Could Beyer Mean a Change at OL

When Sooner freshman quarterback Trevor Knight tweeted out the news of his friend, future and former teammate, Matt Beyer committing to Oklahoma it started a whirlwind of information gathering. The one question that so often goes overlooked is what exactly does this decision do for Oklahoma's class of 2013 - as it now stands with 12 commitments.

Later in the day when Beyer confirmed his friend's tweet, the time to look into just what it could mean to the class going forward came about.

"Yes sir, I committed this morning, Boomer Sooner!," Beyer texted Monday afternoon.

In a class that was expected to be defensively focused Beyer could be one of the final pieces of Oklahoma's offensive puzzle as commitment No. 7 on the offensive side of the ball and is the second offensive lineman joining fellow tackle Dalton Rodriguez.

The interesting thing about Beyer and Rodriguez is their marked differences. While Beyer is a mauler with considerable experience at the position Rodriguez is a highly athletic soon-to-be converted defensive end.

However, when considering some of Oklahoma's better offensive lines of the Bob Stoops era similar contrasting styles made for dominant groups. In 2003 Wes Sims, a high school All-American at offensive tackle was joined by a highly regarded high school defensive tackle, and eventual Outland trophy winner, Jammal Brown to form a top quality pairing. A few years later future first-round pick Trent Williams would pair with Phil Loadholt to combine as possibly the two highly drafted bookend tackles in school history.

One thing that can't be denied about Beyer is his ability to finish blocks and his basic desire to dominate opponents. In recent years Oklahoma has often gone with great athletes who they hope will grow into offensive tackles, with Beyer, it would seem Oklahoma has a future right tackle with a mean streak in tow.

Obviously whether or not Beyer, along with Rodriguez, can become the next great pairing is a long way from being known but it's clear as the 2013 Sooner recruiting class is built out there is a clear picture in mind for players that fit certain roles. And while some of Oklahoma's teams in recent years have been labeled as a bit soft in run-blocking situations anyone watching Beyer's junior film, during which he was fighting a fairly serious back injury, that 'soft' will never be his problem.

It's hard to believe that any one player could change the mentality of a team, or the ideology of it's recruiting. But it is interesting to look at Beyer and consider that the Sooners may not be focusing exclusively on players who are about one donut away from playing tight end but instead players who may bring a more physical brand of play to the Big 12.