plundering: the Senior Bowl will be big for Creed as he'll get to matchup against more NFL-quality DT's. He really stuffed Florida's mid-Rd DT prospect - T Slaton and that was a good sign. If he shows well this Draft season, I would consider Creed starting in the 3rd - not sure he's 1st Rd material and we need to go OL/DL with out first 2 picks and I think our 1st OL prospect probably needs to be someone who can play OT, too (ie, Rashawn Slater from Northwester or Alijah Vera-Tucker from USC).
The Senior Bowl will be huge for a bunch of prospects, especially those that opted out and have no 2020 tape. I hope they're able to have the practices and game, even in a COVID-19 environment.
Q&A with Creed (btw my son went to school with Gabe):
Creed Humphrey had an ideal group to lean on throughout his three seasons as Oklahoma’s starting center. Three of Humphrey’s predecessors remain intimately involved in the program.
Ty Darlington played as the Sooners’ center in 2014 and 2015, became an OU quality control coach for three years, then moved into a graduate assistant role last season. Erick Wren, a first-team All-Big 12 center in 2017, became a Sooners graduate assistant last year, too.
Then there’s Gabe Ikard, a 2013 first-team All-American who now serves as a sideline reporter for official OU football radio broadcasts.
“It helped a ton,” Humphrey said of those relationships. “I could call or text all three of those guys any time. I got a lot of pointers from them throughout my career. We had Ty there the whole time I was there. Erick was there playing whenever I got there as a freshman, and he showed me a lot. Gabe was around all the time, whether it be game days, leading up to games. I could text him about different things, different techniques.”
Humphrey, who declared for the NFL Draft following his junior season, is currently ranked as the No. 74 draft prospect, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. The last time an OU center was selected in the draft was 1985, when the Houston Oilers picked Chuck Thomas in the fifth round.
“Creed is the best center that’s ever played at OU,” Ikard said. “There’s no debate. He is. His combination of strength, quickness and flexibility made him a dominant college player. He’s tough. A lot of people just talk about his strength, but his durability and toughness definitely stood out to me. He’s got a solid football IQ. He’s one of those guys that likes to understand everything that is going on during a play. He can tell you what each player is supposed to do and why. Not all guys are like that.
“As good as he was in college, I think he can be a better pro.”
Humphrey earned Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year honors in 2019 and 2020. According to Pro Football Focus, he did not allow a sack on 401 pass plays last season.
The Shawnee, Okla., native and two-time team captain attended the Senior Bowl last month and drew rave reviews. He is represented by agent Ken Sarnoff and is working out in the Dallas area.
Humphrey (6-foot-5, 330 pounds) will participate in OU’s pro day on March 12. Schools’ pro days are essentially replacing the NFL combine this year because of the pandemic.
He recently spoke about his time at OU, his decision to leave, playing for offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh and more.
How would you say you’re different than when you arrived on campus in 2017?
I approach the whole game differently. My leadership abilities have grown a ton since I’ve been at OU, both leading by example and leading vocally. I’ve become more of a student of the game. Mentally, being able to process things on the field. I wouldn’t pick any place besides OU. I feel like it grew me up better than any other place could have done.
Bedenbaugh has a reputation as one of the best offensive line coaches in the country. What was it like playing for him for four years?
I owe everything to Coach B. He’s helped me so much as a player and as a person in general. I wouldn’t want any other guy coaching me throughout my college career. He’s one of a kind. He’s the best in the country at what he does. He coaches you on the field, but also off the field, about how to be a better man. You know, being the best son, the best father, the best husband you can be. He’s one of those guys who shoots you straight. He doesn’t really try to fluff you up during the recruiting process. You know what you’re getting into. By the time I left, Coach B was like family to me.
You snapped to current NFL starters Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts, then to Spencer Rattler last season. What do you see in Rattler’s future?
He has unlimited potential. He already shows great leadership abilities. I’m really excited to see what he does in the next year or two. If he keeps working like he has been, he’s gonna be doing whatever he wants.
Was there a moment last season when you felt like he’d taken control of the offense, like it was his offense?
During that Texas game is when I really started seeing what he was gonna be as a leader and as a player. Throughout those four overtimes, he was so poised, so calm, so positive. It really showed us what kind of leader he could be.
I suppose when he was pulled from the game in the first half, it really could have gone either way.
He responded very well to that.
There is a lot of excitement around the program right now, a feeling that it is really close to finally winning another national title. Do you see that happening in the near future?
I definitely think it’s gonna happen within the next couple years. There’s a great culture in the locker room. There’s a ton of great leadership on the team. There’s gonna be a huge jump in the next few years, and I’m excited to watch it.
How did you come to the decision to declare for the NFL Draft?
I had conversations with Coach B and Coach (Lincoln) Riley after the season ended. They said they thought I was ready to take the next step in my career. Hearing their opinions, then talking to my family, I thought it was best to go ahead and leave.
There isn’t an obvious successor to you at center, but there seem to be some great options, including Chris Murray and Andrew Raym. What do you think about the future of your position?
There’s a bunch of players there who can step in and do a good job. I’m excited to see who ends up taking the job, but whoever it is, I know they’ll be great.
What was the Senior Bowl experience like?
It was a blast. I got a lot of good work in with a ton of great players, and I’m very thankful for it. I got to meet with basically every team in the league. I learned a lot throughout that week.