It was too good to be true, but he helped change the culture of defense at Oklahoma.
Ronnie Perkins was out for the first half of the 2020 season due to a suspension from the end of the 2019 season. The night before the Texas Tech game, he was unleashed. Perkins’ reinsertion to the Sooners’ defense was noticeable and Perkins’ impact was felt around college football.
The St. Louis native was in his third year at Oklahoma this season. His performance in the second half of the season started to garner serious NFL attention, and that attention became a reality.
Perkins announced his intentions to forgo his senior season and enter the 2021 NFL draft on Saturday.
Forever thankful for my time in Norman, now it’s time to chase my dreams. Thank you Sooner Nation!!!🖤#7avageOut pic.twitter.com/mLIIAw86CH
— Ronnie Perkins™ (@7avageszn) January 9, 2021
Perkins came to the Sooners as four-star defensive end in the 2018 recruiting class. He started as a true freshman that same year before becoming a bigger piece to the puzzle as a sophomore when Alex Grinch became the defensive coordinator.
The three-year starter had a big season in 2019 before being sidelined for the College Football Playoff at the Peach Bowl. In 2020, Perkins had 5.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, almost matching his 2019 total—in half of the games played (12 in 2019; six in 2020).
Prior to his return, Isaiah Thomas was the defensive end for Oklahoma. Thomas already announced his intentions to return to the Sooners in 2021. He’ll slide back out to defensive end and Jalen Redmond will return to play defensive tackle.
Perkins is expected to be a second or third-round NFL draft pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
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