At safety for Tulsa, the injury bug wiped out the seasons of Jordan Mitchell and Manny Bunch, which significantly hampered the pass defense in 2017.
McKinley Whitfield (6-3, 216, Sr, Spiro), who started off last season as the starter at Star linebacker, moved back to safety and led the team in tackles with 113 stops. He had an interception return for 51 yards in the victory over Houston and was second on the team with eight pass breakups.
“The great thing about McKinley is he can physically play a lot of different spots,” said Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery. “He’s an inspirational type of leader. He’s the type of guy that everyone is going to listen to on the defensive side.
“McKinley started off the season at Star, then we had all of those injuries at safety and he had to move back to safety, and his production never dropped in those transitions. He’s got to be a great leader for us.”
For Mitchell, the early season injury robbed him of his final nine games after starting the first three. The 6-2, 195-pound senior from Owasso has started 19 career games at safety and broke up nine passes in 2016.
“Jordan started here for many years, and we lose him early in the year,” said Montgomery. “Got a year of eligibility back for him. For him, he’s already graduated. His rehab has gone extremely well. I know he’s excited to get back on the field.
“We lost so many guys last year. It will be great to have senior leadership back this year, and those guys who played last year have gained experience. It will be a great competition.”
Manny Bunch (6-1, 197, Jr., Roland, Ok.) started all six games he played in, and had 45 tackles and an interception.
“Manny Bunch was a high school quarterback, and he was a guy who transitioned extremely well over to the safety spot,” Montgomery described. “He can really cover ground. He can really come up and hit you. He’s got ball skills. Because he was a quarterback, he kind of sees some things as they develop.
“For him, it is just trusting what he is seeing and having the confidence to go do it. This fall will be important for him to get the confidence in his knee back. I think he’s got a chance to be a special player. He’s a guy who can talk and lead and do the things that need to be done and communicate back there.”
Other players in the mix at safety include Brandon Johnson (6-0, 185, Jr., Tyler CC), Cristian Williams (6-0, 176, Jr.), Sam Gottsch (6-2, 190, Sr., Sapulpa), Marcus Mays (6-2, 169, Fr-RS, Edison), Daiquan Jackson (5-11, 190, Fr-RS), Ryan McDaniel (6-2, 215, Soph.) and incoming freshman Kendarin Ray.
Johnson is a juco recruit who could have an impact.
“Brandon Johnson had a great JC career,” Montgomery said. “He’s very athletic. We’re going to see how he transitions once he gets here.”
Williams took advantage of injuries to move up and start three of the 12 games he appeared in. He finished with 37 tackles and three pass breakups. He had a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Spring Game.
“Cristian Williams played extremely well for us at times last year,” Montgomery said. “He’s continued to develop and grow. He’s a guy who has started games for us and has played extremely well.”
Gottsch, who has moved from safety to quarterback and back to safety, played in nine games last year and had nine tackles.
“Sam Gottsch is a kid who has transitioned back into the secondary. He’s a guy who is just going to be Steady Eddie,” Montgomery said. “He’s not going to make the mistakes. He’s going to be where he’s supposed to be. He plays with great technique and great knowledge, so it’s good to have him back there.”
Marcus Mays was a multi-sport star for Edison before redshirting at TU last year.
“I think Marcus has a bright future,” Montgomery explained. “He’s got a lot of growing to do. But a guy who is long and can run and cover ground. He’s got really good ball skills. A Tulsa kid that did a great job in high school and played both sides of it. So we’ve got great expectations for him.”
Montgomery thinks Kendarin Ray can be a lot like McKinley Whitfield.
“Kendarin Ray, in my opinion, looks a lot like McKinley when he first got here,” Montgomery said of a player who was listed as an Athlete when he signed. “He’s going to be about a 6-4, 190-pound kid. He’s got range, he can run, he’s athletic. The length provides some really positive things for you, so it’s just so he transitions into that role.”
If players returning from injury like Mitchell and Bunch can return to form, and Tulsa’s other young players step up, the Golden Hurricane secondary can be a strength in 2018.
