This summer, ESPN.com is taking a closer look at each scholarship player on the Oklahoma Sooners' 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. 88 Taylor McNamara, tight end, 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, sophomore
Impact thus far: He started a game as a true freshman before injury forced a medical redshirt in 2012. As a sophomore, McNamara played in three games in 2013. He made his first career reception against Alabama and enters this season with one career reception for four yards in two years on campus.
Impact in 2014: More and more the Sooners have been using tight ends as key pieces of the offensive attack, so the opportunity for McNamara to earn a role is there. It wasn’t unusual for the Sooners to use two-tight end sets last season, and that trend could continue in 2014, but Blake Bell, Aaron Ripkowski and Dimitri Flowers are his main competitors to fill one of those slots. Quite frankly, it’s up to him.
Long term upside: It really depends on his progression. He needs to prove he can force his way onto the field.
Evaluation grade for McNamara: C. He hasn’t lived up to his hype as a four-star U.S. Army All-American, but he still has time. This season is an important one for McNamara and he started showing signs he might be ready to make an impact at the end of the 2013 season.
Development grade for McNamara: B. The Sooners could have given McNamara more playing time during the 2013 season but the onus also falls on McNamara to force himself into the lineup, as he did in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Thus, the Sooners have handled his development relatively well.
