Tag: DaShaun White

Emergence of Kip Lewis a revelation for Oklahoma Sooners defense

After making his first start and leading the Sooners in tackles against Oklahoma State, it’s safe to say Kip Lewis is having a breakout season.

In 2022, linebacker depth was a major issue for the Sooners. Danny Stutsman, [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag], and [autotag]David Ugweogbu[/autotag] each played over 900 snaps, with Stutsman approaching 1,000 in his first year as a starter.

The talent was there to provide Oklahoma with depth at linebacker. It was just young and inexperienced. The Sooners had freshmen four-star linebackers Jaren Kanak, [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], and Kip Lewis on the roster, but they didn’t play a ton last year. Like a lot of the defense, it was a matter of getting comfortable in their understanding of what [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and the defensive staff were asking them to do.

In 2023, those young backers are making an impact for the Oklahoma Sooners defense. Jaren Kanak has started all year. With Danny Stutsman out vs. Oklahoma State, [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] earned the first start of his career and had an incredible day.

He had 15 total tackles to lead the Sooners defense. According to Pro Football Focus, he had five stops in the game to bring his total to 16 on just 205 snaps. That’s a stop every 12.8 snaps. Compare that to [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], who has a stop every 13.6 snaps, and [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], who has a stop every 23 snaps.

Lewis’ quickness, reaction time, and diagnostic ability have stood out all season. Whether it was as part of the goalline stand against the Texas Longhorns or in a rotational role, Lewis has made the most out of every opportunity he’s earned.

And after the way he performed in his start against Oklahoma State, more opportunities should be coming his way. Against West Virginia on Saturday, the Sooners will need Kip Lewis and the rest of the defense to continue playing at a high level against the Mountaineers’ No. 7 rushing attack.

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‘A lot more technicalities to it’: Jaren Kanak ready to go after earning a starting spot

The depth chart has been released and Jaren Kanak is ready to prove he earned that starter spot.

Oklahoma’s lack of defensive success was due to several factors in 2022. A lack of depth on the roster led to overextending the linebacker position, among others.

Earlier this offseason, we outlined how much Oklahoma’s trio of Danny Stutsman, David Ugwoegbu, and DaShaun White played for the Sooners last year.

According to Pro Football Focus, only 11 off-ball linebackers played more than 900 snaps in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and three of them were Oklahoma Sooners. Toledo was the only other team that had multiple linebackers with more than 900 snaps on the season. – John Williams, Sooners Wire

Linebacker was up and down in 2022. Largely due to overuse but also because of the new system or position that the trio was working in.

[autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag] was playing the cheetah, something he had never played before. [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag] was a great leader, but [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] admitted he was someone who should have been a defensive end but had to play linebacker out of necessity. [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] had a really strong end to his season and looks to carry that over this season, but even he was up and down at times.

There’s no question the linebacker group will look a lot different in 2023. [autotag]Justin Harrington[/autotag] won the cheetah position spot and [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] earned the starting spot next to Stutsman. The athleticism of this group is going to be a lot better than it was a season ago. They just don’t have the experience the previous group had.

Kanak talked to reporters and said learning the position has taken some time.

“There’s a lot more technicalities to it,” Kanak said. “In high school all I played was offense, and you know what you’re going to do and how to execute it. On defense, it’s a trained reaction. It’s knowing what to see and knowing when this happens, why I’ve got to do this, and who’s with me. Just the trained reaction of it, knowing where to put my eyes and knowing what to do when this happens, that’s kind of the bigger thing that I started adapting to.”

Kanak might still be learning the position and getting everything down, but he has Sooner fans excited about his potential. It’s a very real possibility this linebacker group could be the best Oklahoma has seen in many years.

Now, they still have to go out and prove it, and there will absolutely be some bumps along the way. Their first chance to prove it comes this Saturday in Norman.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Oklahoma Sooners name captains for Week 1 vs. Arkansas State

The Sooners named their captains for the first game of the season against Arkansas State.

Being a captain for a blue-blood program such as the [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] is something special. Not many players get to say they were voted a captain by their peers.

Getting to walk out first and head to the middle of the field for the coin toss shows all of the hard work you put in on and off of the field. Last year first-year head coach, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] had a rotation of captains for each game of the season before announcing who would be the captains for the whole season at the end of the year.

Those were [autotag]Justin Broiles[/autotag], [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], [autotag]Chris Murray[/autotag], [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag], [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag] and [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag]. Gabriel, Stoops and Stutsman are the only captains returning from last season.

So, before the season opener against the [autotag]Arkansas State Red Wolves[/autotag], the Sooners announced the new captains for the start of the season. Those were Stoops, Stutsman, [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Harrington[/autotag].

What a great story it makes to see Harrington included. Harrington entered the transfer portal before deciding to return to Oklahoma. He’s a guy who was given a second chance by Venables and had to earn every bit of it.

He’s someone who has a great deal of potential but until now has only been an offseason talking point. Is this the year it finally all comes together? Many think it does. If it does, you could see the defense taken to another level.

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Buffalo Bills sign linebacker DaShaun White

#Bills sign linebacker DaShaun White:

The Buffalo Bills have added to their linebacker depth.

The team announced that DaShaun White has signed in Buffalo.

White went undrafted at the 2023 NFL draft. After, he landed with the Michigan Panthers of the USFL.

White was a fifth-year senior in 2022 at the University of Oklahoma. He put up a career-high six sacks with 90 total tackles. He also defended six passes.

At 6-foot with a versatile skill set, White could profile as a Bills defender. It’s unlikely such a raw package sticks around this late in the summer, but he could be a piece for much further down the road.

White likely takes the roster space of linebacker/pass rusher Shane Ray, who ended up on injured reserve.

Bills Wire will continue to bring all roster updates throughout the 2023 season.

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‘A great opportunity for the new guys’: Brent Venables excited about Sooners despite turnover

Despite a big roster turnover in their first year and a half, Brent Venables is feeling good about Oklahoma’s competitive depth.

The last 20 months in Norman have seen a coaching staff overhaul that led to roster turnover that highlights much of what college athletics has become.

The transfer portal, graduation and the NFL draft lead to turnover every year. After a coaching change, that turnover is exaggerated.

“We’ve had tremendous turnover, like a lot of people in this day and age of college football,” Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said at Big 12 media days. “Like many people, there’s been tremendous roster turnover. We desire a roster of stability and consistency. I think that’s what lends to success and sustainability.”

[autotag]Venables[/autotag] relayed that 78.8% of his roster is in the first or second year with the program.

“We’ve got 123 players on team 129, and out of those 123 players, 97 of them will be in either their first or their second year at the University of Oklahoma,” Venables said. “Tremendous turnover, but I couldn’t be more excited about the group of guys.”

Venables added, “To me I look at it as a great opportunity for the new guys.”

Oklahoma’s banking on a lot of those new guys being significant contributors to the team’s success in 2023. As the transfer additions go, so likely will the Sooners’ Big 12 title aspirations.

Defensive additions [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] and [autotag]Konnor Near[/autotag] are each expected to have big roles for Oklahoma this season.

“And then the addition – again, we’ve got nine guys, six guys up front, two All-American linebackers, a hard-hitting safety in [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag].” Venables said. “I believe we’ll be better up the middle of our defense, and I look at where we were at really at every single position, and we didn’t have the competitive depth a year ago.”

In particular, the lack of defensive depth was staggering.

At linebacker, the Sooners’ trio of [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag], and [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag] each played over 900 snaps. Only two players in Football Bowl Subdivision played more snaps than Stutsman. Adding depth at linebacker with McCullough and Near was critical. Their 2022 and 2023 linebacker signees add to that depth.

The 2022 guys have been in the program for more than a year now. [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] and [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] will have bigger roles this season for the Sooners, which will help their linebacker play be better.

Tackle [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] and tight end [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] should start on the offensive side of the ball. Guard [autotag]Caleb Shaffer[/autotag], wide receivers [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] and [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag], and defensive tackles [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag], [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] and [autotag]Phillip Paea[/autotag] are expected to compete for playing time.

The Sooners’ 2023 recruiting class could have guys be early X-factors on the field this season. At cornerback, [autotag]Jasaiah Wagoner[/autotag] and [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag] have been turning heads. The drumbeat for Peyton Bowen hasn’t slowed. [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] has turned heads with his speed despite being on campus only a month or two.

“It goes without saying, we went 6-7 last year and fell well below our expectations and our standards at Oklahoma,” shared Venables. “But man, we learned and grew a lot as a football program. In five of the seven losses, it goes down to the last minute, two minutes of the game in the fourth quarter with a chance to win.

“We started the year pretty strong, and then we didn’t finish the year very well, particularly in, again, those fourth quarters of a bunch of games. We just didn’t have any juice left about the middle of the year on. The competitive depth will lead to better competitive stamina.”

The Sooners are hoping the improved competitive depth will lead to a more competitive defense that’s able to help close games for a team with lofty expectations.

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2023 Player Profile: Jaren Kanak gets an opportunity to make a big impact

Oklahoma linebacker Jaren Kanak is primed for a huge role in 2023.

Evaluating the current roster, Sooners Wire profiles the current players, with linebacker Jaren Kanak up.

Every year before the start of the college football season, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic chronicles some of the sport’s freakiest and jaw-dropping athletes. Guys of all positions and sizes feature on the list. While Oklahoma didn’t get one on the this year’s list, if there were a player you’d think will be on this list in future seasons, it would be rising sophomore linebacker Jaren Kanak.

Kanak came to Oklahoma as a small-town Kansas kid. Athletically, he’s one of one, and it’s not hard to imagine that if he had played high school ball at a 5A or 6A school in Texas, his recruitment would’ve gone a lot differently.

His draw to Oklahoma was to be coached by Brent Venables. In his first year, he showcased tantalizing glimpses of the player he could become.

While the numbers will not stand out because his limited knowledge of the playbook and experience kept him off the field, he still found ways to impact the game when he saw playing time. With excellent size for the position at 6-foot-2 and over 220 pounds, Kanak has a rare blend of size and speed.

This spring was about learning the intricacies of the defense, and along with Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma has a tenacious LB pairing.

Kanak is a significant piece of Oklahoma’s efforts to put the horrid defensive effort of 2022 behind it. Alongside Stutsman, Kanak should pencil in as the starter. David Ugwoegbu transferred out and is playing edge elsewhere.  Dashaun White is playing football professionally, and no one else on the depth chart beside sophomore Kip Lewis played any meaningful snaps last year. Kanak looks destined to be a starter and will have every opportunity to cement himself early on as a competent middle linebacker in Ted Roof’s defense.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Hays, Kansas

Ht: 6-2

Wt: 221 lbs

Class in 2023: Sophomore

247Sports Composite

Four-star prospect, No. 6 athlete, No. 1 player in Kansas

Career Stats

Defense & Fumbles Table
Tackles Def Int Fumbles
Year School Conf Class Pos G Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk Int Yds Avg TD PD FR Yds TD FF
*2022 Oklahoma Big 12 SO LB 13 7 17 24 1.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
Career Oklahoma 7 17 24 1.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 6/7/2023.

Depth Chart Overview

Kanak is a significant piece of Oklahoma’s efforts to put the defensive effort of 2022 behind it. Alongside Stutsman, Kanak should pencil in as a starter.

David Ugwoegbu transferred and is playing edge at Houston. DaShaun White is playing football professionally, and no one else on the depth chart besides sophomore Kip Lewis played any meaningful snaps last year.

Kanak looks destined to be a starter and will have every opportunity to cement himself early on as a competent middle linebacker in Ted Roof’s defense.

Jaren Kanak Player Picture Gallery

Oklahoma Sooners inside Athlon Sports post-spring top 25

Oklahoma Sooners included in Athlon Sports post-spring top 25.

“Don’t call it a comeback, I been here for years.” Those are the lyrics of the great LL Cool J from his hit “Mama said knock you out.” They feel apt for the Oklahoma Sooners months ahead of the 2023 college football season.

After Oklahoma’s first losing season since 1998, one would think the expectations would change for the Sooners, but in preseason power rankings, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Oklahoma is projected to be a top 25 team when they open the 2023 season in September.

Though it was a rough go-round in Brent Venables first year as a head coach, that doesn’t change the reality that Venables is one of the best defensive minds in college football. He’s proven it several times over the last two decades and there’s little doubt he and the Sooners won’t improve from their 2022 season.

Count Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports as a believer in Oklahoma’s bounce-back season. He’s got the Sooners at No. 16 in Athlon Sports post-spring top 25.

Year 1 for Brent Venables in Norman didn’t go according to plan, as the Sooners posted their first losing season (6-7) since 1998. However, a wide-open Big 12 and a roster returning 12 starters — including quarterback Dillon Gabriel — should be enough for Oklahoma to return to Big 12 title contention. The Sooners lost their top two receivers and both starting tackles on the offensive line, but a deep backfield should help stabilize the offense. Venables hit the portal hard to help a defense that allowed 30 points per game last fall, and those reinforcements, combined with another year in the scheme, should equal some improvement. Also, Oklahoma is due for a little better luck after losing five games by seven points or fewer in ’22. – Lassan, Athlon Sports

Oklahoma’s returning arguably their most-important players from a year ago in [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] and Danny Stutsman. The two provide important continuity on both sides of the ball as leaders of their respective units.

Gabriel will be working with an offense that’s expecting [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] to take a step and a running back tandem to replace [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag]. As we await answers to the questions on the offensive side of the ball, the Sooners can feel confident in their offense because they have one of the best quarterbacks in the conference manning the helm.

In just his first season as a starter, [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] was incredibly productive, leading the Big 12 in tackles. He was an iron man, playing nearly 1,000 snaps. Though he lost linebacker running buddies [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag] and [autotag]Dashaun White[/autotag], Stutsman and the Sooners are expected to make improvements with another offseason in the scheme and an influx of talent through the transfer portal.

Presumably, joining Stutsman in the starting lineup at linebacker are [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] and [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], who bring elite athleticism and speed to the position to help make Oklahoma a faster football team. Oklahoma also added Rondell Bothroyd and Trace Ford to their defensive end rotation to help provide improved pass rush. They’ll work in a rotation along with Ethan Downs, R Mason Thomas, [autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Stripling[/autotag], and five-star newcomer [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag].

If Oklahoma can improve its pass rush from what it was in 2022, it’ll be a drastically improved football team in 2023.

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Highlights of the Eagles 9 undrafted free agents

We’re collegiate highlights of the Philadelphia Eagles’ nine undrafted free agents.

The 2023 NFL draft has concluded, and after some key signings and tryout invites, the Eagles roster sits at 89 players ahead of Day 2 of the team’s rookie minicamp.

Howie Roseman has been open about previous undrafted free agent classes, with several big-named stars holding second-day draft grades.

Recent undrafted free agents who’ve had game action with Philadelphia include Reed Blankenship, Britain Covey, Josh Jobe, Corey Clement, Sua Opeta, Nate Herbig, Kayode Awosika, Joe Ostman, Jack Stoll, Brett Toth, Greg Ward, Marvin Wilson, T.J. Edwards, and future Hall of Famer Jason Peters, who originally signed with the Bills.

Here are highlights of the nine undrafted free agents.

What’s next for the Eagles following the 2023 NFL draft

What’s next for the Philadelphia Eagles following the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL draft is in the books, but plenty of offseason action is still on the way for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Outside of the on-field action with rookie minicamp and organized team activities (OTAs), the NFL is also gearing up for its 2023 schedule release.

The Eagles welcomed seven newly drafted rookies to the roster, including defensive tackle Jalen Carter,  edge rusher Nolan Smith, offensive guard Tyler Steen, safety Sydney Brown, cornerback Kelee Ringo, quarterback Tanner McKee and defensive tackle Moro Ojomo.

Philadelphia also signed nine undrafted free agents.

Here’s a look at the Eagles’ upcoming 2023 off-season slate, including rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp.