2022 was another poor defensive performance for the [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag]. They ranked 122nd nationally in total yards, but one bright spot was ranking fourth in tackles for loss.
Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] feels they can build on that in 2023. A big reason they feel they can improve is they return their leader in that category, [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag], who finished with 13.5 tackles for loss a year ago.
Downs finished the season really strong with 7.5 TFLs in the team’s final four games. That has Downs making an appearance on a prestigious award watch list.
Downs was named to the [autotag]2023 Chuck Bednarik Award[/autotag] watch list, which is given to the nation’s top defensive player.
.@ethandowns40 named to the 2023 Chuck Bednarik Award watch list https://t.co/QGHHX7RpB1 | #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/kmY4vcaiMV
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) August 14, 2023
This is an award that’s been given out since 1995 and only one former Sooner has ever won. That was in 2003 when [autotag]Teddy Lehman[/autotag] took home the honor.
Downs is going to have his work cut out for him, though. Even though he finished the year strong, his head coach said, outside of [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], there might only be one returning starter in the front seven. Guys like [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag] are progressing. Not to mention the additions of [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag] and five-star [autotag]P.J. Adebawore[/autotag].
Those guys are looking to take a starting spot from a position group that wasn’t good enough a year ago. But with those additions comes “competitive depth, ” which should be much stronger this season.
That kind of competition could be what drives Downs to improve on his first year as a starter for the Sooners. Then ultimately being the first Sooner in 20 years to take home the Bednarik Award at season’s end.
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