Rarely does an established veteran sound this certain about an 18-year-old, but that’s exactly where Oklahoma’s defensive line stands after Friday’s third practice of fall camp.
David Stone had plenty to say about the Sooners’ interior group, including expected immediate reserves Nigel Smith II and Trent Wilson. But it was true freshman James “Tank” Carrington who drew the loudest praise.
“Tank, he’s going to be special,” Stone said on Friday. “I can’t lie. Tank is going to be a dude for this school.”
Carrington, listed at 6-2 and 295 pounds, fits the nickname. He looks the part already, holding his own physically around a room full of linemen even as a freshman. But Stone’s confidence in him isn’t built only on size or raw strength - it’s tied to how advanced Carrington already looks mentally.
“The biggest thing for me is the block rec,” Stone said. “Being able to recognize what you see and vocalize it.
You’re actually really processing the game. And his hands.
He plays with his hands very well. Very technical kid.
I noticed that right off the rip.”
Stone went a step further, saying Carrington is ahead of where he was as a freshman after arriving as a five-star recruit in high school.
“He’s a very technical player. He’s more like Jayden when it comes to that. But he’s as fast as me when I was a freshman player.”
Even with that early promise, Carrington still has one major hurdle to clear before he can fully earn the staff’s trust: doing it the same way every rep, every day.
“The biggest thing for him right now is trying to get him to learn how to do it all the time. He’s showing flashes as a young guy, and that’s what young people do.
They show the flashes. But once they show the consistency and the levels to it is when they really take their game to the next level and that’s all we’re looking from him right now,” Stone said.
For now, Stone is already sold.
“He’s truly going to be special. When I say that, I mean that.”
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