Having to find three new starters in the secondary and two more at linebacker were big spring goals.

The linebacker spots are still questionable. Ryan Reynolds will be moving to the middle after playing outside last season. It’s a move he’s capable of making, but he was limited last year by an ankle injury.

The outside spots were questions as well.

The Sooners were hoping freshman Austin Box would seize the weakside spot, but he was lost after a week of practice with an elbow injury. He and freshman Travis Lewis will battle for the spot in the fall.

One bright spot was Keenan Clayton’s move to strong-side linebacker. The junior made the move from safety last season and seemed to take control of the position this spring. He was one of the leading tacklers in all three scrimmages.

“He has been able to come into his own at linebacker,” defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “He’s kind of taken hold of a position where he has to make a lot of plays.”

Clayton wasn’t the only player who showed he could make plays. Rebuilding the secondary was the biggest goal of the spring. Both cornerback spots and a safety spot were wide open after the departures of D.J. Wolfe, Marcus Walker and Reggie Smith.

In stepped Dominique Franks, Brian Jackson, Jonathan Nelson and Sam Proctor.

The spring was their coming-out party and provided a major confidence boost for the Sooners going into the fall.

“We’re trying to make a name for ourselves,” Jackson said.

They did it in the spring. Offensive big plays were minimal and the group showed a tenacity when it came to getting their hands on the football.

“There’s a lot of guys playing with a sense of desperation because they’re fighting to get on the field and prove their worth,” Venables said. “They really feel like they have a chance to compete for positions.”

That competition will continue throughout the summer and hit a fever pitch when practice begins in August. The spring was essentially a starting point of where those competitions began.

Nonetheless, the Sooners showed that they have players ready to step up in key spots next season. It may not have been as exciting as watching quarterbacks fight it out for the starting job. But stocks rose throughout March and April. Those stocks should pay off next season.