The coronavirus pandemic struck sports just as spring football was starting up for Oklahoma. Saturday would have been the Sooners spring game and the big spring game recruiting weekend would be currently taking place.
Alex Grinch was set to start his year two of install for his Speed D. Players like Perrion Winfrey and Bryson Washington are going to miss the most by not having a spring football season, as will guys like DaShaun White and Caleb Kelly in new(er) roles for the two linebackers.
How Alex Grinch positions the secondary is going to be of most importance, but his front seven is littered with talent and should provide a nice arm for the secondary to lean.
Sooners Wire projects the 2020 defensive depth chart without spring practices and months to go before the season.
DEFENSIVE END
- Ronnie Perkins
- Marcus Stripling
- Isaiah Thomas
Without Ronnie Perkins likely being available for the first five games of 2020, this is going to open the door wide open for second-year player Marcus Stripling. Him losing weight instead of gaining weight after his freshman season is a concern, but not one Stripling can’t overcome by the start of the 2020 season.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
- Perrion Winfrey
- Jordan Kelley
I think Alex Grinch may have gotten his next nose tackle. Perrion Winfrey is a load to deal with. Not having much tape from his sophomore year hurts seeing if he got cleaner with some of his technique and habits of playing too high, but if he is anything near his freshman campaign at Iowa Western Community College, Winfrey should have no problem transferring that into Grinch’s scheme.
Jordan Kelley dropped weight over the winter, which is the same exact process Neville Gallimore went through in Jan. 2020.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
- Jalen Redmond
- LaRon Stokes
- Kori Roberson
This is by far the deepest spot on the entire defense as a guy like Marcus Hicks will still have to wait his turn. Jalen Redmond’s growing squarely into a 3 or 4i-technique defensive tackle and his athleticism should treat him well there. Don’t take LaRon Stokes lightly and Kori Roberson has a lot of promise.
RUSH linebacker
- David Ugwoegbu
- Nik Bonitto
- Jon-Michael Terry
You could have flipped one and two here, but I think David Ugwoegbu is turning into Oklahoma’s next best pass rusher. His athleticism matched with his frame and size is going to be difficult to deal with for tackles.
MIKE linebacker
- DaShaun White
- Caleb Kelly
Go ahead and plug DaShaun White into Kenneth Murray’s role at linebacker. You more than likely won’t see him spin down and rush off the edge, but his instincts and football IQ should allow him to have a lot of success.
WILL linebacker
- Caleb Kelly
- Brian Asamoah
Coach Kelly makes his long-awaited return to the starting lineup. He’s best in space and more reliable than Brian Asamoah to be in position, even with his limited snaps in 2019. I think Asamoah is the future for Grinch and linebackers coach Brian Odom, though, and will see quite a few snaps in 2020.
corner back
- Tre Brown
- Joshua Eaton
The starting corners won’t be a surprise, but the backups will be. Joshua Eaton is the prototypical corner for this system with his length and speed. It won’t be long before he’s ready.
strong safety
- Delarrin Turner-Yell
- Jeremiah Criddell
- Bryson Washington
I’m still a big believer in Jeremiah Criddell and he should serve as a quality backup to Delarrin Turner-Yell, who was taking strides to being that safety Oklahoma has been missing since Tony Jefferson.
Missing this spring is going to hurt Bryson Washington quite a bit. I ultimately think he’s the starter here or at nickel back in 2021, but playing catch up in a simple, but complex system is going to make it difficult.
free safety
- Patrick Fields
- Woodi Washington
I’m about as positive as can be that Woodi Washington slid over and played where Patrick Fields normally plays in the Peach Bowl while Fields played where Justin Broiles did and Broiles became the nickel for Bookie Radley-Hiles. In that role, Washington looked the part, though only Patrick Fields will decide what happens here. He was as steady as it gets in 2019.
CORNER BACK
- Jaden Davis
- Tre Norwood
One of the true position battles on defense is here. Jaden Davis showed a lot of promise during his freshman season, but Tre Norwood got resounding praise prior to and after his injury by Grinch. Davis is the future, but I’m sure these two will be in rotation.
NICKEL BACK
- Brendan Radley-Hiles
- Jeremiah Criddell
The curious case of what to do at nickel back in 2020 is a tough one to figure out. Bookie Radley-Hiles was a solid player and Oklahoma’s best playmaker in the secondary, but played in a role that doesn’t necessarily fit defensive backs quite like him. He can continue to be a serviceable piece, but if a guy like Bryson Washington got a full spring under his belt, we’d be having a totally different conversation.