Going from neglected to the leader of the offensive line has been an adventure for Evan Plagg.
As the returning starting left tackle and All-AAC second-team selection in 2016, Plagg is being counted on to lead what is considered by many as one of the best offensive lines in the country.
Plagg thanks his friend and former high school and college teammate Blake Belcher for getting the journey started.
“Belcher called me and said, ‘Hey, have you made a decision yet, what are you going to do?’,” Plagg said about not getting any major college offers after graduating from Guthrie in 2012. “And I said, if I’m not playing Division I, I don’t know if I’m going to play or not.
“He said, ‘Have you thought about coming up here?’ And I said, I will talk about it with my family and I’ll let you know. And I talked about it with them, and I decided to come up here, and I loved it.”
Plagg’s aspirations were much higher than just being on the team while reporting to TU at 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds. Hard work in the weight room has Plagg up to 295 pounds.
“At the beginning, my expectation wasn’t exactly the most realistic. I thought I could earn a scholarship in a year,” Plagg said. “I didn’t know how much it would entail. I didn’t know how long the journey would be.
“After a few months into it, I thought wow, a year, I don’t know if I can do that. But I got it done in two, and I was really happy with that."
Not only did Plagg get a scholarship, but he ended up starting as a redshirt sophomore when Philip Montgomery took over as the Tulsa head coach in 2015.
“It was awesome. In a spring, I went from a two to a one, to having a scholarship, to being the starting left tackle. It just happened super fast,” Plagg said. “It’s probably been one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever been able to do, just to see hard work pay off progressively. Just keep taking it to the next level.”
With Plagg in the lineup starting all 13 games, the Golden Hurricane improved from 2-10 to win six games and go to a bowl game. Last year, Plagg started 12 games, missing just the regular season finale due to an injury, and Tulsa finished 10-3 and won the Miami Beach Bowl.
The season was also special for Plagg since it was the only full season he and Belcher got to start together since they won the Class 5A state title for undefeated Guthrie in 2011 with Plagg starting at right tackle and Belcher starting at left tackle. Plagg moved to left tackle at Guthrie in 2012 after Belcher graduated.
Belcher chose to forgo a sixth season at TU due to lingering injury issues after finishing as a first-team All-AAC selection at right guard last season.
Despite the Golden Hurricane breaking in a new quarterback and losing two star receivers due to graduation, Plagg’s expectations are even higher for TU in 2017.
“First step is winning six games and getting bowl eligible. Second step is winning the conference championship. I think that is everybody’s goal, especially the older guys. Last year we were so close, and we want that very badly,” Plagg explained.
As for the quarterback race, Plagg has been impressed with both Luke Skipper and Chad President.
“Chad and Luke are both great possibilities at quarterback,” Plagg said. “They can run, they can move. They can throw the ball well, and have been making great decisions. They’ve been keeping their composure. I feel comfortable with either one, I really do.”
Starting alongside Plagg are three other returning starters in Willie Wright at right tackle, Chandler Miller (first-team All-AAC) at center, and Tyler Bowling (second-team All-AAC) at left guard. Zac Uhles and Tiller Bucktrot are battling to replace Belcher at right guard.
“The offensive line is coming around like I thought we would. We didn’t miss a beat,” Plagg said about how they have looked after the first week of fall practice.
Losing running back James Flanders (1,629 yards rushing) to graduation doesn’t help, but Plagg and his teammates will be opening holes for D’Angelo Brewer (1,435 yards) and a group of other talented running backs.
“D’Angelo has been doing his thing. He hasn’t missed a beat. We’ve got so much depth. We’re doing great so far. And (true freshman) Shamari Brooks is impressive,” Plagg said.
Excelling in the classroom has been just as important to Plagg as his play on the field. Plagg has a double major and will graduate in accounting in the fall and finance in the spring. His plan is to go to law school after his football career is over.
“It’s been a major jump from Guthrie High School to the University of Tulsa,” Plagg said of his academic journey. “I’ve learned a ton. I’ve learned how to study and meet people and get opportunities.”
Law school may have to wait awhile, as Plagg could get a shot to play in the NFL. Montgomery believes Plagg will get that shot.
“I think Evan is a guy that will have a chance to play at the next level - maybe not at the tackle spot - he may have to move inside, but a guy that I know can really play and do the things that you’ve go to do,” Montgomery said during the summer.
Plagg is looking forward to that opportunity and agrees with Montgomery about moving inside at the next level since NFL tackles are usually taller.
“The NFL - that was the dream growing up as a kid, and I’ve carried that with me,” Plagg said. “I always knew that, hopefully, when I graduate, I would be in a place to say, do I have an opportunity or not? I think, as of this point, I do have that opportunity, so I’m going to try and fulfill that to the best of my ability.
“It’s going to be in the interior, either guard or center, probably. I’ve been taking some snaps, working on that a little bit. I’ve adopted some of the guard philosophies. I know for sure it won’t be at tackle.”
Not bad for a guy who was neglected by all the major colleges out of high school.
“I never really felt like I was out of place. I felt right at home,” Plagg said of starting at the Division I level. “I got some great help from Garrett Stafford (TU starting offensive lineman, 2013-2015). I always felt like I was a part of it and I belonged at left tackle. It was an easy transition for me.”
