Saturday’s season finale will likely be additional particular for Kobie McKinzie.

The freshman linebacker is slated to redshirt for Oklahoma this yr, however he’ll nonetheless return residence to Lubbock this weekend because the Sooners tackle the Texas Tech Purple Raiders.

A former 4-star recruit, McKinzie graduated highschool from Lubbock-Cooper Excessive College.

“It’s going to be enjoyable,” McKinzie mentioned on Monday. “There will likely be a variety of family and friends there who I haven’t seen in a number of months. They haven’t received to see me play. It’s going to be a variety of pleasure. I do know a variety of guys on that roster. We’re a tight-knit group. It’s going to be enjoyable to see them.”

McKinzie’s excessive profile recruitment, a course of the place he initially dedicated to Oklahoma, flipped his dedication to Texas earlier than returning again to the Sooners upon the hiring of Brent Venables put him on the radar as he entered this system.

However he’s needed to bide his time and study below each Venables and defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ted Roof.

Snaps behind Danny Stutsman and David Ugwoegbu have been basically nonexistent, and McKinzie has been centered as an alternative on adjusting to life as a collegiate participant and diving into the OU playbook.

“It is a distinctive protection. Not everyone can play it and it’s not simple to study,” McKinzie mentioned. “When you get these issues down, you must be assured in your self to know the gaps and schemes.”

Engaged on the scout group hasn’t disheartened McKinzie, although.

Even if he isn’t getting snaps each single Saturday, he’s nonetheless been in a position to soak up all of the highs and lows of the season and study from the group’s outcomes on the sector.

“It wasn’t onerous to be engaged in any respect as a result of I really like soccer, no matter if I’m enjoying or not,” he mentioned. “I may be engaged in a sport anyplace – on a sofa, on a subject, on a sideline. It’s somewhat totally different facet on the sideline. I haven’t been in that state of affairs ever till I received to school. It wasn’t onerous for me to remain engaged as a result of I’m excited to see these guys get the issues they deserve as nicely.”

Venables has been happy with how McKinzie has approached the yr, too.

The true freshman has used the expertise on scout group to proceed to raised himself, engaged on his method and the bodily aspect of his sport, Venables mentioned.

“Kobie has actually made enchancment basically,” Venables mentioned forward of the Oklahoma State sport. “Leaned his physique up. He is enjoying faster and sooner and he is received nice instincts. He is received concrete in his helmet. Actually a striker.”

This season constructed a robust basis for McKinzie, however there are nonetheless loads of areas he wants to enhance earlier than 2023 rolls round. Engaged on the psychological aspect of his sport will proceed to be an emphasis, McKinzie mentioned, as he’ll proceed to pour over movie to proceed to take psychological reps within the offseason.

“Understanding the sport, the suits, the gaps, the schemes, all of that good things,” he mentioned. “Simply within the low season … I gained’t be the youngest man within the room. It’s a must to tackle that function of being mature and understanding that playbook very well.”

The transition to watching hours of movie hasn’t shocked McKinzie, because it’s simply one thing the teaching employees expects of him.

However even within the early phases of his profession, the 6-foot-2 linebacker understands the significance of mastering the small particulars in Venables’ protection.

“That one step or that one shade over is a ginormous distinction,” he mentioned. “However when you get these issues down, the sky is actually the restrict for this group.

“… I actually really feel like you must be a scholar of the sport daily. Coach V says he’s a scholar of the sport daily. He’s one of many biggest defensive minds in school soccer. To turn into nice and be at that prime degree, you must be a scholar of the sport and like it, genuinely.”

McKinzie is trying ahead to suiting up and taking the sector again at residence this weekend.

And although he hasn’t seen sufficient sport time already this season to burn his redshirt, he is aware of his improvement off the sector this season will assist him have a productive profession at Oklahoma.

“I’ve matured lots in ways in which I didn’t suppose I might and that’s been good for me,” he mentioned. “Taking part in protection as a younger man in school, it’s a distinct ball sport. Quite a lot of the fellows in that field are very mature and older. Once you are available youthful at a college like this and enjoying the fellows that you simply play, you develop up actually quick.”

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