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R Mason Thomas, Kobie McKinzie questionable for OU vs. Alabama

headshotby: George Stoia20 hours agoGeorgeStoia
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OU is hoping two of its top defenders will be back this week against No. 4 Alabama.

Senior defensive end R Mason Thomas injured his quad during the first quarter of the Tennessee game, after he returned the fumble for a 71-yard touchdown. Thomas did not practice last week during the bye. Redshirt junior linebacker Kobie McKinzie did not play against Tennessee after injuring his groin in the first quarter of the Ole Miss game.

The Sooners could certainly use both Thomas and McKinzie this Saturday against the Crimson Tide. OU coach Brent Venables was asked about their availability on Monday during his weekly press conference.

“Again, I haven’t seen them on the field since last Thursday, so I’ll see them here later on today,” Venables said. “We’ll see where they’re at.”

Thomas and McKinzie have been two of Oklahoma’s most productive players this season. Thomas has totaled 6.5 sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and 23 tackles. McKinzie has totaled 24 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and one sack. He is also the voice of the defense, playing MIKE linebacker.

Either way, OU will have its hands full defensively on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, no matter who is playing.

“Offensively, they’ve been just incredibly efficient,” Venables said. “The quarterback’s only thrown one interception. This is his fourth year; he’s really experienced, incredibly savvy, very accurate—just under 70% completion percentage. He’s got a ton of touchdowns-to-interception ratio. I think he’s got something like 17 touchdowns and just been really fantastic. The skill (positions) are as good as we’ll see all year. They’ve got a really good offensive line, incredibly physical.”

The first availability report will be released on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. CT. Thomas and McKinzie are both expected to be on the report. Stay on SoonerScoop.com for more updates as the week progresses.

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