PROVO -- Morning practice brought cooler temperatures as the BYU football team resumed practice on Tuesday. Notably missing from the field was center Tom Sorensen, who will likely undergo shoulder surgery and miss the next four to six weeks.
"Tom is having a consultation with the doctor today," said head coach Bronco Mendenhall. "We are anticipating surgery. The pain was not allowing him to be effective in our eyes, nor his."
Potential replacements for Sorensen include All-American candidate Dallas Reynolds, which would leave the left tackle position open to his younger brother Matt Reynolds.
Despite the shake-up, the Cougars' offensive line remains one of the strongest and most experienced in the country, and according to junior defensive lineman Jan Jorgensen, BYU won't see another like it this season.
"I have the luxury of going against Dallas Reynolds and Ray Feinga every day," said Jorgensen. "They're tough. Our offensive line is looking better than ever, and I'll be the first one to give them props."
Practicing in half-pads, or "shells," the players participated in both position and team drills, including a short 11-on-11 non-contact session to end practice a few minutes early.
"It just comes down to getting better every day," said quarterback Max Hall. "No one's going to give us another conference championship. We have to earn it."
Practice will begin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, with Thursday's practice being open to the public.