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A strong defensive front has been a staple for Oklahoma football for long, long time now but just twelve months ago DT Quincy Russell was deemed to have been the savior of the defensive line going into the 2013 season. Thirteen games later the Sooners had limited opposing offenses to 138 rushing yards per game (down from 192 in `12), and had a line that recorded 33 sacks, while Russell played in just two games and recorded only three tackles.
It isn't a knock on Russell as much as it is major props to defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery for his ability to revamp the schemes and develop players. Making the situation even better, Montgomery will enter the 2014 season with everyone back.
2014 Oklahoma Defensive Ends
|
# |
Name |
POS |
HT |
WT |
YR |
HOME |
|
90 |
Dimon, Matt |
DE |
6-2 |
271 |
So. |
Katy, Texas (Katy HS) |
|
49 |
Driskill, David |
DE |
6-1 |
257 |
Sr. |
Oklahoma City, Okla. (Casady HS) |
|
99 |
Orso, Dwayne |
DE |
6-6 |
300 |
Fr. |
Birmingham, Ala. (Homewood HS) |
|
91 |
Tapper, Charles |
DE |
6-4 |
281 |
Jr. |
Baltimore, Md. (City College HS) |
|
96 |
Tate, Mitch |
DE |
6-4 |
252 |
RJr. |
Bartlesville, Okla. (Bartlesville HS) |
|
87 |
Ward, D.J. |
DE |
6-2 |
256 |
RFr. |
Moore, Okla. (Southmoore HS) |
Junior Charles Tapper was a First-Team All Big XII selection by the coaches in 2013 after recording 49 tackles (9 for loss) and 5.5 sacks. He'll be a force coming off the edge, in what could be his final season at OU, and, with the pass rushers Oklahoma will have in the linebacker corps, will be a difficult challenge for opposing offensive coordinators.
2104 Oklahoma Defensive Tackles
|
# |
Name |
Pos |
HT |
WT |
YR |
HOME |
|
58 |
Frazier, Chase |
DT |
5-11 |
291 |
RFr. |
Grapevine, Texas (Grapevine HS) |
|
50 |
Garnett, Courtney |
DT |
6-2 |
284 |
Fr. |
New Orleans, La. (Saint Augustine HS) |
|
98 |
Ndulue, Chuka |
DT |
6-3 |
289 |
RSr. |
Dallas, Texas (Dallas Jesuit Prep) |
|
94 |
Peterson, Torrea |
DT |
6-3 |
300 |
RSr. |
San Antonio, Texas (East Central HS) |
|
80 |
Phillips, Jordan |
DT |
6-6 |
334 |
RSo. |
Towanda, Kan. (Circle HS) |
|
92 |
Romar, Matthew |
DT |
6-0 |
287 |
RFr. |
Port Arthur, Texas (Memorial HS) |
|
95 |
Russell, Quincy |
DT |
6-4 |
310 |
Sr. |
San Antonio, Texas (Trinity Valley CC) |
|
59 |
Snowden, Kane |
DT |
6-0 |
247 |
RSo. |
Oklahoma City, Okla. (Westmoore HS) |
|
93 |
Wade, Jordan |
DT |
6-4 |
314 |
RSo. |
Round Rock, Texas (Stony Point HS) |
|
97 |
Walker, Charles |
DT |
6-2 |
296 |
RFr. |
Garland, Texas (South Garland HS) |
By all accounts Jordan Phillips is set to return to the middle of Oklahoma's defensive line after missing the majority of 2013 with a back injury. Phillips has All-Conference potential and is an athletic mass of a man in the middle of the line. Senior Chuka Ndulue is listed as a tackle but can easily move to the edge in order to give Oklahoma potential mismatches in their 3-4 scheme.
The Sooners are deep on the line and multiple players will have their turn in the rotation. You can almost make the argument that there's too much talent to play just three at a time but I think you'll see more than that on the field anyway. With guys like Ndulue having the athleticism to line up at multiple positions there's sure to be more than one occasion where Oklahoma's "3-4 front" features more than three of the linemen.
The bottom line is that Oklahoma's defensive front should be the best in the conference and potentially on par with the great lines the team has produced in previous seasons.
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