Tag: Jaren Kanak

Danny Stutsman discusses the balance Zac Alley provides the Sooners

“He’s good to go to because he knows exactly what we’re thinking.” Zac Alley’s arrival created a new dynamic on the Oklahoma Sooners defense.

The Oklahoma Sooners made some big changes to their coaching staff this offseason, replacing both coordinators. Seth Littrell took over as offensive coordinator, and Zac Alley as defensive coordinator.

Alley takes over a defense that made a big jump last year and a position group that is one of the deeper ones on the team.

Danny Stutsman shared with the media what he’s seen from Alley so far this offseason.

“Oh, it’s been amazing,” Stutsman said. “He’s a great coach. He really understands and relates to us. He’s a different balance than Coach Venables, which is really good. He understands some things, and he’s good to go to because he knows exactly what we’re thinking.”

Stutsman admits Alley has a lot of the same mannerisms as Venables at times, but he said he’s a lot calmer than the head coach.

Alley has a good problem on his hands as Stutsman, [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] and [autotag]Lewis Carter[/autotag] are all guys who can play and play at a high level.

He also takes over a unit with a lot of experience as the first four guys played quite a bit in this system a season ago at linebacker. Carter played a lot on special teams.

After having success with Jacksonville State, it’ll be interesting to see what he does at the position and what differences he brings to the defense.

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.

2023 Position Review and Recruiting Outlook: Sooners’ linebackers shine in bounceback year

The Sooners showed a lot of growth at the linebacker position in 2023. Now they hope to build upon that going into next season.

The Oklahoma Sooners’s linebacker group is our next [autotag]position review[/autotag]. Overall, the group produced an All-American and the young guys at the position showed a ton of promise as well.

[autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] was the leader of the whole defense. He’s been named to two All-American teams. [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] showed flashes of what he can be but also showed his youth.

[autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] and [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag] came along at the end of the season as well, making this group one of the deeper groups on the team. [autotag]Lewis Carter[/autotag] and [autotag]Samuel Omosigho[/autotag] were mainly special teams contributors but did see some playing time toward the end of the year.

The recruiting class, though, isn’t a great one, so let’s take a look at the linebacker position.

Sooners linebacker Danny Stutsman headed to the NFL per report

According to a report from SoonerScoop.com, Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman is headed to the NFL.

One of the biggest questions heading into the offseason focused on a pair of standout defenders in 2023. Would [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] and [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] return for the 2024 season, Oklahoma’s foray into the SEC?

According to a report from SoonerScoop.com’s Carey Murdoch, we have the answer to one of those questions. Junior linebacker Danny Stutsman will forego the remainder of his eligibility and declare for the NFL draft. According to sources, Stutsman informed Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables on Wednesday prior to making that decision.

There had been speculation that Oklahoma’s defensive leader could return for the 2024 season. Now we know the Sooners will be without one of the best linebackers in the game.

Over the last two years, Stutsman’s racked up 224 total tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, and three interceptions, two of which he returned for a touchdown. He became an important leader for the Sooners who saw significant jumps in nearly every defensive category, helping Oklahoma rebound from their 6-7 season in 2022 to 10-2 this year.

The Sooners missed Danny Stutsman in their losses to Kansas and Oklahoma State after the veteran linebacker was injured just before halftime against the Jayhawks.

The Sooners have a young and improving linebacker corps. [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] started much of the season alongside Stutsman and was replaced by [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] late in the season. [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag] earned his first significant playing time this year in his second with the Sooners. Venables and the Oklahoma coaching staff like what they have in freshmen linebackers [autotag]Samuel Omosigho[/autotag], [autotag]Lewis Carter[/autotag], and [autotag]Phil Picciotti[/autotag], but they played sparingly this season.

There’s a good chance we’ll get to see Oklahoma’s young linebackers play a lot against Arizona.

As the Oklahoma Sooners prepare to play Arizona in the Alamo Bowl, the question becomes, will Stutsman play, or will he opt out to begin getting ready for the pre-draft process?

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 John on Twitter @john9williams.

Report Card: Offensive fireworks help gloss over Sooners’ defensive woes

Offense dominates the day and passes final Big 12 test en route to a 69-45 win over TCU. We graded the team’s performance in this week’s report card.

Oklahoma has rebounded from the nightmarish season from 2022. They’ll spend the rest of Thanksgiving weekend at 10-2, a sharp contrast from the 6-6 record they amassed before their bowl game last year.

Friday saw the Sooners end their final regular season as Big 12 members in true Big 12 fashion with an old-fashioned shootout. The two teams combined for over 1,000 yards of total offense and 114 points in a 69-45 Oklahoma win.

Senior Day festivities preceded the game, with more than 20 Sooners recognized. Oklahoma’s win also solidified their 59th undefeated home record as well.

As Oklahoma waits to see how the rest of the Big 12 race plays out, we’re here to grade their performance in the win over TCU. Here’s the final report card for the regular season.

‘Just living in the moment’: Sooners LB Kobie McKinzie relishing his opportunities

Kobie McKinzie has come on as of late for the Sooners and is relishing his role.

The linebacker position for the Oklahoma Sooners is one of the deepest and strongest positions on the team. The group is led by [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] but is filled with young promising players.

For most of the season, Stutsman has been joined by [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] as a starter. However, lately, [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] has taken over that role. Then came Saturday, and it wasn’t Kanak or Lewis but instead [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag] who took the most snaps opposite of Stutsman.

McKinzie had a ton of promise as a high-level recruit coming into last season. He’s been slowly progressing and now has worked his way into the rotation. He first got a lot of game action vs. the [autotag]Oklahoma State Cowboys[/autotag] when Stutsman was out and finished the game with seven tackles, which were the second most on the team. On Saturday, he finished fifth in tackles with five.

McKinzie has 22 tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss, and three pass deflections in 2023.

He spoke to reporters about his recent playing time. “Every day, just living in the moment,” McKinzie said. “I’ve never taken my mind off of anything, and I’ve always lived in the moment. If you do that, you’ll always end up where you’re supposed to. No matter what.”

There is a real possibility all four of those linebackers will return to Norman next season, which would be one of the stronger units in college football. But McKinzie is the perfect example of a player who puts the work in and ultimately reaps the rewards.

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.

Stock Report: Offense finding second win as season heads into final stretch

Taking a look at who is trending up and down for the Sooners after they beat the West Virginia Mountaineers 59-20.

Oklahoma’s domination of West Virginia was a welcome sight on the heels of two frustrating losses to Kansas and Oklahoma State. The losses put a trip to Arlington in doubt for the Big 12 title game.

After back-to-back losses, the Sooners had to dust themselves off, get back up, and fight. They did just that on Saturday.

They came out swinging and never looked back.

The offense looked as cohesive and explosive as it has all year and the defense put a stranglehold on a physical West Virginia rushing attack. From a coaching perspective, Venables looked comfortable, and his coordinators, in particular Jeff Lebby, were in sync the entire game.

As Oklahoma prepares for a trip to Provo, Utah, to take on BYU in its final regular season road trip of 2023, we look at how the team is trending heading into the game in the week’s stock report.

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.

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 John on Twitter @john9williams.

Report Card: Offense’s dysfunction dooms Sooners chance to end Bedlam on top

Grading the Oklahoma Sooners by position group in their loss to Oklahoma State.

If Saturday was the last time Bedlam is played, the Oklahoma Sooners will always regret how things went in their final game against their in-state rivals. The Sooners will walk away from this game knowing they have dominated this series. There’s no debating that the Sooners have owned the Cowboys. But on Saturday, Oklahoma had the chance to put one final bow on this lopsided series, and they didn’t get it done.

Oklahoma State came out swinging, and the Sooners responded. But the most common theme was Oklahoma’s offense stalling on four different possessions once they got to the Oklahoma State side of the field. Most notably on the Sooners’ final drive of the game.

Defensively, Oklahoma played well enough to win. After getting bullied early, the defense found its footing and locked in the remainder of the contest.

In the end, the dysfunction and mistakes on offense put Oklahoma in a near-impossible spot. When it mattered most, they couldn’t rectify their own mistakes.

Oklahoma will move on and turn their attention to West Virginia. Before that, it’s time to pass out grades for Oklahoma’s performance against Mike Gundy’s Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Report Card: Poor grades all around as Oklahoma loses to Kansas

Oklahoma struggles nearly across the board areas but how did each position group grade out in the loss to Kansas?

Oklahoma took their first loss of the season on Saturday, falling to the [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag] on a rainy and disgusting day in Lawrence. From the first play from scrimmage, it appeared Oklahoma would be in for a fight. And sure enough, that’s precisely what happened.

Oklahoma fell victim to another slow start on both sides of the ball. The Sooners were never able to get their passing game going. Due to the weather conditions, they relied heavily on their offensive line and running backs to generate offense.

The sooners will try and figure things out as they get set to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in what will be the last Bedlam for quite some time.

OU played a rough game on all fronts. Some things were encouraging, but a lot of the performance put forth was not good enough. We broke it down by position group below.

Sooners linebacker Jaren Kanak ready for Kansas homecoming

Making the most of his first season as a starter at Oklahoma, Jaren Kanak ready for opportunity to play in his home state.

It’s been well-documented about the several homecomings this weekend for the Oklahoma Sooners as they travel to face the [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag]. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] is the most notable one of the group returning to his home state.

[autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] started his career playing for the Jayhawks but someone else returning home is linebacker [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag]. Kanak played his high school ball in Hays, Kansas.

He’s been really solid in his first year starting for Oklahoma. He’s second on the team with 40 tackles. He also has 4.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.

Kanak didn’t play linebacker in high school. and he continues to get better by the week.

He spoke with reporters about his return home this weekend. “I’m definitely excited to be back in the home state and get a lot of my family and close friends to be able to come to a game and see me play at this level in person,” Kanak said.

Kanak admitted he doesn’t remember the exact number, but he expects around 20 to 30 of his family and friends to be in attendance. With the Sooners not playing the [autotag]Kansas State Wildcats[/autotag] this season and the Sooners headed to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], this will possibly be Kanak’s only trip to his home state in his collegiate career.

Here’s betting he makes the most of his opportunity to play in front of his home crowd.

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.