Tight end Brody Eldridge has been cleared for full contact, but has been held out of every drill that involves tackling. Wilson said that will extend into Saturday’s scrimmage.

“I’m not worried about him getting tackled. It’s somebody else falling on him. I don’t want him in a position to injure an ankle or a knee,” Wilson said.

Eldridge, a sophomore, suffered a broken ankle in the spring. He was a vital part of the running game from both the tight end and fullback spots last season. His absence in the first scrimmage might have been part of the reason the offense struggled running the ball.

“When he’s out there there’s a different feel to the offense with that blocking game,” Wilson said. “There’s one whole side that moves significantly better when he’s out there. It’s a pretty big deal.”

But Eldridge will have to wait until the Sept. 1 opener against North Texas to go full bore.

Patrick healing

Running back Allen Patrick will also miss Saturday’s scrimmage with an ankle injury.

There still isn’t an exact prognosis for his return. Wilson said Patrick might return to practice next week or it could be closer to the end of the month.

The Sports Illustrated college football preview with Patrick on the cover was released Wednesday. Wilson doesn’t buy the SI cover jinx.

“We were jinxed last year, so I don’t buy the jinx,” he said. “I told everyone to go buy one because he (Patrick) was going to try to buy them all anyway. I’m sure they’ll be in every home back in Conway (S.C.).”

Running back Chris Brown said he’d seen the magazine, much like every player in the OU locker room. If the jinx did lead to the injury, it isn’t detouring Brown from the one day he’ll be on the cover.

When asked if he’d rather miss two weeks of practice with an injury or be on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Brown didn’t hesitate.

“I’ll take the cover,” he said.