Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops announced Tuesday at his weekly news conference OU linebacker Austin Box will backup Ryan Reynolds at middle linebacker and freshman LB Ronnell Lewis could see playing time this Saturday.

The announcement came a day following the release of Oklahoma's depth chart and news linebacker Mike Balogun would not travel with the Sooners to compete against BYU due eligibility issues. OU's inital depth chart had Balogun listed as the backup at middle linebacker and Box listed as backup to Travis Lewis.

Third-ranked Sooners play No. 20 BYU at Dallas Cowboys Stadium this Saturday.

Labels: Austin Box, Linebacker, Oklahoma Sooners, Ryan Reynolds

Report: Linebacker Tom Wort out 2009 season with torn ACL: The Oklahoman's Jake Trotter is reporting.. Oklahoma true freshman middle linebacker Tom Wort has a torn ACL, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Oklahoman. Wort injured the knee during practice Thursday. An MRI confirmed the ACL tear. Wort's injury likely means he'll redshirt this season and still have four years left of eligibility. (The Oklahoman)

Related:
OU Linebacker Wort Injured

Labels: Injury, Linebacker, Oklahoma Sooners, Tom Wort

Extent of Wort injury unknown: True freshman linebacker Tom Wort suffered a knee injury during Thursday's practice, adding more uncertainty to Oklahoma's outlook at middle linebacker. "He was just jumping up for a ball and came down funny," coach Bob Stoops said. "We're worried about his knee. We'll see what the doctors say. "I can't detail it here today without them having a chance to thoroughly look at it." Wort, of New Braunfels, Texas, was vying for playing time at middle linebacker. His injury complicates OU's situation at the position past starter Ryan Reynolds even further, with the NCAA currently investigating the eligibility of senior middle linebacker Mike Balogun. (The Oklahoman)

Labels: Injury, Linebacker, Oklahoma Sooners, Tom Wort

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Bradford nominated for USA TODAY's Player of the Week: Oklahoma's Sam Bradford is among six nominees for USA TODAY's Player of the Week.. Vote for Sam at USAToday.com

OU plans to Harris as middle linebacker option: Oklahoma played possum with Kansas all the way through pregame warm-ups Saturday, when Austin Box was seen drilling at middle linebacker between starters Keenan Clayton and Travis Lewis. Then the game started; free safety Nic Harris went in at middle linebacker (replacing the injured Ryan Reynolds), and Box never saw the field. Now that the secret is out, just how permanent is OU's personnel move? "I think we'll use (Harris) as an option and a linebacker as an option," defensive coordinator Brent Venables said Sunday, "depending on what (opponents) are giving us on the field personnel-wise." (Tulsa World)

OU-Texas meeting in BCS title game a possibility: The Oklahoman

Murray hinted big game was near: The Oklahoman

Heupel's star pupil is shining: The Oklahoman

Breaking down K-State: The Oklahoman

Four questions about OU football: The Oklahoman

Sooners debut at No. 4 in BCS standings: Tulsa World

Know the Foe -- Kansas: Tulsa World

OU helped by new mind-set: Tulsa World

Sooners in good position: Norman Transcript

Bradford says OU can be even better: Enid News and Eagle

Offensive struggles leave Cats at a loss: Topeka Capital-Journal

Heisman depth chart: USA Today

Bowl Projections: ESPN.com

Labels: Linebacker, Nic Harris, Oklahoma Sooners, Player of the Week., Sam Bradford

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Sooners to use Box, Balogun, Crow to replace Reynolds: Oklahoma will work former weakside linebackers Austin Box and Mike Balogun, along with backup Brandon Crow, as replacements for middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds, coach Bob Stoops said after Monday's practice."We'll work some different guys and we'll be ready to play [Saturday against Kansas]," Stoops said. "We'll experiment some. We're not going to be real detailed about it." (Star-Telegram)

Reynolds' plans to undergo rehab? Ryan Reynolds' knee injury against Texas, his third, raises the question of whether or not the junior linebacker wants to try to rehab the injury and continue his football career. "Yes," Stoops said. "Talking about it, I believe that's what his intention is. And we hope it is. I said to him, 'What the heck else you gonna do?' He loves it. "I saw him out there today, our guys are running sprints and he's over there doing sit-ups. I picked him up off the ground and said, 'What're you doing?' He said, 'Well, usually the guys that are injured do something else if they can't run.' I said, 'Well, we're going to give you an exception here for a couple days.' (Tulsa World)

Brown pushes for playoff: The Oklahoman

Jenks' Lynn includes OU, OSU in final five: The Oklahoman

Sooners lacking in coverage: The Oklahoman

Stoops reflects on loss to UT: The Oklahoman

OU vs. K-State game time set: The Oklahoman

Replacing Reynolds not simple: Tulsa World

Stoops -- Big 12 is strongest since he's been at OU: Tulsa World

Former OU assistant isn't afraid of Owen Field: Tulsa World

There are issues, but fans need to chill out: Norman Transcript

Reynolds exit leaves optioins: Norman Transcript

Stoops game plan not likely to change after loss: Topeka Capital-Journal

Mangino -- OU will be all business: Lawrence Journal-World

Three work at MLB to replace Oklahoma's Reynolds: Dallas Morning News

Oklahoma backup LB Robinson asked about near interception against Texas: Dallas Morning News

Oklahoma LB Robinson recounts near interception: Dallas Morning News

Texas, Oklahoma State soar in Big 12 rankings: ESPN.com

Labels: Austin Box, Linebacker, Oklahoma Sooners, Ryan Reynolds

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Title changes for co-coordinators: Jay Norvell was hired as OU's co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. But his title at OU has changed to "assistant offensive coordinator." Likewise, Bobby Jack Wright's title has changed from co-defensive coordinator to "assistant defensive coordinator." The change is in title only -- everyone's jobs have remained the same. The reason for the alteration was to keep the titles "defined" for OU's primary coordinators -- offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and defensive coordinator Brent Venables. (The Oklahoman)

Sooners at linebacker: The first two spring practices had junior-to-be Ryan Reynolds replacing Curtis Lofton at middle linebacker. Taking Reynolds' place on the weak side is redshirt freshman Austin Box, and stepping in for departed senior Lewis Baker is converted safety Keenan Clayton. Their backups are Brandon Crow in the middle, Travis Lewis at weakside and Lamont Robinson at strongside. (Tulsa World)

Clayton on the switch to linebacker: Telling The Oklahoman... "I was kind of blindsided by the switch," [Keenan] Clayton said. "But coach Venables knows what he's doing. "I feel real good, real natural here." (The Oklahoman)

Coaches say Bradford is better: Tulsa World

Labels: Keenan Clayton, Linebacker, Oklahoma Sooners