Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
According to multiple reports, Oklahoma DE Ronnie Perkins is available to play tonight. Whether he will is still yet to be determined.
Better late than never, right?
According to multiple reports, the NCAA’s suspension of Oklahoma Sooners defensive end Ronnie Perkins has been lifted after winning his appeal. His status for the game against the Iowa St. Cyclones has still not been announced, but he did in fact travel to Ames (as we confirmed earlier today ). For what it’s worth, he’s currently in sweats as other players warm up.
Massive #Sooners news that I’ve spent the last several hours confirming: Ronnie Perkins won an appeal and is in Ames. He’s unlikely to play tonight but should be ready for Texas next week.
— Jason Kersey (@jasonkersey) October 3, 2020
https://t.co/JGDQ9aai2j has learned that Ronnie Perkins has won a special appeal with the NCAA and his drug suspension has been lifted. He is in Ames with the team but it is unknown if he will play tonight. Most sources expect his return next week against Texas.
— SoonerScoop.com (@SoonerScoop) October 3, 2020
Ronnie Perkins is in sweats as OU’s defensive linemen warm up. #Sooners
— Joe Buettner (@ByJoeBuettner) October 3, 2020
Perkins (along with running back Rhamondre Stevenson and WR Trejan Bridges ) was originally suspended for six games prior to the Peach Bowl matchup with LSU . While the reason for the suspensions were never officially announced, it has always believed that they were the result of positive tests for THC. The statuses of the other two suspended players remain unchanged at this moment.
Why the NCAA is still handing down multi-game suspensions due to marijuana in the Year of Our Lord 2020 is beyond me, and Perkins will never get back those three missed games. However, this is an exceedingly positive development — and a surprising one, at that. The fact that he will most certainly be back for the Texas game puts a massive on this Sooner’s face.