Oklahoma Sooners' offensive line could be out two starters against Maine in Week 10
Oklahoma's offensive line woes have been a persistent problem for the team all season long, and it might be getting worse here down the stretch of their schedule. The Sooners entered their game against Ole Miss without starting right tackle Jake Taylor. Left tackle Jacob Sexton played well to begin the game, but suffered a […]
Oklahoma's offensive line woes have been a persistent problem for the team all season long, and it might be getting worse here down the stretch of their schedule.
The Sooners entered their game against Ole Miss without starting right tackle Jake Taylor. Left tackle Jacob Sexton played well to begin the game, but suffered a leg injury just before halftime that took him out for the remainder of the game. That injury proved too much for the Sooners to bear, as backup left tackle Logan Howland struggled immensely in the second half.
According to Sooners head coach Brent Venables, both tackles could be out for this week and potentially longer.
The Sooners had Michael Tarquin fill in admirably at right tackle. Tarquin has filled in both tackle spots all season and has played well at both spots.
These injuries, along with not having to worry about the redshirt rule, almost certainly played a part in Oklahoma's decision to call up some of their younger offensive linemen moving forward.
Venables praised freshman offensive tackle Isaiah Autry-Dent in his press conference, stating that Autry-Dent had been their Scout Team Offensive Lineman of the Week multiple times throughout the fall in practice. It's time to see if he can handle continuing that play in games.
Autry-Dent played left tackle in high school, a spot where Logan Howland struggled mightily at against Ole Miss. However, Oklahoma might be more comfortable playing Tarquin there, given that it is Jackson Arnold's blindside. We'll see how that shakes out.
I'd be interested to see how the Sooners handle the offensive line moving forward. If they can snag a bowl game by winning two of their next four (Maine, Missouri), I'd be all aboard biting the bullet on this season and playing the young guys against Alabama and LSU, even though the staff might disagree with me on that.
