Sophomore All-SEC guard Alex Kozan will miss the 2014 season after undergoing back surgery to treat an injury sustained while working out in the offseason, according to head coach Gus Malzahn.
"He injured his back while he was home lifting during the summer," Malzahn said. "He came back and we tried to rehab it with some different things and he tweaked it. The doctors just felt like the best thing for him and his future was to have surgery."
Kozan was a freshman All-SEC performer and started every game of his first season with the Tigers.
Malzahn said he did not have a plan at the time to replace his injured starter, but stressed that the Tigers have the players to fill the hole.
"We'll probably mix and match some for the first week or so and we'll see what happens with that," Malzahn said. "Obviously, anytime you lose a starter that's played very well that's a challenge. But we do have some quality depth at the offensive line and that's a good thing."
At the Tigers' first fall practice Friday, Shon Coleman, Chad Slade, Reese Dismukes, Avery Young and Patrick Miller worked the offensive line with the first team.
Kozan was not dressed out with the rest of his teammates.
Dismukes, a senior and four-year starter, said it would take some time for the new group to jell together.
"Who knows if there is going to be a drop-off," Dismukes said. "We've only been together for one day and we're going to have to keep getting better and better, but we're not going to be what we were with him. We're going to be a different five."
After his performances as a freshman, Kozan was beginning to receive attention nationally, with the sophomore landing on the Outland Trophy watch list and Athlon naming him a third team preseason All-American.
Those expectations will have to be put on hold for now following his season-ending injury.
"Anytime you lose a guy like that who we played with last year and he's a young player, you hope for the best for him," Dismukes said. "Obviously it's a terrible situation, but we have to continue to work as a group of five with the offensive line as a whole and he'll be there to support us and wish us nothing but the best. It sucks when people get hurt though."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
