By John Shinn
The defensive line was supposed to be one of Oklahoma’s question marks. Three starters are gone from last season and that includes one of the best defensive end tandems in school history.
How can that be replaced?
Well, it always helps to replace starters with more starters. Basically, that’s what the Sooners are doing in 2005.
OU had a great set of bookends last season with Dan Cody and Jonathan Jackson. Athletic and experienced, they were among the best tandems in college football.
They’re gone, but Larry Birdine was their equal in many ways last season. He played nearly the same number of snaps as last season’s starters and possesses an abundance of talent.
“He has a chance to be a great one,” defensive ends coach Chris Wilson said.
He was credited with seven sacks and 40 tackles last season and has already been honored as a preseason All-Big 12 selection.
Birdine will get most of the attention from the defensive end spot, but Calvin Thibodeaux rotated with Birdine at the other end position two seasons ago. He was doing the same thing last season until a knee injury forced him out after five games. Now, he’s back.
Birdine and Thibodeaux will join John Williams and C.J. Ah You, a mid-year junior college transfer, as the four-man rotation. Junior Leanar Nixon and sophomore Alonzo Dotson will also compete for playing time.
It’s a situation Wilson likes.
“I think we’ve got a chance to be a real good unit,” Wilson said.
Further, OU’s defensive line gets a major boost inside. The unit lost Lynn McGruder, but returns the rest of last season’s four-man rotation.
Sophomores Carl Pendleton and Steven Coleman and senior Remi Ayodele combined for 29 tackles and four sacks last season. All three will be in OU’s tackle rotation with redshirt freshman Cory Bennett seeing time, too.
But the biggest boost to this season’s D-line will be the return of former all-conference selection Dusty Dvoracek.
Dvoracek played in two games last season before being suspended for the remainder of the year. After being reinstated, he rejoined the team for winter conditioning.
His progress has been slowed by a torn biceps in his left arm. He suffered the injury in last spring’s Red/White Game. He has gone through preseason drills, but has been held out of contact.
He’s anxious to get back on the field and thinks he’ll be in the lineup when OU opens the season against TCU Sept. 3.
“I feel like I’m going to, but that’s going to be up to the doctors,” Dvoracek said. “I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t be able to. I think I’m almost 100 percent.”
OU coach Bob Stoops said Dvoracek’s injury will be evaluated again this week.
“He’s still a few weeks away from what the book says, but strength-wise he appears to be solid,” Stoops said. “What’s the magical day is hard to determine. I think the doctors will evaluate him on (today) and see if he can’t start doing some work.”
Defensive tackles coach Jackie Shipp can’t wait to get Dvoracek back at full speed, but he also likes what he has practicing right now.
“We have four guys going right now and with Dusty we have five, but those four that are practicing are doing a heck of a job,” he said. “When Dusty gets back soon, that’s going to be a good group to work with.”
How long it takes Dvoracek to get back on the field is the biggest question for the defensive line. Once he finally returns, the unit might be one of the best on the team.
“When he’s out there, it makes us better,” Shipp said.
John Shinn366-3536jshinn@normantranscript.com
