Tag: Kip Lewis

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?

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5 positions the Oklahoma Sooners don’t need to pursue in the transfer portal

The transfer portal opens on Monday Dec. 4 and while Oklahoma will address certain spots, there are several positions they don’t need to worry about.

The transfer portal is set to open on Monday Dec. 4 and the Oklahoma Sooners will be active to improve the talent on the roster.

Bryant Crews, here at Sooners Wire, highlighted several positions that should be a priority for the Sooners in portal season. However, there are a few spots that Oklahoma looks pretty good at heading into the 2024 offseason.

Brent Venables and his staff have done a great job building the talent base on both sides of the ball through both the high school and transfer portal ranks. And as the young talent on the roster continues to develop, there will be less need to attack the transfer portal for starters.

Here are five areas that look good to go for the Oklahoma Sooners as they head into the opening of the transfer portal.

‘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.

Danny Stutsman’s return revitalizes Oklahoma Sooners’ defense

Danny Stutsman returned on Saturday and the defense quickly returned to its early season form.

The [autotag]West Virginia Mountaineers[/autotag] started with the ball on Saturday against the Oklahoma Sooners. Fans waited in anticipation to see what Oklahoma team would show up.

Was it the team from the first seven games or the team from the last two? It took the Mountaineers four minutes and eight plays to go 75 yards and score a touchdown. They faced one third down on the entire drive, and it was a third and short.

Now, the anxiety grew. But the offense went right down the field to tie it up and the defense allowed 13 points and 255 yards the rest of the game. It was the team we saw earlier in the year as they routed the Mountaineers 59-20.

The defense was flying around and making plays. They only allowed 330 yards, had two interceptions, and held West Virginia to 4 of 14 on third down. A big reason for their success was getting their leader back. [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] finished with a team high eight tackles.

He spoke with the media after the game about what changed after that first drive. “Really, just stop the run,” Stutsman said. “They have such a good o-line. We knew that going into it. They do a lot of motion and stuff. You really just want to keep that quarterback contained in the pocket. He’s a really big threat when he’s running the ball, so we had to cage the quarterback.”

They did just that, holding [autotag]Garrett Greene[/autotag] to 10 carries for 24 yards and no touchdowns. He only got free one time for a gain of 15 yards, otherwise the front seven shut Greene down.

Stutsman and [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag], who finished tied for second in tackles with seven, were the two who got the start at linebacker. Jaren Kanak still played quite a bit and finished with five tackles.

The Sooners righted their wrongs for at least one week. Now, they need to keep this momentum and finish the season strong.

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 from the Sooners dominant win over West Virginia

The Oklahoma Sooners came away with a dominant win over West Virginia, so how did they grade out in this week’s Report Card?

The Oklahoma Sooners broke their two-game losing skid with a statement win over the West Virginia Mountaineers. The win kept Oklahoma in the thick of the Big 12 title race. Just keep winning.

After an opening drive touchdown by West Virginia, the Sooners took complete control of the game, outscoring the Mountaineers 31-14 in the first half.

It was an incredible bounce-back performance for the Oklahoma Sooners, who needed a win to get back on track.

Here’s a look at how the Oklahoma Sooners graded out in their 59-20 win over West Virginia.

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.

Bedlam Stock Report: Sooners 2022 signees making an impact

Taking a look at what’s trending up or down right now in Oklahoma’s program following their lost to Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma is in a tailspin. If things don’t improve quickly, they could begin to resemble the 2022 team that started fast but fell apart against some of the better teams in the Big 12.

There are still three games for the Sooners. They can go out and finish on a high note. While slim, Oklahoma still has a chance to make the Big 12 title game. They would need some help, but they’re not completely eliminated from the conference championship game.

In the interim, it’s all about improving as a team and letting the rest fall into place.

It’s time for this week’s stock report as we look at how things are trending up and down for the Oklahoma football team.[anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”dW5kZWZpbmVk”][/anyclip-media]

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.

Isaiah Coe’s message to his teammates following Saturday’s loss? ‘Just keep fighting’

Saturday’s loss was a tough one, but Isaiah Coe has a message for his teammates.

The Oklahoma Sooners fell to the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday in the final Bedlam game for the foreseeable future. It was a heartbreaking loss for the players and the fan base.

The Sooners had plenty of chances to separate themselves and come away with a win, but as we’ve seen too many times in the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ era, they were unable to win a close game. That’s beginning to be a bit of a trend for the Sooners. Mistakes that weren’t typical prior to the Red River Rivalry win have plagued Oklahoma in their last three games. It’s no coincidence they’ve gone 1-2 since the bye week.

Isaiah Coe talked about it after the game about what his message is to the team. “Just keep fighting,” Coe said. “The season is not done yet. We’ve still got a couple more games, a bowl game, you know, just keep fighting. Finish strong. Try to finish the course. Do what we came here to do. Have some pride.”

While the loss makes the conference title far more difficult, the Sooners still have a chance to show they are much improved from a season ago. We’ve seen it this year. The defense has taken major steps. Last year they were the No. 122 ranked total defense. In 2023, they’ve improved to No. 60 in the nation. That’s a major jump. They also rank 22nd in scoring defense.

It wasn’t all bad yesterday. Several young players for the Sooners got into the game due to injury and showed what the future might hold for this program. Whether it was [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] with 15 tackles or [autotag]Kobie McKenzie[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Spear-Jennings[/autotag] with seven tackles a piece, the Sooners’ young stars showed out.

While yesterday’s loss stings, the future is bright. It’s going to be a bumpy road early on, but if they stick with it and let the young guys on the team grow, all of these struggles will be worth it in the end.

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.