Position Preview: Defensive Linemen

NORMAN – Diron Reynolds, owning more than a decade of NFL experience in addition to expertise in the college ranks, will coach the Oklahoma defensive front in 2015. The first-year OU coach inherits a wealth of young talent as well as a stable of reliable veterans.

Leading the way for Reynolds' group is senior defensive end Charles Tapper. The Baltimore native owns 8.5 career quarterback takedowns and 16.5 tackles for loss. Tapper was named to the All-Big 12 First Team in 2013 and was a 2014 honorable mention all-league selection. Reynolds and defensive coordinator Mike Stoops will look for Tapper to continue his disruptive ways this season.

“He is an intense guy,” Reynolds said of Tapper. “He is always on the details. He is very athletic, and the biggest thing he brings to our group is he is a leader. He drags them across the finish line whether they want to go or not. He is dedicated to the cause.”

Striker fall camp

Senior Charles Tapper rushes the passer against at TCU last year. Tapper owns 8.5 career sacks.

Playing inside of Tapper on the line will be a pair of experienced tackles. At 6-0 and 291 pounds, Matthew Romar played in 12 games in 2014, backing up Miami Dolphins second-round draft pick Jordan Phillips at nose guard. The redshirt sophomore has Reynolds' confidence and trust to anchor the interior of the Sooner defense.

Joining Romar at the nose guard position is redshirt junior Jordan Wade. The Round Rock, Texas, native played in 12 games (eight starts) in 2013 and saw action in six more in 2014. Wade owns two career sacks and 26 career tackles. At 6-3 and 300 pounds, he boasts the ideal frame to clog the middle and draw double teams.

“Matt Romar is doing a great job, and I feel really good about the nose position,” Reynolds said. “We have two really solid guys in Romar and Jordan Wade. Both of those guys are doing a great job coming along. They bring different things to the table, but both of them are nasty and can get vertical in the gaps. I am very pleased with how they are coming along.”

TOBY'S TAKE

rowland

I'm seated in the planetarium of the defensive line room looking for stars. That's the quest of this unit in 2015. Who's going to become a star. In recent years, Jordan Phillips, Geneo Grissom and Chuka Ndulue have done a praiseworthy job carrying on the tradition of Dvoracek, Harris and McCoy. Who's next?

Sophomore Charles Walker may be the leading candidate. His explosiveness, power and athleticism have drawn rave reviews. Charles Tapper has been solid in his Sooner career. Perhaps his senior season is a breakout campaign. Matt Dimon has shown potential, but needs to stay healthy to pay off on those Dvoracek comparisons. True freshman Marquise Overton has received high praise early in the fall. And, Matthew Romar played well late in 2014. Perhaps he develops into a difference maker with a full season to anchor the middle of the line.

It's time for Star Search 2015. Who wants the mic?

Listen to OU play-by-play announcer Toby Rowland weekday mornings from 6-9 a.m. on the "T-Row in the Morning Show" on KREF 98.5 FM and 1400 AM.

The competition will likely be intense for the spot opposite Tapper in Oklahoma's three-man line. Junior Matt Dimon served as Tapper's backup in 2014 and has seen action in 20 contests for the Sooners. The junior from Katy, Texas, came to OU as a four-star recruit by ESPN and Scout. Redshirt sophomores Charles Walker and D.J. Ward are also players to watch at that spot. When healthy, both players have flashed explosive playmaking ability on the practice field.

The defensive line's biggest asset in 2015 is perhaps its versatility. With quality depth at all three positions, the Sooners can play multiple fronts.

“We have enough guys to be flexible,” Reynolds said. “We are pretty much going to be multi-front all year. We can be in anything we want based on the game plan. We have enough guys to get it done.”

Joining the Sooners' line this year is a crop of talented freshmen. Leading the way for that group so far in camp has been Marquise Overton. The 6-1, 300-pounder continues a long history of Jenks, Okla., prospects attending OU, including current Sooners Alex Ross and Steven Parker. Overton has drawn rave reviews in camp and could impact the OU defense early in his first campaign.

“So far, probably head and shoulders above the rest for the young guys is Q Overton” Reynolds said. “He is making strides and does what you ask him to do. He plays with really good pad level. He asks great questions, and I like where he is heading.”

anderson

Redshirt sophomore Mattew Romar played in 12 contests in 2014, and showed flashes of playmaking ability while backing up Miami Dolphins second-round pick Jordan Phillips.

Seeing the field as a freshman can be a challenge, particularly in the trenches where physical development is crucial to being able to compete at the collegiate level.

“It is difficult,” Reynolds said. “You come in from high school ball and you are learning a new system. It varies on which region you are from and how important football was in your region. It looks like he came from a good program and he's doing some good things.”

Joining Overton in this year's freshman class are Gabriel Campbell, Neville Gallimore and Kenneth Mann. Campbell, a 6-6, 260-pound defensive end from Yazoo City, Miss., was a four-star recruit by 247Sports and ESPN and was ranked as the No. 26 defensive end in the county by ESPN.

Gallimore hails from St. Catherine's, Ontario. The 6-3, 303-pound tackle was rated a consensus four-star prospect and had more than 30 offers. Gallimore ultimately chose Oklahoma over Florida State and Ohio State, among others.

Mann stands at 6-4 and 240 pounds and was rated a consensus three-star recruit. He recorded 79 tackles, 14.5 sacks and 27 tackles for loss during his senior year at Burleson (Texas) High School last season.

Players Mentioned

Gabriel Campbell

Matt Dimon

Matt Dimon

Neville Gallimore

Geneo Grissom

Kenneth Mann

Chuka Ndulue

Marquise Overton

Steven Parker

Jordan Phillips

Matt Romar

Matt Romar

Alex Ross

Charles Tapper

Charles Tapper

Jordan Wade

Jordan Wade

Charles Walker

Charles Walker

D.J. Ward

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