2007 Position Preview - LB: No margin for error - depth a concern

Going into the 2007 season, there isn't a position surrounded with more uncertainty than linebacker. But at the same time, there is tremendous anticipation.

Oklahoma lost two linebackers to graduation from the 2006 squad, including the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in Rufus Alexander. Also gone is two-year starting middle linebacker Zach Latimer which leaves the Sooners with very little experience among the linebacker corp for 2007.

Those are tough personnel losses to overcome, but the Sooners just might bring more talent to the position next season than they had in 2006. Oklahoma has two players who have started before in Demarrio Pleasant (Sr, 6-2, 231) and Lewis Baker (Sr, 6-2, 222). Recruited as a linebacker, Baker made seven starts in 2005 at strong safety before moving back to linebacker last season where he was part of the dime package and a backup. Pleasant has started five games during is career at OU, but has mostly been a special teams demon and backup.

What the Sooners will hang their hat on in 2007 are two young, talented players who have more pro potential than their predecessors in Curtis Lofton (Jr, 6-0, 238) and Ryan Reynolds (So, 6-1, 237), and a tradition under defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Brent Venables that is as good as it gets in college football. Venables, who has a tremendous track record of turning out amazing linebacker groups, gets the Sooner linebackers to play some of the best college football in the country year-in and year-out, and many individuals who have played linebacker at OU have earned postseason awards and extended their careers to the NFL.

In fact, OU has just as much of a right to be called Linebacker U. under Venables as any other college with Butkus Award winners Rocky Calmus (2001) and Teddy Lehman (2003). Lehman also won the Bednarik Award in 2003. The Sooners have had Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Rocky Calmus in 2000 and Alexander in 2006. Under Venables' tutelage, linebackers Torrance Marshall (1999) and Lance Mitchell (2002) earned Big 12 Defensive Newcomers of the Year. In 2000, Venables' linebackers dominated the Big 12 list with first-team All-American and Big-12 Player of the Year Rocky Calmus, and first-team All-Big 12 selection Torrance Marshall.

During his time in Norman, Venables has linebackers Rufus Alexander, Clint Ingram, Lance Mitchell, Torrance Marshall, Teddy Lehman, Rocky Calmus and Brandon Moore to pros. And before he arrived at OU, he was the linebacker coach at Kansas State and sent linebackers Ben Leber, Mark Simoneau and Percell Gaskins to the pros.

I don’t point out these facts to toot the horn of the great career of Venables, but to point out that when he has good talent to work with he takes that talent and molds it into a great linebacker unit. The Sooners will have talent at linebacker going into 2007, but with their limited little depth and they must hope for a little luck as they can’t afford any injuries.

“There were a number of things that I really saw from the spring that were good,” said Venables. “Some of the playmaking, some of the improvements fundamentally and technique-wise with some of the new guys were evident. However, there is still a bit of an unknown about what guys are going to do when they are in starting roles. We have a couple of guys who have started a couple of games during their career. Lofton has started more (four games) than any of them, Demarrio has started a couple of games and Lewis has played quite a bit. But most of his experience has been on special teams or in our dime package. Lewis has not started at linebacker, but he has been a starting safety for us, so there is some experience and he would not get overwhelmed from that standpoint. Lewis has proven to be a good player for us.”

Baker will get a chance to earn a starting spot in the fall as he will join a small group of players who will get the majority of playing time at linebacker for the Sooners.

“There are three or four guys who I can trust at getting calls and understanding the defense,” said Venables. “They are really going to work hard at managing the game from a defensive standpoint while they are out there on the field. I think the biggest concern, more than anything, is where our depth is because we just don’t have any. There is not a lot of room for error. We are hoping that Ryan Reynolds can come back. That would really bolster the crew overall. He obviously played as a true freshman and he has a great understanding of the defense. Ryan has been a terrific player when he has been healthy everything is pointing to him coming back at full speed (MCL knee surgery) next month. I am really hoping that takes place because that would really give us a big boost.”

“When Lewis Baker, Demarrio Pleasant, Curtis Lofton and Ryan Reynolds have all been in games, they have really done some exceptional things,” continued Venables. “They give you hope and if they play with consistently they will be able to play at a high level. They all have different attributes, but one thing they all can do is run and strike. They all get things from a conceptual standpoint and they all have a really good understanding of defense and the linebacker position. I feel good about them.”

Baker gives Venables a tremendous athlete at the strongside linebacker position. Pound for pound, Baker is the second-best athlete on the team behind only senior tight end Joe Jon Finley. OU Strength and Conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt has put together a set of drills that involve running, lifting, short shuttle, jumping and bench, and Baker posted the second best score on the team behind Finley.

Baker has been a tremendous team player doing whatever the coaches have asked. A tremendous special teams player, Baker filled a hole at safety in 2005 and started in seven games finishing with 36 tackles. Baker has struggled to put on weight in his career, but he is now over 220 pounds and looking forward to finally getting a shot at starting at linebacker.

“You can not believe how excited I am to get this opportunity,” said Baker following spring practice. “I will do whatever Coach Venables wants me to do, but I would be lying to you if I said I was not excited about starting at the strong next year. I am going to give it everything that I have, and I think I bring a lot to the table at the position. I love checking the tight end and I like how I can blitz off the edge. I think we are going to have a great defense and I plan on leaving everything that I have on the field every game.”

Another important piece to the linebacker puzzle is junior college All-American Mike Reed (Jr, 6-1, 255), who is working his way into shape and as of this report weighed in at 255 pounds. By the time two-a-days roll around, the goal is for Reed to be down to 245, and he will need to be to become a serious contender for a starting position.

“I was pleased with the Mike’s progress in the spring,” said Venables. “He certainly wasn’t a polished product in the spring, but when he did execute the defense and play with good technique physically, he has a presence about him. When he is unsure of himself and busting assignments, his play can really spring a leak in the remaining defense. He is not near the physical presence when he is out there thinking. However, he really made some improvement and I liked where he ended the spring. In fall camp, he will need to make another huge leap to really have an impact for us like we need him to.”

The depth chart is thin and rounding out the unit are three players who have yet to make their mark at OU.

“Lamont Robinson (So, 6-0, 227) really has improved his ability as an athlete playing in space,” said Venables. “He understands what he is doing. I really thought Austin Box (Fr, 6-3, 220) performed well learning the position, learning how to play linebacker for the first time and playing in the box with good technique. I think he has a very strong future. Brandon Crow (RS-Fr, 6-1, 220) did a number of good things as well during the course of the spring. He just needs to continue to get reps to become sure of himself. However, he has shown some instincts and the ability to make plays.”

“We don’t have any numbers,” Venables continued. “We have never been this thin at linebacker since we have been here. There is a lot to be proven through the course of fall camp and our guys recognize that there is a big challenge in front of us. For our defense to be what it can be, they will need to really step up and fill some real needs for us. A lot is on their shoulders and they will need to have a terrific summer on their own working out and come in ready to go to really in fall camp for us to be the kind of defense that we are used to being.”

This is where the Sooners need to pull out their rabbit’s foot, because they need a healthy Ryan Reynolds to be at their very best his upcoming season.

“He is ahead of where he should be in his rehab,” said Venables. “If you ask him, there is zero pain, there is no swelling. You would never know, according to him, that he had the injury. He just said that you would not have known, if I did not have this injury, that I just had surgery. He is doing a little bit of change of direction already, and within a few weeks he is going to be released where he can do virtually everything. He says he weighs 235 pounds and he looks like a million bucks.”

Reynolds has had to battle back from two major injuries in his short career, but he promises to not let that get him down.

"I have started off with some bad luck at Oklahoma, but I don’t like to look at it that way,” said Reynolds following spring. “Things happen for a reason and what I have to focus on is becoming better and stronger in other areas. Physical injuries do not stop you from getting stronger mentally and learning more about the game. I will go to every meeting, watch extra film and I will push the rehab as far as the doctors will let me every day until they tell me I am ready to go at full speed. I promise I will be back earlier than they think. I will be 100 percent by the time we open our season against North Texas.”

If Reynolds comes back healthy, he will start at the weakside position with Box and Crow behind him, with Baker and Pleasant will work at the strongside linebacker position while a battle will take place at middle linebacker with between Lofton, Reed and Robinson.

“Ryan has played SAM and Lewis has played WILL,” said Venables. “Lewis has a great deal of experience at WILL, but it all depends on Ryan’s progression. We have Nic Harris (6-3, 226) in our nickel package, which we played exclusively last year with five DBs when our opponents went to a spread offense. He really transitioned well to that position. Nic made a bunch of plays, but he also made some young mistakes at that position. But by the end of the year he had a good, strong command of the position in his understanding.

"After Ryan got hurt, we had to really work to find out who our three guys were in the spring,” Venables continued. “So we played a little bit more base personnel to see who could do what. Lewis has been a safety, a WILL and a SAM and he is arguably our best player. Lewis is really strong and has great natural strength, good length to him to attack, covers tight ends and really takes guys on. He is a guy who doesn’t have a lot of weight to him, but is extremely explosive and has great strength to him”

One thing this inexperienced group of linebackers may have going for them is that they are a very intelligent working together on the field.

“From a numbers standpoint, I have more guys with a better understanding of what it is that they are supposed to do," Venables said. "They don’t necessarily have the experience factor, but they have a general understanding of what they are doing. They are guys you can talk to conceptually without them actually being on the field, and they understand our defense. It is a pretty good group.

"I love their attitude. They all love to play, love to compete and the right guys are trying to take on the leadership role by saying and doing the right things. As a coach, that gives you the comfort to have guys who at certain positions take control. And they have done a terrific job of doing that.”

If you look to the future, with two seniors graduating the Sooners are desperate to sign at least three linebackers. And if the right player is available, that number could stretch to four.

“Let me tell you what, there has never been a more critical time recruiting linebackers since I have been at Oklahoma,” said Venables. “They are going to have to get on the field for us in seven or eight months. Whoever we sign will will be on the field in our two-deep. So it is real critical that we bring in the right guys. The right guys mentally, the right guys physically and the right kind of guys who can make the transition quickly and get on the field for us.

"They are going to need to have a real presence for us from Day 1. Typically, that is not an ideal situation, but that is just the situation that we have. We will end up having a stretch of four straight years where we lose two senior linebackers, as opposed to having a year or two where you don’t lose any guys. We are going to end up going four straight years of losing two backers.”

“We were already thin at the position, and it is scary,” Venables continued. “As a coach, you are always looking ahead. Whether you are thinking about the next play, the next series, the next week, the next month or the next year, that is just how we all think. It is a scary proposition when you think about it. I really think we are recruiting the right pool of guys and if we can hit things right, then some of the concerns that we have can be put to ease.”

True freshman Travis Lewis (Fr, 6-2, 232) will work at linebacker, safety and defensive end in the fall camp.