It’s no secret a big reason the Oklahoma Sooners didn’t achieve what they wanted to last year was because of the defense. The Sooners finished 106th in run defense, 119th in pass defense, and 122nd in total defense.
A big reason why those numbers were so horrific was because of how poor the defensive line was last season. They couldn’t generate a pass rush, and they struggled to get off blocks and make stops in the run game.
It’s clear the staff recognized the issues from last year and attacked the transfer portal, hoping to improve their defensive front. The big priority over the last few recruiting classes has been to add blue-chip defensive linemen.
The Sooners added six players from the transfer portal in Jacob Lacey, Trace Ford, Davon Sears, Rondell Bothroyd, Da’Jon Terry, and Phillip Paea. Throw in Dasan McCullough who played edge for Indiana in 2022 and the Sooners made a concerted effort to add players that can affect the running game and get to the quarterback.
Each of those additions should contribute this year, and a few might even start. The transfer portal is not the only place where they added talent, as they added five-star P.J. Adebawore.
He might not be a starter immediately, but he has the potential to start by the season’s end. The team also returns starters Isaiah Coe, Ethan Downs, and Reggie Grimes.
A guy that played quite a bit last season as a true freshman and is poised for a breakout season is R Mason Thomas. He’s added weight and appears to have kept his speed and twitch.
The starting defensive line could be Thomas, Coe, Terry, and Bothroyd when they deploy four-man fronts. When they go with a three-man front, it could be Thomas or Downs, Terry and Bothroyd until Adebawore becomes more comfortable.
There’s no doubt the Sooners needed to upgrade the defensive line. Now we’ll see…
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