Evans making an impression
Orlando Brown is in the public eye a lot, but Bobby Evans is becoming a known commodity on the Sooners’ offensive line, too.
NORMAN — When Oklahoma offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh started harping on right tackle Bobby Evans more than usual, the redshirt sophomore knew he must be doing something right.
He was getting coached with a more critical eye — and critical tone — than when he got started in Oklahoma’s program three years ago, but in Bedenbaugh’s terms, that meant Evans was finding his groove.
While left tackle Orlando Brown earns most of the praise and attention on Oklahoma’s vaunted offensive line, Evans is improving by leaps and bounds on the right side, and he’s taking a couple teams off guard with his skill set midway through his second year as a starter.
“Orlando’s played at a really high level, there’s no doubt about it,” coach Lincoln Riley said. “But Bobby is just so steady. He’s kind of sneaky good. Orlando gets a lot of the attention out there, and rightfully so. He’s a great player.
“But Bobby’s been just as valuable. Steady. Makes very very few mistakes. Doesn’t get beat often. I think he’s really improved his power in the run game. Those two as tackles, those are as good as anybody has anywhere.”
Evans, the son of former OU basketball player Bobby Joe Evans, first started playing football when he was in second grade. He and his older brother Tay, who medically retired from OU last year, realized they might have a knack for the sport when they roughhoused as kids.
“Me and my brothers, we used to wrestle all the time,” Bobby Evans said. “We used to run all around the house and stuff and finally, me and my older brother, we decided to ask my dad to play football. And then basketball came later. But it’s always been football.”
Bobby Evans, who’s 6-foot-4, 312-pounds, moved into OU’s starting lineup early in his redshirt freshman season, first stepping into that role against Louisana-Monroe in the second week of the year. Dru Samia started at right tackle for the 2016 season opener, but slid to guard the next week.
That’s when Evans took over the right tackle spot, and he hasn’t relinquished it since.
In his first year at right tackle, Evans faced stiff competition on the other side of the ball, going against players like Auburn’s Carl Lawson and Kansas State’s Jordan Willis. In his own practices, he’s faced linebacker/ defensive end Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.
“He played like every week the top D-lineman was on him,” Riley said. “And he hung in there well, where I feel like he’s not hanging in there (now), he’s starting to become a dominant type player himself. So been really proud of the progress he’s made.”
With the experience against those top-tier players, Evans’ improvement from his first year to his second is remarkable. Against Texas, Evans graded out as OU’s best offensive lineman.
“I think Bobby’s kind of took a two-year leap compared from last year to this year,” Brown said. “He’s been really consistent. He’s finishing blocks. He’s working hard, and on top of that, he’s a great athlete. His fundamentals are coming in and gelling well. With his athleticism, he’s coming in and able to dominate on Saturdays.”
Even though Evans hears the praise from his teammates and coaches, he’s careful not to let it get to his head. He still wants to finish blocks with more consistency and keep improving in all aspects of his game.
With the weather turning cold and the season entering crunch time, Evans knows that he and the rest of the offensive line will be called on to keep the run game strong through the most critical stretch of the season.