Report: Oklahoma DE Marcus Hicks Suffers Achilles Injury, Severity Unclear

COVID-19 has presented enough challenges for Lincoln Riley and the Sooner football team.

If that wasn't enough, they're now dealing with an injury bug that's bitten hard.

Redshirt freshman defensive end Marcus Hicks went down with an apparent Achilles injury during Wednesday's practice, as first reported by Rivals on the SoonerScoop premium site.

https://t.co/JGDQ99SHaL has confirmed #Sooners have lost another defender to injury for an extended period of time https://t.co/G7F265GeZ6
— SoonerScoop.com (@SoonerScoop) August 5, 2020

It's unclear at this point how much time the injury will cost Hicks, who was expected to compete for immediate playing time on the defensive line after redshirting last season.

The former four-star prospect out of Wichita was one of six defensive end additions for Oklahoma in the 2019 recruiting class. Hicks had bulked up during the offseason, adding significant muscle mass to the 265-pound frame that he brought to campus as a true freshman. The injury puts an obvious damper on widespread optimism surrounding his potential contribution to the Speed D in 2020.

Hicks' injury is the latest in a string of practice casualties for the Sooners - senior linebacker Caleb Kelly suffered a significant ACL injury on Monday, while backup quarterback Tanner Mordecai and safety Justin Harrington are dealing with ailments of their own.

SI Sooners will provide updates on Hicks' status as more information becomes available.

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