We are just a few days until Big 12 Media Days get underway in Arlington, Texas.
In preparation for that, the Big 12 released its preseason all-conference team and like last year, only one Sooner made the list. This time it was defensive lineman Ethan Downs.
Downs was named by the conference as a second-team all-Big 12 member last season and third team by Pro Football Focus.
He received a 78.2 grade by PFF ranking third at his position. But Downs like many of the Sooners had an up-and-down season. He seemed to really come along at the end of the year with seven of his 13.5 tackles for loss coming in three of his final four games.
Preseason All-Big 12 » @ethandowns40 😤#OUDNA pic.twitter.com/u1ORqqYcMS
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) July 5, 2023
He also had two of his team-leading 4.5 sacks in three of the final four games as well. He was 10th in the Big 12 in pressures among edge rushers, but he finished fourth in the conference in stops at the position.
He’s kind of been the forgotten man in the defensive end room with the emergency of R Mason Thomas, signing PJ Adebawore, and adding Rondell Bothroyd and Trace Ford in the portal.
There’s no doubt that Oklahoma has a lot more depth this year than they did last year so if Downs is up and down again, he will see his snaps start to diminish.
But if he can build upon how he ended the season, then being a first-team all-Big 12 is definitely in the cards.
He could also end up being a guy who plays a lot when they go with three down linemen but doesn’t play as much when they go with four down linemen.
That is still to be determined but if he’s more consistent, it will be hard to keep him off of the field.