NORMAN — On Saturday night, Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy could only stand and watch from the east sideline of Owen Field while his teammates played in their second major scrimmage of training camp.
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And even though the redshirt freshman missed a full week of practice as well as Saturday's scrimmage with a mild sprain of the AC joint in his right shoulder, defensive coordinator Brent Venables has already seen enough.
"When Gerald's healthy, he's the guy,” Venables said when asked about his starting defensive tackles after Saturday's scrimmage.
Defensive line coach Jackie Shipp said last week that DeMarcus Granger, who became the Sooners' best tackle by the end of last season, had found his way into Shipp's "doghouse” for not playing hard or being in good enough shape early in camp.
Right now, Cory Bennett and McCoy are penciled in as starters, with Granger and Steven Coleman as backups, though all four are part of the rotation.
"They're all gonna play,” Venables said.
McCoy, the former USA Today National High School Defensive Player of the Year out of Oklahoma City's Southeast High School, says he wasn't ready to play last season and needed the redshirt year to prepare him.
And even though all but one of last year's defensive tackles are back, McCoy's quickness and strength pushed him to the top of the depth chart.
"Gerald McCoy does some really good things,” Shipp said. "He's a guy that if you just watch from the stands, he'll stand out to you.”
Fan expectations were high when McCoy arrived last August and he knows that will carry over to this season.
"People are expecting (me to succeed), but I don't have any pressure,” he said. "I'm just doing what I can for the team. I'm just one part of the defense. There's 10 other guys out there.”
If McCoy feels pressure to do anything, it's to keep up OU's reputation as a strong defensive team — what he calls the "Sooner attitude.”
"The guys from the past, they had this certain kind of attitude,” he said. "It was a confident attitude — it wasn't cocky. OU has always been known for having a dominant D-line. I just want to come in and continue that tradition.”
Meanwhile, McCoy is growing anxious for the Sooners' Sept. 1 opener against North Texas.
"Me and my father have been talking about how close it is,” he said. "Everybody's been teasing me, ‘he's finally gonna get to play.'
"It's right around the corner. I can't wait.”
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