Tag: Jaren Kanak

Trio of freshmen to watch when Oklahoma takes on Kent State

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on Kent State, here are a few freshmen we’re looking to take another step in their development.

Before their first game of the season, the Oklahoma Sooners released their week one depth chart of the UTEP Miners game. Fifteen true freshmen cracked the depth chart, and while not all played in the game, several freshmen made an impact on the game.

This week the Sooners take on the Kent State Golden Flashes, and much like last week, they’ll call on several freshmen to provide significant snaps. Nonconference games where Oklahoma is heavily favored allows the Sooners to see their true freshmen in competitive environments. It allows them to evaluate the depth of their roster.

There are several freshmen who got playing time last week that we’re excited to see take another step in week two.

Uo Next: Defender making a sudden impact

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5 observations from the Oklahoma Sooners first official depth chart

Observations from the first official depth chart released by Oklahoma as the Sooners prepare for their week one matchup with UTEP.

Folks, we have arrived at the first game week of the season for the Oklahoma Sooners. The wait is nearly over and we are merely days away from meaningful football being played in Norman, Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been at it since the winter months getting in shape, lifting in the weight room before transitioning to spring ball, which culminated in one of the best spring game atmospheres the sport has ever seen.

All of that has led us to this week, which is the first game week for Brent Venables as head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners.

Venables will don the headset and will see his first team as the head coach take the field against a UTEP team that lost its first game against North Texas 31-13 during week zero.

While UTEP has game tape already out there for the Sooners to watch, the Miners will only be able to piece together information from watching last year and game plan based on the Sooners’ depth chart, which was released Monday morning.

We took a look at the depth chart and offered five observations below.

Jaren Kanak included on ESPN’s true freshman All-American team

Ahead of his first season with the Oklahoma Sooners, Linebacker Jaren Kanak was named to ESPN’s true freshmen All-American team.

The arrival of [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] brought a new culture and defensive identity to the Oklahoma Sooners. The other thing it brought was the arrival of four-star athlete [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag].

Kanak, who was committed to the Clemson Tigers, was encouraged to stay committed to Venables’ former team, but the Hays, Kansas, native wanted to play for Venables. He even went the [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] route of enrolling at the University of Oklahoma without the promise of a scholarship.

Kanak was a priority target for Venables when he was still at Clemson, creating significant excitement for what he might bring to the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Sooners have solid depth at the top of the chart in [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag], [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag] and [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag]. However, the linebacker room took a hit with the season-ending injury to transfer [autotag]T.D. Roof[/autotag]. That creates a situation where Kanak could work his way onto the field sooner rather than later.

The Sooners already have a strong linebacking corps, but Kanak is going to be a great player. Whether it’s special teams or in a hybrid safety/linebacker role (like Isaiah Simmons at Clemson under Venables), Kanak is too good a football player to keep out of the lineup. – Luginbill, ESPN

Kanak has the athleticism to be a difference-maker early in his Oklahoma career. Kanak has track speed that will allow him to contribute on special teams early, but he could also be a player the Sooners’ defensive staff deploy in certain matchups.

According to reports, Kanak was one of the guys that stood out during the strength and conditioning program.

We’ll more than likely see a lot of Kanak in the first couple of games against UTEP and Kent State. If he can get on the field early in those contests or find meaningful snaps against Nebraska in Week 3, we’ll get a better indication of what his role might be with the Oklahoma Sooners defense in Year 1.

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Oklahoma projected to have the best Linebacker unit in the Big 12 in 2022 by Bleacher Report

Led by DaShaun White, Oklahoma’s linebacker corp was picked to be the best in the Big 12 in 2022 by Bleacher Report.

Much is going to look different for an Oklahoma Sooners defense that was supposed to be the best unit they’d deploy under former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch.

A lot of the defensive front that helped produce sacks and tackles for loss is gone to the NFL, and so is [autotag]Brian Asamoah[/autotag], the linebacker that led the Sooners in tackles in 2021. While they’ve experienced a bunch of turnover, one spot where they have good experienced depth is at linebacker with the return of [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag], [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], and [autotag]Shane Whitter[/autotag]. That was already a solid unit with the chance to be Oklahoma’s best defensive group, and then they added [autotag]T.D. Roof[/autotag] in the transfer portal and a good young trio of linebackers in the 2022 recruiting class with [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], and [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag].

But even with the talent and the depth that the Sooners have at linebacker, potentially the most important addition to the linebacker group was head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag].

Venables’ experience at the position, tenacity, and drive will bring out the best versions of the returning Oklahoma Sooners. With Venables and the experience returning at the position, the Oklahoma Sooners were picked by David Kenyon of Bleacher Report to be the best linebacker unit in the Big 12 for the 2022 season.

Most importantly, Oklahoma has the players. DaShaun White notched 61 tackles last season, while David Ugwoegbu made 48 stops. Danny Stutsman added 38 in his injury-shortened year, and Shane Whitter contributed 27 more as a rotational player. For good measure, Appalachian State transfer T.D. Roof brings four seasons of experience and recorded 68 tackles last year. Similar to Cincinnati, the head coach is another positive. Brent Venables played linebacker in college and has coached the position for nearly three decades, building a reputation for strong development that figures to continue in Norman. – Kenyon, Bleacher Report

Much of the optimism surrounding the Oklahoma Sooners on defense stems from the addition of Brent Venables and what he’s been able to accomplish as a defensive coordinator for more than two decades. Venables was a part of three national championship-winning teams and played for several more because of the defensive prowess he brought to the field.

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5 freshmen we can’t wait to see in the Oklahoma Sooners Spring Game

5 freshman we’re looking forward to watching in the Oklahoma Sooners’ spring on Saturday.

When discussing Oklahoma’s spring game it’s very easy to focus on the more established players or those that have proven themselves in the collegiate ranks. However, the youngsters of the bunch, the freshmen, and the redshirt freshmen deserve some love as every team isn’t complete without its share of young studs that will eventually become the future stars and leaders of the team.

For Oklahoma, there are quite a few players that fit into this criteria especially considering how many players exited the Oklahoma program via the portal, headed to the NFL, or graduated from college.

For many freshmen, this may be the only time we get to see them on the field in 2022. For others, this might act as the springboard to a breakout freshman campaign.

We’ve amassed a list of five players with a freshman designation that we are looking forward to seeing participate in the Oklahoma spring game.

Jaren Kanak and Kani Walker were both featured when we looked at 5 Defensive players to watch in the Spring game, so we chose to highlight a couple other players we’re intrigued by.

5 Sooners to watch on defense in the Oklahoma spring game

A look at five defensive players to watch as the Oklahoma Sooners gear up for their Spring game.

There’s something to be said about how exciting this particular spring game will be for Oklahoma Sooners’ fans far and wide. A new head coach ushers in a new era with a new defensive staff and a fresh, proven mind at offensive coordinator. A new vision will be on display while the Sooners have an abundance of position battles that need to be sorted out.

For now, we’ll focus on the defensive side of things where there’s been significantly more turnover and also the heaviest influx of new faces that will debut in Crimson and Cream for the first time this weekend.

Brent Venables’ wizardry as a defensive coordinator is widely known. It’s no stretch to say he’s probably been year in and year out the best defensive coordinator in college football for the last decade. He returns to the school that really catapulted his career in Oklahoma as the head coach but you can rest assured he brought his elite defensive coaching with him. He retooled the defensive staff entirely and led the charge into the transfer portal as the Sooners went shopping for defensive bodies to fit Venables’ scheme for the immediate future and the years to come.

With that said, here are five players to watch for as we see a glimpse at what Brent Venables and defensive coordinator Ted Roof have in store for Big 12 offenses this fall.

Freshman Jaren Kanak one of 247Sports’ freshmen to watch this spring

247Sports lists Jaren Kanak as a freshman to watch in the Oklahoma Sooners 2022 spring game.

There are still about three weeks separating the Oklahoma Sooners from taking the field for their first spring game under [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] but that hasn’t slowed the hype train.

There are a slew of new players that will make their Oklahoma debut in April’s spring game and 247Sports’ Sam Marsdale has their eye on a particular freshman on Oklahoma’s defense; linebacker [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag].

Kanak was committed to Clemson but followed Brent Venables to Norman after he accepted the head coaching job with the Sooners. Track guy who has run as fast as 10.37 at over 200 pounds,” Trieu wrote in his evaluation of Kanak. “Multi-positional player in high school but future projection is most likely outside linebacker. An explosive player who has good burst, acceleration, and obvious speed to pursue on defense. Ball skills he shows on offense should translate to defense where he should be a strong coverage backer if that is indeed where he ends up playing. Times his blitzes well, and when combined with his quickness, that allows him to penetrate and make plays in the backfield.- Sam Marsdale, 247Sports

Kanak’s journey to Oklahoma was a bit of a crazy one. However, the bond he forged early on in his recruitment with Venables won out. Kanak joins one of Oklahoma’s most talented position groups at linebacker. [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag], [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag], [autotag]Shane Whitter[/autotag], and four-star freshman [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag] all are competing for time at Oklahoma’s second level.

Kanak stands out as he may be the most athletic of them all and he’s only 18 years old. He will most likely see snaps in the spring game and it will be intriguing to see how he looks with those reps. How he diagnoses a play, reacts, what angles he takes, and how well he’s able to shed blocks are what to watch for as he tries to make a case for meaningful playing time in the fall.

While Kanak is the name that got highlighted, there are two other freshmen we look forward to watching on April 23; [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Evers[/autotag]. Even though neither is projected to be a starter, both will play critical roles as depth should the upperclassmen and players in front of them go down with an injury. In essence, both players could be one play away.

Barnes, a four-star running back out of Las Vegas, figures to see plenty of snaps as the Sooners won’t run [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag] and [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] too much considering they are their two top backs. Barnes will get the opportunity to run the ball and show what he can bring to the running game. He’s a few steps ahead of his fellow 2022 signee in [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag]. Sawchuk won’t be joining the program until the summertime. Barnes can separate himself and earn the RB3 role with a great performance in the spring game.

Evers has an even more important role as he could potentially be the Sooners’ backup quarterback. He is a true freshman of course but with the Sooners not having another battle-tested scholarship quarterback on the roster that backup responsibility falls firmly on the shoulders of Evers.

The former four-star QB out of Texas is a talented dual-threat player that has already taken advantage of Oklahoma’s strength and conditioning program. Acclimating himself to the speed of collegiate defenses and reading defenses will be his biggest hurdle but he’ll get plenty of reps this spring and in the spring game to showcase how far he has come under Jeff Lebby’s tutelage. The Sooners hope he shows enough that they can trust him if need be to come in for starter Dillon Gabriel should Gabriel miss snaps at all this season.

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2022 Spring Preview: How does Oklahoma stack up at linebacker?

First-year head coach Brent Venables has a talented group of linebackers to begin his tenure in Norman. Here’s a look at the group entering the spring.

First-year head coach Brent Venables has a history of delivering aggressive defense. It’s why his defenses have led the nation in tackles for loss (1,159) and sacks (448) since 2012. One group that should benefit from that aggression are the Sooners’ linebackers.

As spring practices get underway on March 22, what do Venables, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ted Roof and Oklahoma have at linebacker?

CBS tabs Brent Venables’ return to Oklahoma as one of the top spring storylines

CBS Sports reporter Dennis Dodd writes that Brent Venables taking over at Oklahoma is one of college football’s top spring storylines.

For a long time, the prevailing thought was that Brent Venables was too happy as Clemson’s defensive coordinator to accept any head coaching position. Why take on the stress of being a head coach when Venables’ compensation at $2.5 million was tops among assistant coaches?

Plus, Clemson won a pair of national championships under Venables’ watch and the Tigers’ defenses under Venables boasted the most sacks and tackles for loss nationally with 448 and 1,159, respectively. It would have to be the perfect opportunity to pry Venables away from all of that at Clemson.

Ultimately, that’s precisely what Oklahoma wound up being for Venables. Now, CBS Sports reporter Dennis Dodd writes that Venables’ return to Oklahoma is one of the top spring storylines as the gear up for the 2022 college football season gets underway.

Oklahoma looked in disarray after Riley bolted for USC. Who would the Sooners get of substance who was available? It ended up being Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who had previously been unavailable to basically everyone. After turning down interest from several schools over the years, Venables came “home”. The former Sooners defensive coordinator under Bob Stoops inherits a football factory in full flower. Watch the defense this spring; Oklahoma will play it better than it has in years. Take a long look. Venables is the face of the franchise as it transitions into the SEC. – Dodd, CBS Sports.

That’s certainly the expectation and buzz around Norman with Venables taking over. Folks anticipate a different defense moving forward into 2022 and beyond.

One of the big pieces of news heading into the offseason was the return of senior linebacker DaShaun White who racked up 66 tackles and five tackles for loss. The North Richland Hills, Texas, native’s 66 tackles were good for third best on the Sooners last season. White will be joined in a talented linebacker group by returnees Danny Stutsman, David Ugwoegbu, Brynden Walker, Joseph Wete and Shane Whitter. OU also added Appalachian State transfer T.D. Roof to go along with linebacker signees Jaren Kanak, Kip Lewis and Kobie McKinzie.

Oklahoma also brings back defensive tackle Jalen Redmond who appears prepared to blossom into this defense’s star up front. Over the course of his career, Redmond has collected 21.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. The Sooners fortified themselves up front with the additions of Tulane transfer Jeffery Johnson and Hawaii transfer Jonah Laulu.

Plus, Isaiah Coe, Josh Ellison, Jordan Kelley and Kori Roberson return inside. There’s plenty of optimism at OU about the futures of Ethan Downs, Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge, Clayton Smith and Marcus Stripling, too.

In the secondary, the Sooners return their two starting cornerbacks in D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington. Key Lawrence played both corner and safety last season. It’s likely that Lawrence will start alongside Justin Broiles at OU’s two safety spots entering 2022. OU added competition on the back end via the transfer portal, though. Wyoming transfer C.J. Coldon, North Carolina transfer Trey Morrison and Louisville transfer Kani Walker will make things interesting for Oklahoma safeties and cornerbacks coaches Brandon Hall and Jay Valai during the spring and summer.

While it’s certainly a grand transition at Oklahoma, there’s plenty of reason to believe that Venables already possesses a roster capable of turning the corner defensively as soon as 2022. At Oklahoma, fans understandably don’t like to wait very long, so the Sooners’ expectations should be to redeem themselves by winning the 2022 Big 12 Championship and be back in the mix for a College Football Playoff berth.

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Oklahoma Sooners make top six schools for 2023 five-star linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.

2023 Five-star linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. announced that the Oklahoma Sooners are one of his top-six schools.

Oklahoma just inked a great linebacker class in 2022 with Jaren Kanak, Kip Lewis, and Kobie McKinzie. Now, the Sooners made the cut for five-star 2023 linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.’s top-six schools.

In Hill’s top-six schools, Oklahoma is joined by Alabama, Miami, Texas, Texas A&M, and USC.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker out of Ryan High School in Denton, Texas, is a consensus five-star recruit. ESPN ranks Hill as the No. 5 player overall in the 2023 class, the No. 1 outside linebacker, and the top player from the state of Texas.

Denton Ryan is the same high school that current Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Billy Bowman is from.

Rivals lists Hill as the No. 11 player nationally, the No. 1 inside linebacker and the No. 3 player from Texas. 247Sports rates Hill as the No. 34 prospect in the 2023 class, the No. 1 linebacker and the fourth-best player from Texas. On3 ranks Hill as the No. 55 player nationally, the No. 2 linebacker and the seventh-highest rated prospect from Texas.

In the 247Sports composite rankings, Hill is the No. 9 player nationally, the No. 1 linebacker and the No. 2 recruit from Texas. Meanwhile, in the On3 composite rankings, Hill ranks as the No. 13 player overall, the No. 1 linebacker and the No. 2 prospect from Texas.

Hill was recently in Norman for the Sooners’ junior day back on Jan. 22. He followed up that visit by heading to Texas A&M for the Aggies’ junior day on Jan. 29.

Anthony Hill Jr.’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
ESPN 5 5 1 1
Rivals 5 11 3 1
247Sports 5 34 4 1
247 Composite 5 9 2 1
On3 Recruiting 5 55 7 2
On3 Composite 5 13 2 1

Vitals

Hometown Denton, Texas
Projected Position LB
Height 6-2
Weight 225

Recruitment

  • Offered on March 1, 2020
  • visited on Jan. 22

Top 6

  • Oklahoma
  • Alabama
  • Miami
  • Texas
  • Texas A&M
  • USC

Film

Here’s what Hill’s Hudl tape looks like.

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