During the summer, ESPN.com is taking a closer look at each scholarship player on Oklahoma’s roster in our Crimson Countdown series. Each day, we analyze each player’s impact on the program since arriving on campus, his potential impact this fall, and his long-term projection. Starting with No. 1 Dominique Alexander, the series follows the roster numerically through No. 98 Chuka Ndulue.
No. 55 Josiah St. John, 6-foot-6, 300 pounds, redshirt junior
Impact thus far: None. St. John redshirted during his first season on campus. A junior college signee, St. John was late to arrive in the summer and never really proved himself ready to impact the Sooners in 2013.
Impact in 2014: OU returns two strong starters in Daryl Williams and Tyrus Thompson, so a rise into the starting lineup would be a surprise. But St. John seems poised to be a solid backup option at tackle this fall.
Long term upside: He could contribute as a backup in 2014, then become a starter in 2015.
Evaluation grade for St. John: F. St. John may end up being a terrific evaluation but the reason to sign a junior college player is to get an immediate impact which hasn’t been the case with St. John. But it would be a surprise if this grade remains an F, particularly after St. John’s improvement since the end of the 2013 campaign.
Development grade for St. John: B. Considering the shuffling the Sooners had to do when the injury bug hit the tackle spot last season, St. John clearly wasn’t ready to make an impact in 2013. Thus, a redshirt season was probably better than just throwing him out there and wasting a season of eligibility. Now they could potentially get a full season of production in 2015 and a quality backup in 2014.
