Former QB turns heads at tackle for OU

NORMAN - There aren't many human beings who cast an impression on someone as large as Tyler Evans.


Oklahoma's junior offensive lineman is 6-foot-5, 316 pounds, and, being a country boy from rural Missouri, he looks bigger.

But even Evans was struck when he met Lane Johnson.

"I'm like, 'Good night!' " Evans says. " 'Big quarterback.' "

That was three years ago, when Johnson weighed a paltry 250 pounds and had come to OU as a junior college quarterback from Kilgore (Texas) College. Now the 6-foot-7 Johnson clears the 300-pound mark as an up-and-coming offensive lineman.

"He's a freak," said sophomore guard Gabe Ikard. "He did it and got super strong and is still like 18 percent body fat at 305 pounds. He's pretty ridiculous."

Johnson's coach, Bruce Kittle, said this week the fourth-year junior is pushing for the starting job at left tackle. As the protector of quarterback Landry Jones' blind side, the left tackle position is arguably the most important in football.

"He's certainly big and thick enough," Kittle said. "He still runs a (40-yard dash in) 4.8 (seconds), he's 6-6 1/2 and moves really well for us."

Johnson never had any illusions of playing quarterback at OU. He came to Norman as a tight end and practiced there in 2009 while redshirting. Midway through 2010, he was switched to defensive end, where Bob Stoops said it appeared he had a bright future. Then last spring, he moved to offensive line. Now, he's alternating with returning starter Donald Stephenson as the Sooners' starting left tackle.

"Lane's doing really well," Kittle said. "Doing everything we've asked. Just hasn't had a lot of reps at that position with our zone reps and things like that. Every day he's getting better."

Johnson said he hasn't had to adjust his thinking to how the game is played - from the glory position of quarterback in high school in Groveton, Texas, and at Kilgore to the gruntwork position of offensive line - because he's always been a team player first.

"I was in Groveton. It was a small 1-A school," Johnson said. "There wasn't too much glory. You'd get your name in the paper, that's about it."

Johnson said he's just naturally big. If he eats, he gains weight. Sometimes, a lot of weight.

"I couldn't eat too much because every time I did ... my weight would go up," he said. "I kind of toned it down because coach Stoops came to me at the beginning of the spring and asked me if I wanted to play tackle. I was like, 'Nah.' So I definitely didn't eat. I stayed around 275 and played D-end."

He switched midway through spring practice, started eating normally and hitting the weights, and has put on 27 pounds.

Stoops noted that former Iowa teammate and Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowler John Alt was a tight end when he arrived in Iowa City, but moved to tackle, became a first-round draft pick and played there 13 years in the NFL.

"I love guys with that kind of range as long as they're tough and got a huge frame like that," Stoops said. "Yeah, either use him as a big tight end like we like to use, or he grows into a tackle."

Switching from tight end to O-line isn't anything new at OU. Ikard, now around 300, moved to guard after practicing as a 255-pound tight end during his redshirt year in 2009. Eric Mensik helped out in a pinch for the last two games of 2009, then gained 20 pounds and played right tackle full-time in 2010 and made first-team All-Big 12.

"I look up to him as a player," Johnson said.

Actually, everybody looks up to Johnson, both for his height and, at his position, his natural athletic ability.

"Donald's pretty athletic," Ikard said, "but when it comes to timing and testing all the combine stuff, the numbers (Johnson) puts up are pretty ridiculous.

"He's got all the physical talent and he's starting to absorb and understand the offense when it comes to running the ball and how we're identifying stuff. There's no reason he shouldn't be able to contribute a lot on Saturdays."

Kittle ticked off a handful of fine points that offensive linemen must master, but said Johnson is picking them up quickly.

"Aiming points, his footwork, blocking out, his pass (protection) is improving," Kittle said. "I feel like he's right on pace where he can help us."

"Aiming points, his footwork, blocking out, his pass (protection) is improving. I feel like he's right on pace where he can help us."