After a season in Norman, Jeff Lebby became a hot name in the Alabama offensive coordinator search. Spurning the Crimson Tide to stay with his alma mater, Lebby returns to build on a good first year with the Sooners.
Because of his success, he’s considered one of the top coordinators in the country and someone on the short list for Power Five openings next coaching cycle.
Over at Pro Football Focus, Max Chadwick named Lebby the sixth-best offensive coordinator in the country. Clemson OC Garrett Riley came in at No. 1. Here’s what Chadwick had to say about Lebby.
Oklahoma’s offense wasn’t as dominant as we’ve come to expect in Lebby’s first year at the helm, as it ranked just 25th in the Power Five in EPA per play — the Sooners’ worst finish since PFF began charting college football in 2014.
However, Oklahoma was going through a major transition after losing head coach Lincoln Riley and two starting-caliber quarterbacks in Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler.
In his three years as an offensive coordinator before 2022, Lebby produced two top-10 offenses in EPA per play (2019 at UCF and 2020 at Ole Miss). His proven track record suggests that he should be able to turn it around at Oklahoma sooner rather than later. – Chadwick, PFF
The biggest issues the offense faced in 2022 were their inefficiencies on third down and in the red zone. The Sooners were just 49th in third down conversion percentage, and they were 66th in the red zone. That’s not good enough for a team with championship aspirations.
Back for year two and with quarterback continuity, the Sooners hope a second year in the offense can improve some of their weaknesses. They’ll need everyone to be better, including the offensive coordinator and the quarterback with the number of players departing for the NFL on offense.
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