The Sooners got a big-time commitment from Ferris State linebacker transfer Konnor Near. Near was a Division-II All-American with offers from Georgia Tech, Duke, Michigan State, Cincinnati, and Texas Tech. He played four years at the Division II level and helped Ferris State win back-to-back national championships while he was there.
Near is a 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker from Michigan who stayed close to home to begin his football career. He was a standout performer, which caught the eyes of a handful of Power Five teams when he decided to enter the transfer portal during the spring period.
He was a tackling machine. Through the 13 games in 2022, he had 66 total tackles, with 34 solo tackles. He also recorded three sacks and a fumble recovery. Near brings in some much-needed experience and toughness to a Sooners defense looking to emulate the attitude of their head coach.
B⭕️⭕️MER S⭕️⭕️NER!!
ALL IN‼️ @CoachVenables @CoachTedRoof @OU_Football pic.twitter.com/7KnFzaXybV— Konnor Near (@konnor_near) May 5, 2023
Near is a physical presence that displayed good play strength when filling his gap and showed enough athleticism to flow sideline-to-sideline to make plays in the outside running game.
The improvement on defense was on display at the spring game. Despite some strong performances, this is a type of move that shows Venables and his staff’s desire to continually add talent.
Near will come in and compete for snaps at inside linebacker with guys like Kip Lewis, Kobie McKinzie, and Shane Whitter. He could push Jaren Kanak for first-team opportunities.
Near is an underrated pickup that won’t be noticed by many as a game-changer. However, he’s been a productive linebacker that gives the Sooners the type of leader on a defense that can get things done.
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