Not one week after it was announced that senior center Ben Habern would be calling it a career due to nagging injuries, the Sooners found out they will be down another lineman.
Bob Stoops confirmed after Monday’s practice that guard Tyler Evans suffered what was being reported as a significant knee injury. Later Monday evening, the school announced Evans had a torn ACL.
“We feel badly for Tyler and will certainly encourage him through the surgery and rehab,” Stoops said in a prepared statement. “Bronson Irwin has been playing well and we’re fortunate to have good depth. He’ll get a lot of reps in the preseason and we’ll be ready to go when the season gets here.”
The release doesn’t say definitely, but I think it’s safe to assume Evans will be out for the year. It’s a tough blow for Oklahoma’s offensive line depth. OU has now gone from 102 career O-line starts to 43 with loss of Habern and Evans, according to the Oklahoman.
Injuries were lethal to Oklahoma in the second half of last year. For the Big 12 preseason favorites, the 2012 season isn’t getting off to a real great start when you combine the injuries along the O-line with the suspensions still facing members of the wide receiver unit.