Oklahoma defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger’s injured left foot will cause him to miss at least the next four weeks and maybe the rest of the season. If the injury requires surgery, the junior will be out for the remainder of the schedule.
“There’s something in the tendon and the bone and they (OU physicians) are experimenting on whether to let it heal or take four weeks and see if DeMarcus can come back, or the other thing is to possibly do surgery and pin it,” OU coach Bob Stoops said following Wednesday’s practice. “DeMarcus and the doctors are uncertain. I know it’s been reported that he’s done for the year. That isn’t the case yet. If he gets it pinned, he obviously will be. If he doesn’t, he could be out four or five weeks. We’ll just see.”
Granger suffered the injury late in the second quarter of the second-ranked Sooners’ 55-14 victory at Washington last Saturday.
Granger, a junior, didn’t start in OU’s first three games. But he was part of a four-man rotation at OU’s two defensive tackle spots along with Gerald McCoy, Adrian Taylor and Cory Bennett.
McCoy and Taylor started the first three games. But Bennett and Granger had played nearly the same amount of downs.
Granger had made six tackles through the first three games and showed promising signs of getting over a back injury that slowed him in the preseason.
“He was playing like the old DeMarcus,” defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “In this last game, he really came into form. We’ll miss his presence and his playmaking ability.”
Assuming the timetable Stoops laid out holds, the earliest Granger could return would be against Kansas Oct. 18 at Owen Field. He will definitely miss the TCU, Baylor and Texas games.
The Sooners plan to keep their four-man rotation at defensive tackle with or without Granger. Junior Cordero Moore will move up to Granger’s spot.
“I think he’ll do a good job,” defensive tackles coach Jackie Shipp said of Moore. “We’ll keep working at it and we’ll get him ready.”
Moore saw his first action of the season in the Washington game. He made one tackle.
“It’s an unfortunate set of circumstances, but I’m not worried about him (Moore) being able to contribute,” Bennett said.
The Sooners are off this week and don’t play again until TCU visits Owen Field Sept. 27. By then, the Sooners will know whether they’ll have Granger back this season. Stoops said a decision on the surgery will happen in the coming days.
“If it’s going to happen, it will have to happen fairly soon,” he said.
If Granger is lost for the season, it will be the team’s first season-ending injury of the year.
“We have to keep going; it’s as simple as that. He’s a great player, but we still have to keep going,” McCoy said. “Things happen during the season but life moves on. This was part of life.”
John Shinn
366-3536
jshinn@normantranscript.com
OU Sports
Related Photos
Discussion
Granger out of action
- OU Sports
-
-
It’s a recipe for success
Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso was answering questions Saturday after her Sooners clinched another return to the Women’s College World Series when, without really meaning to, she began to make it clear her job has, sort of, become ...
-
Tigers deny Sooners’ Big 12 title hopes
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma wanted to win its first Big 12 tournament in 16 years on Sunday. Missouri needed to win it to get in the NCAA Tournament. Need topped desire at Bricktown Ballpark....
-
Sooners make winning look easy
As Oklahoma’s players locked arms around the pitching circle, coming together for what passed as a celebration following Saturday’s 7-1 NCAA Super Regional-clinching victory over Arizona, three gloves remained near second base....
-
There are no easy outs in the lineup
Looking for a gameplan to stop Oklahoma? Well, one may or may not be available, but walking two of the first three Sooners you face certainly isn’t part of it. Just ask Arizona’s Kenzie Fowler....
-
Sooners will play for Big 12 championship
OKLAHOMA CITY, — It’s been 16 years since Oklahoma won the Big 12 tournament. It’s closer now than its ever been to ending the streak. The Sooners rolled through Baylor, 7-2, on Saturday at Bricktown Ballpark to advance to the tournament’s ...
-
Sooners send five more to nationals
AUSTIN, Texas — Oklahoma track and field teams had five more individuals qualify for the NCAA Championship on Saturday evening at the NCAA West Preliminary. The men’s 4x100-meter relay team also advanced to the national semifinals....
-
OU sophomore Jao-Javanil wins NCAA golf title
FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Oklahoma’s Chirapat Jao-Javanil made Oklahoma golf history Friday, becoming the first Sooner, man or woman, to win an individual NCAA national championship....
-
Pitching staff is exactly where Golloway wants it to be
When the Big 12 tournament began, Oklahoma felt like it had the pitching staff to make a deep run. Dillon Overton, Jordan John, Jonathan Gray and Damien Magnifico gave them four quality starters and a closer — Steven Okert — capable of ...
-
Sooners shut out Wildcats, need one more win for WCWS entry
Oklahoma might have scored more runs, not committed an error and starting pitcher Keilani Ricketts could have been just a little more efficient along the way....
-
Sooners send 4 more to NCAAs
AUSTIN, Texas – Oklahoma’s track and field teams added four individuals to the list of Sooners advancing to the NCAA championship Friday at the NCAA West Preliminary. In addition to the four new qualifiers, Brittany Borman advanced to the ...
- More OU Sports Headlines
-
It’s a recipe for success
