Humphrey only returning starter on offensive line

NORMAN — Oklahoma's offensive line was the best in the nation last year, winning the Joe Moore Award.

But two seniors graduate off the line, and two more declared early for the NFL Draft, leaving center Creed Humphrey as the only remaining starter of the group.

Bill Bedenbaugh has recruited strong and built depth up front, but it might be tested this year.

The Sooners are scheduled to begin spring practice March 7 and until then, The Oklahoman will preview each of the Sooners' position groups. Today, it's the

offensive line.

Scholarship players lost: Jonathan Alvarez, Alex Dalton, Bobby Evans, Quinn Mittermeier, Ben Powers, Logan Roberson, Dru Samia.

Key players returning: Adrian Ealy, Marquis Hayes, Creed Humphrey, Tyrese Robinson, Darrell Simpson, David Swaby, Erik Swenson, Brey Walker Newcomers: Marcus Alexander, Finley Felix*, EJ Ndoma-Ogar, Stacey Wilkins *Enrolled early

Three storylines to watch Replacing Evans

Last season, Bobby Evans moved over from the right side to protect

Kyler Murray's blindside at left tackle. While Evans had plenty of experience before moving over, there's no one waiting in the wings this time around as Oklahoma replaces both tackles.

Probably the favorite to wind up there going into spring practice is

Adrian Ealy, the redshirt sophomore from Louisiana. Ealy, like Cody

Ford, has been a guard but figured to slide out. An intriguing option at left tackle could be redshirt freshman Brey Walker, the Westmoore product who was a U.S. Army AllAmerican out of high school.

On the inside

One of the things that has made the Sooners' offensive line so good in recent years has been the stability. Evans, Ben Powers and

Dru Samia were regulars there, with Ford moving in seamlessly after Orlando Brown's departure the year before. That stability, though, didn't leave much room to get a look at younger players who could vie for roles on the interior of the offensive line especially.

A pair of redshirt sophomores figure to be the most likely candidates to replace Powers and Evans next season — Marquise Hayes and Tyrese Robinson. Robinson appeared in six games last season while Hayes played in three.

Juco products David Swaby

(who is 6-foot-9) and Finley Felix are possibilities. Swaby was on the team last year, while Felix will arrive over the summer.

Backing up Humphrey

While center is the one spot on the line that is settled, with Creed Humphrey taking over the position and playing well there last year, Humphrey's backup is up in the air after the Sooners lost

Jonathan Alvarez and Alex Dalton after last season. The answer could be EJ Ndoma-Ogar, the Allen (Texas) product, though Ndoma-Ogar will not be around in the spring.

That'll leave Humphrey with plenty of reps in the spring and figures to lead to another interior lineman or two getting a look there as well.