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Texas Tech football: 3 OSU defensive players Tech must contend with

By Matthew Conner

STILLWATER, OK - SEPTEMBER 28: Defensive end Brock Martin #40 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys celebrates his fumble recovery with cornerback A.J. Green #4 and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga #11 against the Kansas State Cowboys in the first quarter on September 28, 2019 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
STILLWATER, OK - SEPTEMBER 28: Defensive end Brock Martin #40 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys celebrates his fumble recovery with cornerback A.J. Green #4 and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga #11 against the Kansas State Cowboys in the first quarter on September 28, 2019 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /

LB Amen Ogbongbemiga is among the Big 12 leaders in tackles

In the middle of the OSU defense is a pair of linebackers that have each put up 42 tackles this year, 5th-most in the Big 12.  Playing next to former safety Malcolm Rodriguez is Amen Ogbongbemiga, the leader of the Cowboy defense.

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Already with 3.5 sacks this year, he’s become quite a force after making just 12 tackles last season.  But he might be a bit slowed this week by an injury.

After spraining his right thumb in practice two weeks ago, Ogbongbemiga is expected to play with a cast this week (as he did against KSU), which is no small task for a linebacker.  It is possible that his ability to wrap up and be an efficient tackler could be hindered by the limited use of his injured hand.

With two double-digit tackle games this season, he’s making a name for himself and the OSU defense.  Now, the Nigerian-born player who moved to Houston in 2003 before moving to Canada in 2011 could be playing his way into an eventual NFL opportunity.

At 6-foot-1, 225-pounds, he’s an agile player who can roam sideline-to-sideline.  But he’s no slouch against the run, which will be a key this week if the Red Raiders try to rely heavily on the ground.

It will also be interesting to see if he or Rodriguez are asked to spy on Duffey the way Jorday Brooks has been utilized by Tech against dual-threat QBs.  The Cowboy linebacking corps is somewhat thin but it is a solid unit that helped hold Kansas State to 244 yards last week.  Look for Ogbongbemiga to be a key factor in what the Cowboys want to do this weekend against the Red Raider offense as well.

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