OU football: Will Marvin Mims fill Sooners' void at kick returner in 2021?

NORMAN — Marvin Mims’ first touch in college happened on special teams.

The yardage of Mims’ punt return in the opening minutes of OU’s season opener doesn’t jump off the page.

But the 17-yard return against Missouri State showed the promise Mims had as a freshman, and he followed up moments later with a 58-yard receptions for a touchdown and wound up being the Sooners leading receiver.

Mims figures to continue to be a big part of OU’s special teams moving forward as his offensive role figures to grow even bigger.

The Oklahoman’s series of position looks at the Sooners continues with a look at OU’s special teams in 2021:

Season rewind: After being perfect in 2019, kicker Gabe Brkic wasn’t quite 100% in his second year in the role. Outside of the miss in the third overtime against Texas, though, Brkic was still excellent, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors by making all 49 of his extra points and 20 of 26 field goals. And OU was overall excellent in special teams against Texas, with a blocked punt and blocked field goal. Punter Reeves Mundschau’s average took a small step back to 39.1 yards per punt. Tre Brown came up big in the Big 12 Championship Game win over Iowa State with a pair of long kick returns.

Who’s out: Tre Brown, T.J. Pledger, Charleston Rambo

Who’s in: Billy Bowman

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The take: With both Brkic and Mundschau returning, the Sooners are set at both kicker and punter. The biggest question is at kick returner where the Sooners top options from last year have either transferred or moved on to prepare for the NFL Draft. Marvin Mims is an option there after returning one kick last year and handling the punt returning duties well. But Billy Bowman, the do-everything athlete from Denton, Texas, likely gets a chance at one of the spots.

Projected depth chart

Kicker

Gabe Brkic, RSo, 6-2, 198

Stephen Johnson, RSr., 6-1, 186

Punter

Reeves Mundschau, RJr., 5-11, 183

Kick returner

Billy Bowman, Fr., 5-10, 170

Marvin Mims, Fr., 5-11, 177

Punt returner

Marvin Mims, Fr., 5-11, 177

Billy Bowman, Fr., 5-10, 170

Deep snapper

Kasey Kelleher, RJr., 5-10, 234

Holder

Spencer Jones, RSr., 6-1, 197