For the last five months, Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables always prefaced any statement he made about the linebacker corps. Everything is based on a healthy Ryan Reynolds being at weakside linebacker.
“He adds a lot of security at that position and I trust him a great deal,” Venables said about the sophomore from Las Vegas. “He has displayed the most maturity by a young player than any other player I have been around.”
You’ll have to take Venables’ word for what it is. Reynolds played sparingly as a freshman and redshirted last season due to a knee injury and suffered another knee injury in the spring.
But he may very well be the cornerstone of the Sooner defense this season. He plays a marquee spot that has produced star after star over the last six seasons.
Stepping into the glamour spot is enough pressure. Doing it while coming off two knee surgeries is something else, entirely.
“I try not to be self-conscious about it, because then that will just slow me down,” Reynolds said. “If I can get to the point where I don’t think about it, then hopefully everything will just work.”
If it does, the Sooner linebackers have the makings of a very talented group.
Curtis Lofton jumped right in and seized the middle linebacker job after two seasons waiting in the wings. The junior from Kingfisher started four games last season and was a standout on special teams.
He worked at the weakside spot in the spring and was in a position battle with junior college transfer Mike Reed for the middle spot in the preseason.
“At Oklahoma, it is all about competition,” Lofton said. “I was kind of glad they brought somebody in like Mike because he is just going to push me to be a better player.”
The strongside linebacker spot is the most intriguing on the field. Lewis Baker is there after moving from linebacker to safety and back again.
He’s a bit undersized for a linebacker at 210 pounds (the reason he was made a safety) but he’s also one of the defense’s most versatile players.
Baker is joined by Demarrio Pleasant, who’s started five games over the last five seasons. The senior tandem should make the strongside linebacker the cagiest position the field.
And still, everything depends on a healthy Reynolds. He is the pillar the Sooner defense is leaning on.
“We’re so much better with him then when he’s not in there,” Venables said. “He’s always in great position. He’s not going to beat a lot of guys in a footrace and he comes out of the locker room and looks good, but there are other guys that look a little bit better.
“When you put it all together, you’ve got a great feel for the game and he’s a strong tackler, he’s got great short-area quickness and a great feel in the passing game and he’s a terrific blitzer.”
He’s everything the Sooners want in a linebacker. If he stays healthy, he could jump into the class of the great weakside linebackers that came before him.
All the pieces are there for a great season from OU’s linebackers. They just have to stay in the right place.
John Shinn
366-3536
jshinn@normantranscript.com
Local Sports
August 28, 2007
So much depends on Reynolds
OU Football Preview: Linebackers
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