NORMAN, Oklahoma. The fourth-ranked Sooners will be missing at least three players for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl College Football Playoff Semifinal. Trejan Bridges, a wide receiver, Rhamondre Stevenson, a running back, and Ronnie Perkins, a defensive lineman, have all been suspended for the game against the top-ranked LSU Tigers, according to Brandon Drumm of OUInsider.com. SoonerScoop.com broke the story first, and The Athletic verified the details.
Rumors have been circulating for a few days now suggesting that many Sooners players could have been suspended. Lincoln Riley, the head coach, did not mention it during his National Signing Day press conference on Wednesday, though.
Riley admitted that the report was out there. “Unfortunately, at this moment, I am unable to comment on it.”
A couple more times, he was questioned about the situation. First, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman asked about running back Kennedy Brooks’s condition. Brooks had been hurt during the Big 12 Championship. Then she asked about fellow back Stevenson’s condition.
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“Kennedy Brooks will play,” Riley said.
When asked if he was hesitant to comment since there may be an appeals process, Riley remained silent.
“I’m not sure if I want to even go that far,” Riley said. “I simply can’t right now. I thus swear that I will, but not right now.
The Sooners’ third-year head coach likewise failed to set a release date for an official statement.
Riley said, “You’ll know when I’m able to comment, but I’m not sure when precisely.”
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This will surely be a significant distraction in the lead-up to the #1-ranked game against LSU. Riley, however, wrote it off as simply another obstacle in their 12-1 season.
“This whole game and all these playoffs are a tremendous distraction,” Riley said. There are a lot of distractions going on while everyone gets ready for this, and the team that can handle them the best will likely be the most organized. You know, we’ve had a challenging year. When a player is hurt or new players join the team, we’ve encountered problems. That’s simply the way things operate, though. So, we’ll carry on as usual and get ready to play.
