NORMAN — Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson couldn’t help it when he saw sophomore offensive lineman Tyler Evans walk into the interview room last week.
“Hey, Tyler, how much do you weigh?” Wilson shouted.
“About 335 (pounds),” Evans replied in a non-chalant manner.
Wilson then turned back to reporters and shook his head and laughed.
A couple minutes later offensive line coach James Patton was asked about the increasing size of Evans.
“Have you seen him? Everything on that guy is big,” Patton said. “He has a big head for blocking which is good, he has big hands and he is just a big-boned guy.”
If you’re going to build a model for an offensive lineman, it would be hard to believe it’s not going to resemble Evans. The Stafford, Mo., native dwarfs everything around him. In a room full of big men, Evans stands out.
The question for OU is whether that raw size will translate into Evans becoming a dominant blocker. The hope is it will happen this season.
Evans doesn’t see why not.
“Everything seems a lot easier than it was last year,” he said.
It should.
Playing on the offensive line isn’t as easy as blocking the guy closest to you. Assignments can change because a defensive tackle shifted a foot to his left or right before than snap. There’s zone-blocking, combo blocking, chip blocking. It’s complicated stuff that can overwhelm a freshman. It can be even worse where when you’re trying to learn multiple positions.
Evans admitted at times he felt overwhelmed last season. But things are different as he heads into his second year at OU. He’s been anchored at right guard. Becoming an expert at one spot has relieved the stress. The smile on his face when asked about it made that obvious.
“I only have to worry about one position instead of two,” he said. “It’s great because I can just relax and learn the one spot.”
The feeling is once Evans gets everything down, he can be dominant. You don’t see players of his bulk very often. Those 335 pounds are spread over a 6-foot-5 frame.
Through two weeks of practice, Evans said he feels like a different player. He’s put on about 30 pounds since he arrived last season. Despite the added weight, he believes he’s more agile.
“I can move a lot better off the ball. I can move side-to-side a lot better also,” Evans said.
Patton has seen a noticeable difference over the last 12 months.
“He has worked on his feet, he is quicker, but sometimes he gets a little crossed over, but those are fundamental things that we can correct,” the coach said. “A great thing about Tyler is that he cares, has a great attitude, he is tough and he wants to be a good player.”
John Shinn 366-3536 jshinn@normantranscript.com
