Tag: Kip Lewis

‘Unfinished Business’: DaShaun White returning to the Oklahoma Sooners for the 2022 season

After losing 6 defensive starters, the Oklahoma Sooners got some good news with DaShaun White’s decision to return for the 2922 season.

The Oklahoma Sooners have seen a ton of turnover this off-season, particularly on the defensive side of the ball where they’ve lost six starters (5 to the NFL, 1 grad transfer). At the same time, the Sooners are bringing in an entirely new defensive staff.

With Brian Asamoah one of the NFL draft declarations, the Sooners lost a veteran leader and one of their more important second level defenders. The Oklahoma Sooners have options to replace him, but thankfully they won’t have to replace both of their starting linebackers heading into 2022.

DaShaun White announced via social media that he’s got “unfinished business” and will be with the Sooners for the 2022 season.

White returns to the Sooners after a nice 2021 season. He set career highs in tackles with 60 after playing in 12 games for Oklahoma. Over four seasons, he’s played in 41 games (five his freshman season). With 4.5 tackles he was half a tackle shy of his 2020 total, which is a career high for White.

DaShaun White returns to a linebacker room that is as deep as any position on the Oklahoma Sooners heading into 2022. David Ugwoegbu, Shane Whittier, and Danny Stutsman figure to lead the way for the Sooners linebacker corps that will be joined by 2022 freshmen Kobie McKinzie, Jaren Kanak, and Kip Lewis.

As a fifth-year senior White will be the unquestioned leader on the defense, taking over for Caleb Kelly who graduated and is entering life after football.

With the departure of Asamoah to the NFL, having DaShaun White return is huge for continuity as the Sooners welcome new faces into the locker room and on the coaching staff.

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Oklahoma Sooners land commitment from Appalachian State linebacker T.D. Roof via the transfer portal

The Oklahoma Sooners land a commitment from Appalachian State linebacker T.D. Roof, the son of co-defensive coordinator Ted Roof.

As the days continue to roll on, so does the transfer portal for the Oklahoma Sooners. In a move that only solidifies a stout linebacker room, linebacker T.D. Roof of Appalachian State announced via his Twitter account that he’s committed to the Sooners.

If the last name made you raise an eyebrow, it’s probably because Roof is the son of the Sooners’ new defensive coordinator Ted Roof. T.D will join the Sooners as a grad transfer, who began his career at Georgia Tech, playing eight games and recording 17 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and two sacks in 2017. In 2018, eight games for the Indiana Hoosiers, recording 39 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and one sack. He sat out the 2019 season because he again transferred, this time to Appalachian State. In two seasons with Appalachian State, he totaled 86 total tackles, including 67 in 2021 for the Sun Belt champs. Last year he also recorded 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions, and one forced fumble.

Defense & Fumbles Table
Tack Tack Tack Tack Tack Def Def Def Def Fumb
Year School Conf G Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk Int Yds Avg PD FF
2017 Georgia Tech ACC 8 15 2 17 2.0 2.0 0 0 0 0
2018 Indiana Big Ten 8 30 9 39 4.0 1.0 0 0 0 0
*2020 Appalachian State Sun Belt 8 8 11 19 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0
*2021 Appalachian State Sun Belt 13 41 26 67 10.0 3.0 2 100 50.0 1 1
Career Overall 94 48 142 16.0 6.0 2 100 50.0 1 1
Georgia Tech 15 2 17 2.0 2.0 0 0 0 0
Indiana 30 9 39 4.0 1.0 0 0 0 0
Appalachian State 49 37 86 10.0 3.0 2 100 50.0 1 1
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 1/7/2022.

He’s not an overly big linebacker but he has a lot of experience and has played in 45 career games.

Oklahoma marks the third different school where this father-son pairing will reunite as both were at Georgia Tech at the same time followed by their time spent with the Mountaineers in Boone, NC. Now they’ll continue to their time together as they join the Oklahoma Sooners with father Ted taking over the defensive coordinator job.

The Sooners have some intriguing names at the top of the depth chart with Danny Stutsman, David Ugwoegbu, DaShaun White, and Shane Whitter heading into 2022. This year’s recruiting class adds Kip Lewis, Kobie McKinzie, and Jaren Kanak providing a ton of young talent to a group that lost Brian Asamoah to the NFL draft. T.D. Roof brings experience and a veteran presence that should help provide leadership to a younger linebacker crew. As the coach’s son, he’ll be an asset bringing the rest of the linebacker room up to speed and will provide a playmaking ability when inserted into the lineup and on special teams.

Depth, production, and a veteran presence are never a bad thing to have in a locker room and T.D. Roof brings all three for the Sooners.

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2022 4-star Athlete Jaren Kanak officially decommits from Clemson

Four-star linebacker Jaren Kanak officially decommitted from Clemson. The Hays, Kan., product is headed to Oklahoma.

Four-star linebacker Jaren Kanak officially announced his decommitment from Clemson. The Hays, Kan., product is reportedly already enrolled at Oklahoma.

“First and foremost, I want to thank God for the abundance of opportunities I have been blessed with. I want to thank coach Swinney, and the entire Clemson staff for everything they have done for me, all the love they have shown, and the energy they invested into me and my family. After very extensive thoughts, prayers, and discussions with loved ones, I have decided to decommit from Clemson University. I have faith in God’s plan for me and with his guidance, I am excited to see what the future holds,” Kanak wrote in his announcement.

On3 ranks Kanak as the nation’s No. 75 player and the fifth-best linebacker prospect in the country. The 6-foot-2, 215 pound linebacker ranks as the No. 191 player in the On3 consensus rankings and the No. 252 player in the 247Sports composite player rankings.

According to 247Sports’ own player rankings, Kanak is listed a little higher as the nation’s No. 121 player and the nation’s sixth-best athlete.

On3 Director of Scouting Charles Power described what kind of player OU appears to be adding to its 2022 recruiting class.

One of the fastest players in the 2022 cycle, regardless of position. Has posted some scintillating track times, including a best of 10.37 seconds in the 100 meters. Plays quarterback for his high school but projects as a box defender and likely linebacker long term. Physically developed with a muscled-up build. Shows a very strong burst as a runner, getting to top speed quickly. Breaks off long runs with regularity and plays at a different speed than the competition. Also shows some considerable power and contact balance as a runner. Had a play where he ran over multiple defenders in the playoffs as a senior that went viral. Will need to adjust to defense and hone his coverage skills. May take a year or two to make the transition to defense but has high physical upside. Does not face strong competition in Kansas. – Power, On3

Kanak would join an Oklahoma recruiting class that already includes a pair of four-star linebacker signees in Kobie McKinzie (Lubbock, Texas) and Kip Lewis (Carthage, Texas).

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Clemson insider puts in Crystal ball for four-star Tigers commit to land at Oklahoma

Four-Star athlete Jaren Kanak is predicted to land in Oklahoma according to a crystal ball prediction by Clemson insider.

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While the early signing period may be coming to a close soon, the Oklahoma Sooners are far from done. We chronicled some names that remain as possible targets for Oklahoma as they now focus their recruiting efforts on the official national signing day in February.

One of those names is Jaren Kanak, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound athlete out of Hays, Kansas. Since the summer, Kanak is rated as a four-star player with 247Sports and has been a Clemson commit. He committed to Clemson when Venables was there and planned to play linebacker. A lot of things have changed since the summer, with Venables making the move to Oklahoma.

The speculation that Kanak would follow Venables to Oklahoma has ramped up since Venables’ official introduction as the Sooners head coach. The first crystal ball projecting Kanak’s flip to the Sooners came in a day later and the rest has been hushed whispers of not why or how but when would Kanak take the leap.

Venables loosely mentioned in a press conference after the Sooners signed all but two of their commits that there were still some signees to come.

To add even more fuel to the fire, Anna Hickey of Clemson Insider put in a crystal ball of 7/10 confidence in Kanak to Oklahoma. That brings six total predictions that he will flip from Clemson to Oklahoma.

Oklahoma seems to be trending in the right direction for a talented kid with a very high ceiling and an athletic profile to match.

Given Venables’ track record of linebackers and molding them into sideline to sideline playmaking machines, adding a guy like Kanak to a room already filled with David Ugwoegbu, Danny Stutsman, DaShaun White, Shane Whitter, and soon to be Kip Lewis, and Kobie McKinzie could turn Oklahoma’s linebacker unit to one of the best position groups on the entire team.

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Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables’ comments on the Sooners’ 2022 signing class

Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables met with the media and commented on what the Sooners are adding in their 2022 signing class.

For a coach, each signing class is different and each is special. Oklahoma’s 2022 signing class will be a memorable one for Brent Venables because it’s his first signing class as a head coach.

Venables addressed the media and discussed what he and the Sooners have added in its “#ChampU22” signing class.

“It’s good to be off the road, finally take a deep breath. We’ve covered a lot of miles here over the last seven days in the recruiting trail. Really exciting about the 13 guys that we announced today that signed. We are waiting on a few other young men to announce here in the next 24 hours or so. I feel terrific about the group of young people that we’re bringing in and their families. I think that they represent the values that we also value,” Venables said.

OU signed players from six states with its class of 13. The class is currently comprised of seven offensive players and six defensive players. All 13 are high school players that are joining the program, so there aren’t any transfer additions yet.

Oklahoma signed offensive linemen Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor, wide receivers Nicholas Anderson and Jayden Gibson, running back Gavin Sawchuk, tight end Jason Llewellyn and quarterback Nick Evers on offense.

Defensively, the Sooners signed defensive linemen Cedric Roberts and Alton Tarber, linebackers Kip Lewis and Kobie McKinzie and defensive backs Robert Spears-Jennings and Jayden Rowe.

“Just a group that again covers every level at every position outside of a specialty position. We’ve had three new additional commitments since we started the week initially recruiting. Just feel terrific about again as much as anything else the type of people that they are. They fit our philosophy and our locker room. The things that we value, they value as well,” Venables said.

Venables didn’t comment on all of the 13 signees specifically, but here’s a look at the comments he made about the four that he did address individually.

Kobie McKinzie, linebacker

Kobie McKinzie is rated as the nation’s No. 13 linebacker and 144th player overall in the 247Sports composite rankings. The four-star out of Lubbock-Cooper High School flipped back to the Sooners recently.

“First of all, Kobie’s just an incredibly bright young guy. Got a lot of life to him, huge personality. He’s a relationship-driven young guy, got a wonderful family, just a terrific story,” Venables said of McKinzie.

Venables indicated that McKinzie will be one of the founding blocks for his defense.

“Just really thankful for him. If you’re going to build a great defense, it starts up the middle, you know, inside, up front and at middle backer and with your safeties. You’ve got to be really strong up that middle. His presence, his size, his strength, his power, his physicality gives us a chance for exactly that,” Venables said.

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Oklahoma Sooners 2022 Recruiting Class Commitment Tracker

As early signing day approaches, where does the Oklahoma Sooners 2022 recruiting class stand?

It’s been a wild couple of weeks for the Oklahoma Sooners on the recruiting trail. What once had the makings of a top-five recruiting class dipped down to 27 a week ago in the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings. Now, on the eve of the early signing period, the Oklahoma Sooners have climbed back into the top 10 and could climb higher over the next couple of months with National Signing Day a couple of months away.

The Sooners have seen their fair share of de-commitments along the way, as one would expect with a coaching change. But that hasn’t stopped Brent Venables and his staff from making a statement in the 2022 recruiting cycle. The Sooners have had several players affirm their commitments over social media.

With early signing day set to kick off, here’s a list of the current commitments according to 247Sports. We’ll update the tracker as it evolves, but here’s Oklahoma’s 2022 recruiting class thus far.

Four-star linebacker Kip Lewis takes self-guided tour at Texas

Kip Lewis took a self-guided tour on Saturday. Since the NCAA has not allowed official visits, recruits must visit campuses on their own.

One of the fastest rising linebackers in the state of Texas is four-star prospect Kip Lewis. Programs such as LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and USC have offered the Carthage prospect since the New Year. He’s listed as an outside linebacker on 247Sports and could also project as an inside linebacker.

After Lewis’s 2020 season, it’s easy to see why the top schools in the country want him. He finished with 140 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, four sacks, two fumble recoveries, one pass breakup, a forced fumble, and an interception. Wherever the ball was, Lewis showed up shortly after.

Lewis took a self-guided tour in Austin on Saturday. Since the NCAA is still not allowing official visits, players must choose to visit campuses on their own. According to Justin Wells of Inside Texas, he will head to College Station next.

Lewis recently tweeted out how his recruitment was open and he was considering all options. You can see his full statement below:

Blessed to receive my first colliegete offer after the State game (Dec. 2020) my life has been a lot a series of conversations every since. I’m deeply grateful for it all. It’s a great feeling to be able to have the opportunity to attend college and play one of my greatest loves (football). Currently, I do not have a top 5 or a top 10 at this time. We are open to consider all options. Due to covid I haven’t been able to visit any college campus in person. @MakhaiLewis4 We would like the opportunity to see the campus and meet the staff in person before narrowing our options. Thank you, Kip Lewis

On the 247Sports composite, Lewis is the No. 46 player in the state of Texas. Nationally, he ranks as No. 340 in the country and the No. 25 outside linebacker. With another monster season, he will certainly once again rise in the rankings.

Texas Football Recruiting: Carthage’s three-star OLB Kip Lewis receives offer

The Longhorns sent an offer to three-star outside linebacker Kip Lewis out of Carthage, Texas.

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Texas recently offered three-star outside linebacker Kip Lewis.

The Longhorns are just the latest team to offer the exploding defender. The Carthage, Texas, native has received offers from some of the biggest programs in the country since his 4A-DII state championship with Carthage. Oklahoma offered the outside linebacker on Wednesday, while LSU and Texas A&M extended offers on Thursday.

The junior had a breakout season where he recorded 140 tackles and 17.0 of those were for a loss. He added on four sacks, one pass breakup, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and one interception. Lewis is rightfully getting the recognition that he deserves.

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 3 – 81 42
Rivals – – – –
ESPN – – – –
247 Composite – – – –

Vitals

Hometown Carthage, Texas
Projected Position Outside linebacker
Height 6-2
Weight 200

Recruitment

  • Offered on Jan. 21, 2021
  • No visit yet

Offers

  • Arkansas
  • Houston
  • LSU
  • Oklahoma
  • Oklahoma State
  • Texas
  • TCU
  • Texas A&M
  • Texas Tech
  • USC

Crystal Ball

No crystal ball at the time of posting

Film

Twitter