OU vs. Tennessee availability report (Wednesday): Kobie McKinzie status
OU could be without one of its starting linebackers on Saturday against No. 14 Tennessee.
Redshirt junior Kobie McKinzie was listed on Wednesday’s availability report as questionable. McKinzie injured his groin in the first quarter of the Ole Miss game and never returned. Coach Brent Venables said on his coach’s show on Monday that McKinzie was hoping to play this week against the Vols.
“Kobie’s a leader,” Venables said after the Ole Miss game. “He’s the guy that does a really good job from getting all the guys into the right checks. You don’t have 9,000 checks every play, but there’s some small things, detail-wise, that are really important. I would call him elite through the first 7 games of the season, getting us into the right calls. So anytime you got a guy like that that’s out, from leadership and playmaking, it can be potentially an issue. But I thought the guys came in and fought, competed, that replaced him.”
Not having McKinzie would be a big loss for the OU defense, as he’s the voice in the middle for the Sooners. He’s totaled 24 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and one sack this season. If he can’t play, expect junior Sammy Omosigho to start in his place.
- LB Kobie McKinzie: Questionable
- OL Derek Simmons: Doubtful
- DB Gentry Williams: Questionable
- RB Jovantae Barnes: Questionable
- RB Taylor Tatum: Questionable
- OL Logan Howland: Questionable
- WR Keontez Lewis: Doubtful
- OL Troy Everett: Out
- OL Jacob Sexton: Out
- OL Jake Taylor: Out
