Defensive tackles no longer seen as ‘soft'

By Scott Wright

Published: August 10, 2007

NORMAN — A year ago, Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables was being peppered with questions about the interior of his line.

The Sooner defensive tackles were viewed as the weak spot on an otherwise strong defense.

But after a solid season — and with the addition of two redshirt freshmen, Adrian Taylor and former USA Today National High School Defensive Player of the Year Gerald McCoy — many of the questions about the defensive tackles more resemble compliments.

Still, Venables isn't resting because he has a deeper talent pool.

"I think we have a little bit more athletic ability there,” Venables said. "But you don't have to be a great player to stay in a gap and stay on your feet.

"We're not inventing new defenses or becoming more relaxed because, say, a guy like Gerald McCoy is gonna play for us. He's still susceptible to the same things, just like any other guy.”

Last year, the tackles were inspired by media criticism.

"Who wants to be thought of as a question mark, the weakest link of the defense?” junior Cory Bennett said. "We're known for being a hard-nosed team and we didn't want to be looked at as the soft area.”

These days, the players are more confident — but guarded against overconfidence.

"Every defensive tackle could go to any school they wanted to and start,” said sophomore tackle DeMarcus Granger. "The starting lineup has probably changed five times in the last three days.”

Granger called training camp "a dogfight,” because each player knows defensive tackle coach Jackie Shipp will use a four-man rotation. With the return of three players — Granger, Bennett and Steven Coleman — who saw significant playing time a year ago, the margin for error is minimal.

"There's so much talent and competition out there that somebody's gonna get the wrong end of the stick,” Granger said. "I just hope everybody's fighting ‘til the last day.”

McCoy draws the most attention among the new guys, but fellow redshirt freshman Adrian Taylor has impressed his teammates just as much.

"If you watch film of him in the spring and look at him now, you wouldn't even recognize what person he was,” Granger said.

With all the positive talk, Venables knows he must keep the pressure turned up, drilling home his battle cry: great defense starts up front with the big guys stopping the run.

"When the integrity of that philosophy is broken down,” Venables said, "people are gonna have a heyday with you, whether it's at Oklahoma or anywhere else.”

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