Sooners likely avoid offensive line crisis ahead of trip to South Carolina

The SEC Availability Report is one of the rare instances where it’s best to be left out.

After Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said Tuesday during his weekly press conference that starting right tackle Derek Simmons was “day-to-day” with an ankle injury, Simmons was not listed on the initial availability report on Wednesday before the No. 14 Sooners’ trip to South Carolina on Saturday. Simmons’ absence indicates that OU’s training staff expects him to be healthy enough to play this weekend.

Derek Simmons injury update

Simmons was rolled up on near the end of the first quarter against Texas last week and never returned to the field after limping back to the locker room. Backup left tackle Luke Baklenko switched over from the other side to fill in for Simmons at right tackle the rest of the Red River Rivalry.

With Simmons’ status in question as of Tuesday, fans were concerned if the Sooners would even have any healthy right tackles at all against South Carolina. Simmons, Logan Howland and Jake Taylor, respectively, were listed at right tackle on OU's Week 8 depth chart. Howland and Taylor both missed the Red River Rivalry because of injuries. Taylor was also already listed as out for this week on the initial availability report, while Howland is doubtful.

Simmons also not being healthy would have left the Sooners with no actual right tackle, and with Baklenko likely stepping up there, OU also wouldn’t have had an actual healthy backup tackle for either side of the offensive line.

It’s been rare for the Sooners the past two seasons, especially along the offensive line, but they finally caught a good break on the injury front as long as Simmons doesn’t have a setback before Saturday.