metoyer that set the offense up for a couple of touchdowns.

- Overall, most impressive players today: Trey Franks, David Smith, Trey Metoyer, Jordan Phillips.

- To say OU has a great stable of running backs would be an understatement. Trey Millard was held out, Alex Ross missed the game with a small injury and Brennan Clay and Damien Williams only played a series or two each. David Smith was very impressive, running for 65 yards and a touchdown. He also caught a touchdown. Terence Olds, a transfer from Rose State, also impressed when he was on the field. Roy Finch once again wowed the crowd with his shifty moves and speed, rushing for 20 yards and scoring on a 49-yard screen pass.

- Speaking of Finch, he seems to be back in the coaches' good graces. Bob Stoops and Josh Heupel both praised the work he put in during the spring and said he was right in the thick of the competition for carries during the season. Plenty of time to see if that actually happens, but it appears OU fans will see Finch on the field much more in the fall.

- Besides Finch, Stoops singled out quite a few players for their quality spring practices. Cortez Johnson, Trey Metoyer, Chuka Ndulue, Daryl Williams and Tyrus Thompson also garnered praise from Stoops, as well as Heupel and defensive coordinator Mike Stoops.

- Metoyer had another terrific spring game, although he also dropped a couple of passes as well. He finished with six grabs for 122 yards. Last season, Metoyer was very impressive during the spring game, but didn't play a lot during the season. Metoyer has said he wasn't as prepared as it appeared, and that led to his struggles during the season.

- Durron Neal looked like a player ready to break out at wide receiver. He made several nice catches and seemed to have a good connection with Bell.

- Jordan Phillips can be a force at defensive tackle for the Sooners if he's consistent. The OU offensive line had some trouble blocking him on Saturday, as he got in the backfield several times, particularly in the second half. Stoops said he's looking for Phillips to be more consistent and said he's challenged him with that.

- Overall, Mike Stoops didn't seem too thrilled about the performance of the defense on Saturday. He mentioned several players that played well, but certainly didn't gush over anyone. The offense gained 689 yards for the game and while it was only a spring game, it didn't look like the offense was really struggling at any point.

- Trey Franks, Jaz Reynolds and Quentin Hayes, the players who were suspended by Stoops for all of last season all played pretty well. Reynolds had three catches for 23 yards, while Franks and Hayes both played well at the safety position. It's unclear if they're able to see game action yet, but they'll all have something to contribute if they do.

- Only one minor injury for the Sooners today. Rashod Favors had the wind knocked out of him in the second half and was slow to leave the field. Stoops said he'd be fine. Dannon Cavil didn't play due to a tweaked hamstring during practice this week and Alex Ross missed the game with a slight injury as well. Stoops said both should be fine in a week or two.