Linebacker Oklahoma’s biggest strength heading into 2022 according to ESPN
The Oklahoma Sooners are in the midst of a transition. It’s arguably the first one that’s taken place since Bob Stoops took over for John Blake in the late 90s. While they experienced a coaching change going from Stoops to Lincoln Riley, the 2017 was pretty much set before Bob suddenly retired and handed the keys to the kingdom over to Riley.
Now, with Riley’s departure and those that left in the transfer portal, Brent Venables and his staff are having to retool the roster and remake it in his image. One could argue they’re getting more defensive, specifically adding bulk to the interior and big, fast, athletic linebackers to the second level. It isn’t so much about simply speed, but about being stout at the point of attack and letting his athletic linebackers run and hit. And it’s that linebacker corp that looks like a major strength heading into 2022.
According to ESPN’s Chris Low, looking ahead to 2022, it’s the linebackers that appear to be the Sooners greatest strength.
The Oklahoma roster will look almost completely different in 2022 under first-year coach Brent Venables, which includes having to replace six starters on defense. But the Sooners still feel good about their talent on the defensive side of the ball, particularly their depth at linebacker. Senior DaShaun White is returning for a fifth season after collecting a career-high 60 tackles a year ago. Senior David Ogwoegbu started at middle linebacker in the Alamo Bowl and returns along with junior Shane Whitter and sophomore Danny Stutsman, who showed great promise as a freshman last season but missed part of the year with an injury. In addition, Clemson transfer Jaren Kanak has the size and speed to be a hybrid-type player for the Sooners. Venables recruited Kanak to Clemson, and Kanak’s speed makes him a natural in Venables’ defense. – Low
Throw in Kobie McKinzie and Kip Lewis and the Sooners have an incredibly deep group of players that could contribute in 2022 under Brent Venables and defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ted Roof.
White and Ogwoegbu will be the leaders at the position and likely play the most, but don’t sleep on Stutsman and Whitter to provide significant snaps for the Sooners. T.D. Roof, who transferred in from Appalachian State provides another experienced player to a group that lost Brian Asamoah to the NFL draft.
He mentions Jaren Kanak as a transfer, but the incoming freshman was one of the more significant recruiting flips of the 2022 recruiting class. His size and speed could provide a tremendous boost in certain situations even if he doesn’t work his way onto the field for a full snap count. Particularly as a special teams player, a guy like Kanak could make a significant contribution in year one.
While the rest of the roster seemed to take hits to their depth, the linebackers stacked talent on the depth chart through the 2022 recruiting class and the transfer portal with a guy like T.D. Roof.
It’s as deep a position group as there is for the 2022 Oklahoma Sooners and that group is deep for the future as well. If the defensive front looks as stout as it should with the additions of Jonah Laulu and Jeffrey Johnson, added to an already impressive Jalen Redmond, the linebackers should have a blast running free and chasing down ball carriers.
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