Do We Have Legitimate Concerns About Our Offensive Tackles?

[ColleyvilleSooner]

Jacob Sexton has been playing left guard in spring practice after struggling at LT. Tarquin has started as the LT. We seem to be okay at guard with Nwaiwu a pleasant surprise and likely starter at RG. Heath Ozaeta is coming along well at guard and Sexton looked more of a natural at guard than tackle. G. Hatchett is injured but has certainly proven to be a competent OG at the number one OL school, Washington. OU is trying to get the highly regarded SMU center Branson Hickman who is in the portal. If we sign him and Troy Everett returns healthy in the fall, we should be okay at center.

So the big question is where do we stand at tackle, especially LT, arguably the most important OL position? Is Tarquin up to the task of being our starting LT, or is Coach B just experimenting and Sexton is the presumed starter at LT? If so, can Sexton cut it? Jake Taylor is currently working with the first team at RT ahead of portal transfer Spencer Brown. I just haven't heard anything good about the tackle positions during spring ball. The only praise has been the play of the guards.

Am I rightfully very concerned about our tackle play on the OL? If we suck at tackle then Jackson Arnold will not be protected and our offensive capabilities will drop significantly.

[Zgeo]

Will know more after Saturday….

[Rough Rider]

yes

[Zgeo]

TBH we have concerns about the OL every year…sure it is legitimate every year….but it is nothing new…

Bedenbaugh has always come through , and it always takes an OL 3 games at least to gel into a unit even with outstanding personnel. The OL is a team within the team…… it takes real game experience as a group for the OL to get where they need to be…..

IANW

[UtahSooner83]

I am concerned about the entire OL

[StatesEye]

If the Spring Game is any indication of OL status, which could be a big IF, then the OL situation may not be as questionable as widely believed headed into spring ball. With the addition of Hickman, the SMU center, via the transfer portal and Hatchett and Everett being healthy by end of fall camp, I think OU's OL is on much firmer ground than anticipated by most a couple of months ago.

[RussC]

If the Spring Game is any indication of OL status, which could be a big IF, then the OL situation may not be as questionable as widely believed headed into spring ball. With the addition of Hickman, the SMU center, via the transfer portal and Hatchett and Everett being healthy by end of fall camp, I think OU's OL is on much firmer ground than anticipated by most a couple of months ago.

One thing that may help is schematic: less RPO. To run from RPO requires the o line to pass block first and then morph into run blocking as the play develops. In non-RPO, called run plays allow the o line to explode off the line from the snap. Personally I won’t miss the RPO-heavy philosophy of Jett Lebby.

[ColleyvilleSooner]

If the Spring Game is any indication of OL status, which could be a big IF, then the OL situation may not be as questionable as widely believed headed into spring ball. With the addition of Hickman, the SMU center, via the transfer portal and Hatchett and Everett being healthy by end of fall camp, I think OU's OL is on much firmer ground than anticipated by most a couple of months ago.

We have at the very least a serviceable starting lineup, maybe even better. I focused on the LT play of Tarquin and he looked darn good, way more in control and polished than the less experienced tackles. He surprisingly may be our answer at the critical LT position. LT was my biggest concern. He had 10 starts at LT and 10 at LG at Florida so he has the experience. BV had high praise for Tarquin's vast improvement this Spring. Sexton is probably a more natural fit at guard and his physicality shows. The starting lineup at the moment is: LT Tarquin; LG Sexton; Center Hickman; RG Nwaiwu; RT Taylor. G. Hatchett will be in the rotation at guard in the fall when he is healthy, as will guard Heath Ozaeta. Guard and true freshman Eugene Brooks may be ready also. Hickman is a huge pickup at center. He is hight touted and experienced and has a chance to make center a strong position.

We cannot afford injuries, especially at tackle. We have depth at center and guard but not tackle. Logan Howland has great promise at LT but I am not sure he is ready to fill in as the starter if Tarquin is hurt. I assume Sexton would move over from LG. RT is not a strong point on the line. I wasn't as impressed with Jake Taylor in the spring game and his backup, portal transfer Spencer Brown has apparently not been impressive in spring drills.

[StatesEye]

If the Spring Game is any indication of OL status, which could be a big IF, then the OL situation may not be as questionable as widely believed headed into spring ball. With the addition of Hickman, the SMU center, via the transfer portal and Hatchett and Everett being healthy by end of fall camp, I think OU's OL is on much firmer ground than anticipated by most a couple of months ago.

One thing that may help is schematic: less RPO. To run from RPO requires the o line to pass block first and then morph into run blocking as the play develops. In non-RPO, called run plays allow the o line to explode off the line from the snap. Personally I won’t miss the RPO-heavy philosophy of Jett Lebby.

This would simply things for the OL. Also, I'm coming around to Ikard's position on RPO's in that they allow the defense to dictate what the offense will do. The worked great under Riley during his early years as OC and HC, but I thin defenses are learning to counter or even take advantage of RPO's.

[StatesEye]

If the Spring Game is any indication of OL status, which could be a big IF, then the OL situation may not be as questionable as widely believed headed into spring ball. With the addition of Hickman, the SMU center, via the transfer portal and Hatchett and Everett being healthy by end of fall camp, I think OU's OL is on much firmer ground than anticipated by most a couple of months ago.

We have at the very least a serviceable starting lineup, maybe even better. I focused on the LT play of Tarquin and he looked darn good, way more in control and polished than the less experienced tackles. He surprisingly may be our answer at the critical LT position. LT was my biggest concern. He had 10 starts at LT and 10 at LG at Florida so he has the experience. BV had high praise for Tarquin's vast improvement this Spring. Sexton is probably a more natural fit at guard and his physicality shows. The starting lineup at the moment is: LT Tarquin; LG Sexton; Center Hickman; RG Nwaiwu; RT Taylor. G. Hatchett will be in the rotation at guard in the fall when he is healthy, as will guard Heath Ozaeta. Guard and true freshman Eugene Brooks may be ready also. Hickman is a huge pickup at center. He is hight touted and experienced and has a chance to make center a strong position.

We cannot afford injuries, especially at tackle. We have depth at center and guard but not tackle. Logan Howland has great promise at LT but I am not sure he is ready to fill in as the starter if Tarquin is hurt. I assume Sexton would move over from LG. RT is not a strong point on the line. I wasn't as impressed with Jake Taylor in the spring game and his backup, portal transfer Spencer Brown has apparently not been impressive in spring drills.

I agree. We will be just fine at IOL, but critically thin at OT.

I just watched the first three drives by the first team O for probably the fifth or sixth time.
Both Tarquin and Taylor were pleasant surprises, IMO. Actually, I think Taylor probably graded a higher in pass-pro, but I'm not an OL grading expert by any stretch. Tarquin committed a pretty significant hold on the play where JA and Burks connected on the first TD, but if you can get away with it???? Overall, both held up well against the rush. The pass rush was very, very simple Saturday, but they picked up the right man....no missed assignments as far as I can tell.

Both OT's were very good in the run game, IMO. Both moved their man off the ball and away from the point of attack and both were very good (and QUICK) at getting to the second level with no major whiffs on LBs or Ss. Just very, very happy with that portion of their game. Tarquin got a bit too far down the field on one pass play. JA ended up getting sacked on that play, but still. On that note, Sexton got way down field on a couple of pass plays, too. Gotta clean that up. Overall, I'm cautiously optimistic. Which I will take. I was expecting both lines to have the same type of performance of the second-team OL. Good grief, the second-team OL was just bad. Smh.