Since the day Brent Venables arrived in Norman, the mission has been clear. Get the Oklahoma Sooners ready for the SEC. To that end, Venables and his coaching staff have been working tirelessly to overhaul the Sooners’ defense, in particular the defensive line.
And they added another significant piece on Monday with the commitment of Louisville transfer defensive tackle Jermayne Lole.
Lole started his career at Arizona State before transferring to Louisville. After a couple of productive seasons with the Sun Devils, Lole battled injuries from 2020-2022. However, as a sophomore in 2019, Lole recorded 71 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks.
He played in 12 games in 2023 and only recorded 19 total tackles, five tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He started nine games and tallied 13 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
In five seasons, he has played more than 1,800 snaps, bringing a wealth of experience to the Sooners’ defensive tackle position.
Lole joins an ever-improving defensive tackle group that includes Da’Jon Terry, Gracen Halton, Jayden Jackson, Davon Sears and David Stone. It’s a group with substantial potential but lacking experience.
And the Sooners may not be done. Oklahoma is still in heavy pursuit of TCU transfer defensive tackle Damonic Williams. By all accounts, Williams enjoyed his weekend in Norman, but is still exploring his options for the 2024 season.
Lole provides another legit nose tackle for the Sooners to deploy in a rotation with Terry, giving Todd Bates and the Oklahoma coaching staff an experienced piece.
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