Tag: jonah laulu

Breaking it down: Colts pick Oklahoma IDL Jonah Laulu with final pick

Here is a breakdown with what you need to know about interior defensive lineman Jonah Laulu, who the Colts took with their final pick.

With the 234th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Jonah Laulu, an interior defensive lineman from Oklahoma. Here is a quick breakdown of the pick.

Height: 6-5

Weight: 292

RAS: 9.62

Stats to know: Laulu played up and down the defensive line during his college career, lining up along the interior, at the defensive end, and even playing over 1,000 snaps at edge rusher. He totaled 40 pressures and four sacks at Hawaii in 2021. After transferring to Oklahoma, he totaled 39 pressures and two sacks in the last two years. Missed tackles have been an issue, and for what it’s worth, he graded out as a so-so run defender by PFF’s metrics. Laulu has also played a whopping 889 special teams snaps.

Fit with Colts: The interior defensive line is a loaded position for the Colts, but at this stage of the draft, it’s about taking a swing on the upside, which Laulu has as a very good athlete who also brings some versatility, able to move around the defensive front.

Draft profile from NFL Draft Diamonds: “Laulu is a functional athlete with imposing size, length, and play strength, who can play multiple positions across the defensive line. He will move to Defensive Tackle for the first time as a 6th-year senior; Will be an intriguing prospect to keep an eye on this season.”

20 highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners through Week 10 per Pro Football Focus

The 20 highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners through week 10 per Pro Football Focus.

Though the Oklahoma Sooners are on a two-game losing streak, they’ve already surpassed their win total from a year ago with three games to go and a bowl game.

They still have a shot at a Big 12 title game berth. And after 6-7, that’s all we can really ask for.

The offense has shown improvement on third down and in the red zone. Dillon Gabriel is having a career year. The defense has shown significant improvement this season. A year ago, they allowed 30 or more points seven times. This year that’s only happened once against Kansas. Texas scored 30, but seven of those can be attributed to special teams on the blocked punt.

Yes, they lost winnable games the last two weeks, playing uncharacteristically sloppy football. Otherwise, they’ve been a really good team this year.

As they get ready to close the season, here are the top 20 highest-graded players according to Pro Football Focus through week 10.

Minimum 25% snap count

Offense: 177.75

Defense: 167.75

Oklahoma Sooners name captains for Week 9 contest with Kansas Jayhawks

The Sooners named their captains for Week 9 vs. the Kansas Jayhawks.

The Oklahoma Sooners hit the road this week to take on the [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag] in Lawrence. The Sooners are fresh off a hard-fought win over the [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag].

On Monday, the Sooners announced who their captains would be for the conference showdown between two teams that have played 113 times.

This week’s captains are [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], [autotag]Jonah Laulu[/autotag], [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] and [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag].

Kanak, a Kansas native, is second on the team with 40 tackles. He’s also added 4.0 tackles for loss and two sacks. He’s in his first year as a starter, and each week looks to be getting better as he gets more comfortable playing the linebacker position. Something he didn’t do in high school.

Laulu has also had a really solid season since moving inside to defensive tackle. He ranks fifth on the team with 3.0 tackles for loss.

McCullough was the big offseason addition via the transfer portal. After a slow start due to an injury has come along these last few weeks. He has 20 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.

Rouse and Raym both help anchor an offensive line that ranks No. 15 in the nation in sacks allowed, with only eight this season. That time in the pocket has helped [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] and the passing offense be one of the most prolific in the sport.

The Sooners take on the Jayhawks at 11:00 a.m. as part of Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff game.

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.

15 highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners through Week 6 per Pro Football Focus

The Oklahoma Sooners are now 6-0 on the seasons after their win over Texas. Which Sooners are the highest-graded after week 6, according to Pro Football Focus.

It takes a team effort to start the season 6-0. Oklahoma is playing well on both sides of the ball through the midpoint of the season. It leads the Big 12 in scoring offense and scoring defense. Nationally, the Sooners are No. 4 in the nation in scoring offense and No. 11 in scoring defense.

They are getting fantastic play from a number of individuals on both sides of the ball. But the biggest difference with this team compared to years past is what’s happening on defense.

It can’t be overstated how much better the defense is. The unit is a big reason Oklahoma is 6-0. Eight of its 15 highest-graded players through the first six weeks of the season are on the defensive side of the ball.

Among players accounting for at least 25% of the snaps, here are the 15 highest-graded Sooners through Week 6, according to Pro Football Focus.

Minimum Offensive Snaps: 119

Minimum Defensive Snaps: 109

15 highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners through Week 5 per Pro Football Focus

Five games into the season, who are the highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners according to Pro Football Focus?

Football is a team game, but it’s made up of individual performances that enhance the whole. This season, the Sooners are playing well on both sides of the ball and have a top-five scoring offense and defense.

But what’s happening in 2023 is a change of pace from years past.

Of the Sooners’ top 15 highest-graded players, according to Pro Football Focus, nine of them are on the defensive side of the ball. Oklahoma has an elite offense but looks like they have an elite defense to match for what feels like the first time in forever.

Minimum Offensive Snaps: 99

Minimum Defensive Snaps: 89

Can the Oklahoma Sooners slow down Cincinnati’s top 10 rushing attack?

If the Oklahoma Sooners want to leave Ohio with a win, it all starts with slowing down the Cincinnati Bearcats top 10 rushing attack.

It can be easy to discount a team’s success early in the season because of the assumed weakness in their nonconference schedule.

That’s the knock against Oklahoma heading into Big 12 play. “They haven’t played anyone,” people say.

The Sooners get a true test when they take on the [autotag]Cincinnati Bearcats[/autotag] today at 11 a.m. CT. Yes, the Bearcats are coming off of a loss to Miami (OH). Cincinnati had opportunities to win but failed to convert in the red zone and had some costly turnovers in the game. But that shouldn’t diminish what the Bearcats do really well, namely run the football.

Cincy comes into their first Big 12 matchup with the No. 8 rushing attack in the country. They’re averaging 239 rushing yards per game, five yards per carry, and two rushing touchdowns per game. In their lone Power Five contest against Pitt, the Bearcats ran for 216 yards in their 27-21 win.

Emory Jones will sling it, but Cincinnati wants to run the football. In order to take the air out of the high-flying Oklahoma Sooners offense, Bearcats head coach Scott Satterfield will want to use the running game to control the game.

For the Sooners to return from Ohio with a win, they’ll need to figure out how to slow down the Bearcats rushing attack.

Oklahoma comes into the game with the No. 16 run defense, allowing just 78 yards per game. Tulsa and SMU are currently averaging 166 rushing yards per game. The Sooners held the Mustangs to 116 yards and 3.54 yards per carry and the Golden Hurricane to just 71 yards rushing and 1.54 yards per carry.

The Sooners look like a team intent on stopping the run this season, and they’ve been very effective at it.

This offseason, they made a concerted effort to bulk up their defensive line in the weight room and in the transfer portal. After not having a defensive tackle over 300 pounds a year ago they have three players over that mark in 2023 in [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag], and [autotag]Phillip Paea[/autotag]. [autotag]Jordan Kelly[/autotag] and [autotag]Jonah Laulu[/autotag] come in over 290 pounds. The Sooners have a healthy rotation of players with good size to help the OU hold up better at the point of attack this season.

The Oklahoma Sooners look like a defense trending in a fantastic direction. This game against Cincinnati will provide the Sooners a significant test for their run defense. If they can hold up and control the line of scrimmage, it will give Oklahoma a significantly better shot at winning the game.

Here are some of the best photos from Oklahoma’s last trip to Cincinnati back in 2010.

 

Sooners DT Gracen Halton taking advantage of every opportunity

A pleasant surprise for the Sooners this year as been the emergence of Gracen Halton. Someone taking advantage of his opportunities.

Much has been made about how well the defensive line has been playing, especially against the run. The Oklahoma Sooners currently rank No. 15 in the nation in run defense.

That in itself is a massive improvement from a season ago. One guy on that defensive line who isn’t getting talked about enough is [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag]. Halton has arguably played the best of any of them and constantly flashes when he’s in the game.

Halton told reporters after practice on Monday he has improved from a year ago.

“I won’t say that I’m there but I’ve got a lot of work to do but I’m way better than I was last year,” Halton said. “Technique-wise and everything else, so I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I’m definitely better than last year.”

Halton has been playing as a role player rather than a starter, but he said the starters have really helped him get to where he is today. “I’m just learning from them,” Halton said. “They’re more experienced than me so every opportunity that I get, I’m just trying to go all in. That’s what I’m trying to display and show on TV and for the people watching.”

While his stats aren’t eye-popping, he is second on the team in tackles for loss with 2.5. But it’s the plays he makes consistently that don’t show up on the stat sheet like beating his guy and forcing the runner to cut back right into another tackler.

Stuff like that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but it’s stuff that will show up on film. Which will ultimately lead to more playing time for the one they call “G Baby.”

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.

Report Card: Saturday against Tulsa was about passing final nonconference test with flying colors

Oklahoma dominated Tulsa from beginning to end. Take a look as we go position by position and hand out grades for the performance.

Saturday’s dismantling of Tulsa was a much-needed conclusion for the Sooners to their nonconference schedule. The Sooners needed to erase any doubts, bouncing back and disposing of teams handily after a grind-it-out win against SMU.

The concerns about the conservative nature of the offense against SMU were put to rest as Oklahoma slung the ball all over the field for 476 yards.

Defensively, the Sooners grounded the Tulsa passing attack, allowing less than 250 yards through the air.

It was a convincing win and a pleasant, feel-good tuneup before they turn their heads to Cincinnati. Big 12 play is upon them, but before we turn the page, let’s pass out grades for this weekend’s performances.

Report Card: Defense flies high, offense stuck in a rut in 28-11 win over SMU

In our report card for Oklahoma’s performance against SMU, the defense leads the way with the highest marks.

The offense didn’t put its best foot forward in the Sooners 28-11 win over SMU. However, the defense kept Oklahoma in control until the Sooners were able to put together a couple of late scoring drives to seal the win.

Oklahoma knows it will have to play better as the season wears on. They’ll need to improve in all three phases to be in the mix for a Big 12 title berth in November. But for this game, it was enough.

Instead of a shootout, we got a game where neither team even scratched 40 points.

Here’s how each position group graded out in the 28-11 win over SMU.

‘It feels like Christmas morning’: Todd Bates can’t wait to show off Sooners defensive line

The Sooners DL struggled last season, but Todd Bates thinks with the work they put in the offseason things will improve the defense.

Last season the defensive line struggled to stop the run or rush the passer with any consistency. It lacked what the staff calls competitive depth, especially right up the middle.

The interior defensive line is coached by [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag]. He came to the [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] with [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] from the Clemson Tigers.

While at Clemson, he developed some great defensive linemen, helping them become productive NFL linemen.

The interior defensive line should be the perfect example of how poor the last staff was at developing. It also should be an example of how they didn’t recruit well enough.

To win against the “big boys,” you need some 300-pound guys in the middle. That was something that just wasn’t there a year ago.

“Last year, just coming in, we only had one guy who weighed over 300 pounds when I got here,” Bates said. “When we pulled up to the door. Schmitty doing the work that he does with guys improved that number to three last season. Well, we’re going to camp this year with five.”

Those five guys are [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag], [autotag]Phil Paea[/autotag], [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag] and [autotag]Kevin Gilliam Jr.[/autotag] Two of which are brand new to the team. Gilliam is back healthy this season.

Even the guys who aren’t at 300 pounds have made a lot of progress as well. “[autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], he started at 267 when he arrived here, he’s up to 285 now,” Bates said. “[autotag]Jonah Laulu[/autotag] last year when he was at defensive end, he weighed 272. He’s already up to 290.”

Why is that so important?

“One of the main things that keep guys from getting movement in the middle on this earth is girth,” Bates said. “We finally got some girth.”

It’s not just that. The Sooners added competitive depth with some transfers coming in to make an immediate impact to add to the natural progression from the players who were already here. Bates can’t wait to show them off.

“We’ve gotten so many players that have gotten better and improved,” Bates said. “So many new guys as well, it feels like Christmas morning to my twins almost. You are going to unwrap some presents, and you can’t wait to show everybody what you’ve got.”

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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.