LSU sophomore lineman Chris Davenport was perfectly content playing defensive tackle in spring practice until coach Les Miles summoned him to his office a little more than a week ago.
Miles told Davenport he wanted to switch him to the offensive line. The team needed a second-string left tackle in light of redshirt freshman Evan Washington’s knee injury.
Davenport, who now sports No. 73 at practice, said making the move was not ideal at first.
“If we plan on winning a national championship, sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do,” Davenport said. “You have to make some sacrifices along the way. It’s a sacrifice I decided to make for my team, as well as hopefully one day for my family.”
Davenport’s switch highlights a list of changes set for the 2011 LSU offensive line.
Davenport said the move to offense is just for the spring at this point, and he and the coaching staff will evaluate his performance after the spring game April 9.
“I’m still in that defensive frame of mind, so if I had to decide today, it would be defense,” Davenport said. “But I’m willing to learn. … It opens a door for me to be successful on both sides of the ball.”
Davenport’s roommate is sophomore offensive tackle Chris Faulk, who is slated to start at left tackle with the departure of former offensive tackle Joseph Barksdale. Faulk started two games last season at right tackle when junior offensive tackle Alex Hurst was injured.
“Faulk has a tremendous amount of talent and has really accommodated to the position change as best he can,” Miles said. “He’s got long arms and quickness. … He’s potentially a tremendous tackle.”
Davenport said having a starting left tackle as a roommate has been helpful.
“We spend a lot of time at night going through the playbook trying to get me caught up on where they are now,” Davenport said.
Senior right guard Will Blackwell said Davenport has “surprised everybody” with the switch this spring. Blackwell is back for his final season after missing nine games at right guard in 2010 with a broken ankle he suffered on the first play of the year against North Carolina.
“[Davenport] has great footwork. He was highly recruited out of high school as a defensive lineman,” Blackwell said. “Any time [a player who is] athletic moves from defensive line to offensive line, it’s easy to adjust to the running and the quickness, but he has to focus on getting his plays down.”
The center and offensive guard positions have senior leadership galore, as T-Bob Hebert, Josh Dworaczyk and Blackwell are back.
Hebert and sophomore Josh Williford filled in when Blackwell was injured, and junior P.J. Lonergan started all 13 games at center.
Hebert has filled in for Dworaczyk at left guard for the bulk of spring practice after Dworaczyk had minor knee surgery.
Blackwell said Dworaczyk’s absence impacts the offensive line.
“Josh has started [26] games in a row for us,” Blackwell said. “It always hurts a little bit when your best friend isn’t out there … but sometimes you can afford to miss spring practice, especially when you’re as experienced as he is.”
 
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Contact Rachel Whittaker at [email protected]