Red shirting freshmen (and injured players) is not a bad idea, but I have seen red shirting sophomores, juniors and seniors being utilized to help solve future depth issues.
One example was center Dennis Buchanan who red shirted in 1974 as a senior when Switzer realized there would be a void at center in 1975 if he played Buchanan AND Kyle Davis in 1974. OU won a national championship in 1975 with Buchanan at center.
That goes back a long time ago, but I'm sure OU has done the same thing several times since then.
Senior linebacker Caleb Kelly this year could be a possible red shirt if he wants to return in 2020. Kelly right now is not much of an NFL prospect so maybe he stays....or even plays later this season. In my opinion, Kelly has been an underachiever although his size and raw talent are impressive. Any news on Kelly's situation ?
Riley's utilization of so many players this year is a plus, especially as it pertains to the future.....so I am not sure that if Riley would favor red shirting incoming freshmen, especially given his team's depth chart without them, not to mention two players now in transfer portals (Perkins and Baldwin).