The Oklahoma Sooners have one of the more experienced defenses in the country heading into 2024. The Sooners rank eighth in the nation in ESPN’s returning production metric.
Much of the focus when it comes to the Sooners’ defense is on [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], and deservedly so. They bring a lot of experience and talent to the table. They’ll play one more season with the Sooners and head to the NFL draft in 2025. With what they did in 2023 and what they’re capable of doing in 2024, there’s a good chance they’ll hear their names called in the top 100 of the draft.
But they aren’t the only players that will get drafted. Over at CBS Sports, Blake Brockermayer chose one hidden gem from each top 25 team ahead of 2024. For the Oklahoma Sooners, Fornelli chose defensive end [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag].
Downs has been a disruptive force off the edge, starting 25 games the last two seasons. He’s a high-effort player who can turn the edge and harass quarterbacks as well as hold up in the run game. – Brockermayer, CBS Sports
Downs has back-to-back seasons with 4.5 sacks and has 20 tackles for loss over the last two seasons. Projected to start at one of the defensive end spots in year three of Brent Venables’ defense, Downs could see an uptick in his production.
He’s a do-it-all defensive end who does a fantastic job playing the run and is continually improving as a pass rusher. With another year of experience, he has a chance to solidify himself as a draftable prospect next April.
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