NORMAN — Nigel Smith II has a strong mentor in his corner. The junior defensive lineman initially joined Oklahoma as a defensive end, but he’s made the move inside to defensive tackle, where he hopes to earn a role in Todd Bates’ rotation. He’s far from the first to make the change; he watched Jonah Laulu follow the same path in Norman. The former Sooner believes that Smith has what it takes to thrive, and Smith said he still talks to Laulu frequently. “When it happened, I had a couple calls with him, like texted him, asked what he thought,” Smith said.