With a defense already hit hard by the passing of Austin Box and an injury to Travis Lewis that will keep the starting LB off the field until early October, Oklahoma’s finally received some positive news on the defensive front.
The Sooners announced Thursday afternoon that in-limbo Ronnell Lewis is no longer that, declaring that the defensive end/linebacker hybrid will be eligible to play the 2011 season. Uncertainty had swirled around Lewis’ academic status for months, with head coach Bob Stoops consistently refusing to directly address the situation one way or the other.
“We are very happy for Ronnell,” head coach Bob Stoops said in a statement. “This has been a difficult process and I know he’s relieved today. Now he can fully concentrate on this season and school year.”
While the news is not exactly unexpected -- the OU coaching staff had been running Lewis with the No. 1 defense throughout most of summer camp, a clear indication they thought the odds on clearance were in their favor -- it’s still a big boost nonetheless for a squad with title aspirations.
As noted by Tulsa World‘s John Hoover on Twitter shortly after the announcement, OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables called Lewis “our best defensive end” earlier this week, so this is really a rather substantial development. Especially when viewed in the light of the significant losses that unit has suffered the past few months.
Lewis, a junior, started the final four games of the 2010 season, and will likely be in the starting lineup when the Sooners open 2011 against Tulsa Saturday night in Norman.