Oklahoma’s protection was removed from dangerous final yr. Make no mistake although, it wasn’t nice both. In accordance with Sports activities Reference, they had been sixtieth in group protection. Pair that with inconsistent offensive outputs, and it makes up a group that missed out on an opportunity to win their seventh straight Large 12 title.
Alex Grinch is now at USC making ready his new group for his or her 2022 marketing campaign. Oklahoma changed Grinch with a man whose Clemson group hadn’t completed exterior the highest 20 in group protection since 2015. Oh, and that yr? They completed No. 25 out of 128 groups.
There’s an opportunity that if Oklahoma had any of that caliber of protection, they might’ve received a nationwide title contemplating the offensive play they placed on the sector.
Brent Venables received’t be the defensive coordinator in Oklahoma, however you possibly can guess the protection that you just’ll see whereas he’s the pinnacle coach of the Oklahoma Sooners is his protection. Ted Roof will run the protection, however Venables will undoubtedly have his palms within the pot. It’s quick, violent, suffocating, and a number of, and it helped Clemson win nationwide titles in 2016 and 2018.
The Sooners are changing six defensive starters from a yr in the past. Nik Bonitto and Isaiah Thomas will probably be laborious to switch, however somebody has to. Equally, for the again finish of the protection, the place the beginning security duo of Delarrin Turner-Yell and Pat Fields is not any extra, the Sooners might want to discover some solutions.
With UTEP coming to city, the Sooners will get to showcase in full simply how laborious they’ve labored to grasp and be taught this new defensive scheme. We’ve rounded up some defensive gamers to observe when the Sooners tackle the Miners.
1
Jeffery Johnson, DT
Oklahoma’s Jeffery Johnson (77) throughout the College of Oklahoma’s annual spring soccer sport at Gaylord Household-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, April 23, 2022. BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
A switch from Tulane, Jeffery Johnson is an enormous dude and completely encapsulates among the modifications Venables wished to make when he returned to Norman. Out with the slimmer 280-pound inside defensive linemen and in with the massive 300-pound monsters once more. Those that appear to be the defensive linemen within the SEC particularly.
At 6-foot-2 and north of 300 kilos, Johnson will probably be a nostril deal with on this protection. He performed towards this OU group final yr with Tulane and gave among the present OU offensive linemen issues then.
With this being his ultimate season and the chance to compete in a Energy 5 convention for a program like Oklahoma, you need to imagine Johnson will placed on a present. The Sooners will want him after dropping Perrion Winfrey to tackle blocks, personal the purpose of assault, and do what’s essential to let the athletic group of linebackers behind him stream and make performs.
2
Ethan Downs, DE
Ethan Downs, alongside Reggie Grimes, has the laborious activity of changing Nik Bonitto and Isaiah Thomas. They’ll get the primary alternative, and each ought to thrive.
Downs is beginning to resemble a superhero after the summer season he spent with OU’s power & conditioning boss Jerry Schmidt.
On the heels of his 25 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss as a freshman, Downs has to take a significant step ahead. His head coach referred to as him “in all probability probably the most bodily of that group.” We’ll be watching to see how he handles a beginning function and if he flashes early and infrequently Saturday.
3
Key Lawrence, FS
Key Lawrence transferred to Oklahoma from Tennessee as a part of a mass exodus from that program in 2021. He had been recruited by OU out of highschool however selected to remain residence and play for the Volunteers.
He struggled to unseat both one of many established guys at security final season, however accidents opened the door to earn extra taking part in time. Lawrence supplied some massive moments with the taking part in time he earned, just like the sack fumble on Brock Purdy that led to Jalen Redmond’s fumble return for a landing.
This yr he’s now not simply somebody studying the ropes. He’s a starter and a participant OU desperately must turn out to be an impression participant. He has all of the instruments to be an excellent security, and we’ll have eyes on him come Saturday. He’ll be paired at security with Billy Bowman and the 2 give Oklahoma some athleticism and flexibility again there that they haven’t had shortly.
4
Woodi Washington, CB
The primary nook on this group, Woodi Washington, has the possibility to be a premier cowl man nationally.
Tyrin Smith of UTEP appears like a participant to observe and will very properly be Washington’s first actual check of the season proper out of the gate. Can Washington set the tone for a possible all-conference season?? We’ll discover out.
5
Danny Stutsman, LB
Danny Stutsman simply has one thing about him. He performs like these old-school linebackers 80s and simply has a spark to his sport. He’s intense, however there at all times appears to be a smile on his face.
Brent Venables has coached some excellent linebackers in his profession, and he walked right into a linebacker room that’s crammed with uncooked expertise able to be molded.
Stutsman will play the WILL linebacker function, which ought to free him as much as run sideline-to-sideline and play in house.
He has the athleticism to play in house and canopy. At 6-foot-4 and 240 kilos, he’s received the scale to tackle blockers within the working sport and to match up with tight ends within the passing sport.
His goofy antics give him persona however come Saturday, we’re taking a look at Stutsman to create havoc with the remainder of this OU protection.