TCU defensive end Paul Oyewale grateful to be back healthy and practicing
It’s been well over a year since veteran TCU defensive end Paul Oyewale has practiced at full speed.
An eight-game starter in 2023, Oyewale was hopeful to have an even better season under defensive coordinator Andy Avalos in Avalos’ s first season, but Oyewale missed all of 2024 with an injury that also kept him out during spring practice earlier this year.
Oyewale is getting back into the swing of things through two days of preseason training camp and he’s grateful to finally be back on the field.
“It feels great, I’m just very thankful to be out here,” Oyewale said after practice on Saturday. “The staff did everything they could to get me out here, and now I’m able to practice with my teammates and share the joy with them.”
Oyewale’s injury and the sudden departure of Damonic Williams to Oklahoma after spring practice left TCU in a bind on the defensive line in 2024.
Not being able to help shore up the run defense was agonizing for Oyewale on the sidelines.
“Just seeing my teammates out there fighting hard and I’m not able to be out there with them, it hurt,” Oyewale said.
Even though he couldn’t play, Oyewale did his best to stay engaged while rehabbing. Being on the sideline offered him the opportunity to have more time to learn Avalos’ complex scheme.
Oyewale saw up close how TCU improved defensively down the stretch as defensive end Zach Chapman and Devean Deal combined for 8.5 sacks. The early impression of Avalos’ scheme only intensified Oyewale’s desire to get back on the field.
“I love the versatility of it,” Oyewale said. “Being able to be in different positions in the defense and do so many different things, I think it’s going to be good for all of our personnel on the D-line and the defense.”
So far during camp, Oyewale has been in the rotation at defensive end with Chapman with both players getting a steady mix of reps with the first- and second- team defenses.
Oyewale has more size, while Chapman’s length stood out last season. Oyewale believes the competition will bring the best out of the entire defensive line.
“I love the competitiveness in the room,” Oyewale said. “You know you just can’t come here and be lackadaisical around practice. If you go in there with too big of a head in your mindset you can get your spot taken like that. That’s the kind of room you want in the defense to be honest. It’s awesome.”
The competition at defensive end will be sorted out in due time and regardless of who starts, TCU has plenty of confidence in Deal, Oyewale, Chapman and Jonathan Bax at edge rusher and linebacker.
For now the biggest focus for Oyewale will be gaining his rhythm back on the field as TCU begins to turn up the physicality at practice.
“There’s not much of a learning curve (with the defense), it’s more so about getting that muscle memory back,” Oyewale said. “Being able to be out here and react to everything and getting back to being able to strike with power.”
The return of Oyewale is one of the many reasons TCU is anticipating taking another step forward on defense.
The Horned Frogs are set to practice again on Sunday at 6 p.m.
