In just a few years, Brent Venables and his assistant coaches, Todd Bates and Miguel Chavis, turned the Oklahoma Sooners‘ defensive lines into one of the strengths of the team. The Sooners have an experienced bunch up front, and it’s, for the most part, a homegrown bunch.
Projected to start for the Sooners along the defensive line are R Mason Thomas, Damonic Williams, Jayden Jackson, and Marvin Jones, Jr. 50% of that crew are guys that Oklahoma recruited with Williams and Jones transfer additions over the last two offseasons. However, if you look at the players that will make up the second and third units along the defensive line, those are all guys the Sooners’ staff has recruited.
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That includes blue-chip prospects like former five-star prospects David Stone and Adepoju Adebawore, and four-star prospects like Gracen Halton, Danny Okoye, Nigel Smith, Wyatt Gilmore, and Trent Wilson. Taylor Wein, who was a three-star prospect who was a late commitment in the 2024 recruiting class, has created a ton of buzz this offseason with his development.
Oklahoma’s defense is expected to be one of the best in the SEC and in college football and a big reason why is the defensive front. They were stout against the run in 2024 and should be again with the defensive tackle room returning stars like Williams, Jackson, and Halton. They have a pass rush led by Thomas that should be dynamic throughout the game.
It’s a deep group that will be able to send waves of talented players at opposing offensive lines, keeping their talent fresh and the motor running at top speed. And with an offense that will be able to hold onto the ball more consistently and put points on the board, the Sooners defensive line will get an opportunity to play fresher and in more favorable game scripts.
Oklahoma’s sack leader, R Mason Thomas, received just 243 pass rush snaps in 2024. Halton, who was second on the team in sacks, rushed the passer just 230 times, according to Pro Football Focus. Compare that to Oklahoma’s Red River rivals, the Texas Longhorns, and it is a vast difference. True freshman defensive end Collin Simmons rushed the passer 242 times last year, and he was fifth among Longhorns defenders in pass rush snaps.
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The Sooners will play with more leads, and because of their run defense, OU will put opposing offenses in second and third-and-long situations, which will allow this deep and talented defensive line to get after the quarterback. When Oklahoma gets an opportunity to get after the quarterback, the Sooners are incredibly dangerous. That’s what Oklahoma’s recruited and developed defensive front is going to bring to the table.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma Sooners led by deep, talented defensive line
