In one of his final tasks as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, San Diego State football coach Chuck Long helped secure the services of a player named Sam Bradford, a quarterback heralded by national scouting services but clearly at the end of the line where the Sooners' pecking order was concerned.
Bradford was decorated to be sure, pegged by Rivals.com as the 12th-best pro-style quarterback in the country, an all-state selection who had thrown for nearly 2,500 yards and 19 touchdowns during his senior season at North High in Putnam City, Okla.
At OU, however, he was bunched with players such as Rhett Bomar and Tommy Grady, making a quick ascent on the depth chart most unlikely. But when Grady opted to transfer to Utah in 2005 and Bomar was dismissed from the team after his involvement in an NCAA rules violation in August 2006, Bradford was suddenly staring at an open field.
Though the Sooners would decide to have quarterback-turned-receiver Paul Thompson return to his original position after Bomar's dismissal, Bradford was on the verge of being handed the keys to one of the most proficient offenses in the nation. Bradford took over at Oklahoma last year, steering the Sooners to an 11-3 record while throwing 36 touchdown passes and being ranked No. 1 in the country in passing efficiency. At No. 2 was Florida's Tim Tebow, the Heisman Trophy winner.
Bradford was a redshirt freshman, a footnote not lost on SDSU redshirt freshman Ryan Lindley, who will enter fall camp as the team's No. 1 quarterback. “You're seeing a lot more redshirt freshmen starting now,” Lindley said. “I think the only thing that really holds (redshirt freshmen) back in their first year now is that they may not be ready from a physical standpoint. But if you look at a guy like Sam Bradford, a guy who I kind of see myself as, if he can do it I can do it.”
Indeed, five of the top 10 quarterbacks in the nation last year were underclassmen, including Colin Kaepernick, a redshirt freshman at Nevada. At pass-happy Texas Tech, redshirt freshman receiver Michael Crabtree led the country in both receptions and receiving yards per game.
Though sophomore Kelsey Sokoloski and junior transfer Drew Westling offer more experience, Lindley, the former El Capitan High star, leap-frogged both during spring drills. At present, the Aztecs also have three redshirt freshmen offensive linemen – tackles Mike Matamua and Kurtis Gunther and center Tommie Draheim – penciled in as No. 1 at their respective positions.
“I think everyone saw this as a pretty talented group of players,” Lindley said of SDSU's 2007 recruiting class. “We've all been putting the work in. Obviously, there's going to be growing pains. We're going to go out there against Cal Poly (in the season opener on Aug. 30) and it's going to be the first game for some of us. Then we go to Notre Dame (the following week). We've got to get a lot of (the jitters) out of the way in the first game. This summer is really going to be crucial for us in terms of guys getting in the weight room and getting stronger. But with the leadership we have from some of the older guys, I think we're going to be looking good come August.”
Lindley, rated by Rivals as the 34th-best quarterback in the nation coming out of high school, is stepping into some sizable shoes. Predecessor Kevin O'Connell, recently selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the NFL draft, last season became the first player in SDSU history to lead the team in both rushing and passing.
“One of the things that drew me here is that I wanted to play,” Lindley said. “I wanted to contribute early. After I saw that Kevin had one year left, you have to look at it with a competitive attitude and know that you can (potentially) be a four-year starter. I'm going to go out there and put my best foot forward. I plan on taking care of this team for awhile.”
Mick McGrane: (619) 293-1850; mick.mcgrane@uniontrib.com
