Tag: konnor near

’It’s like night and day’: Jaren Kanak getting more comfortable at linebacker

After showing flashes as a true freshman, Jaren Kanak is feeling more comfortable playing linebacker.

Outside of [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], there could be an entirely new front seven in 2023, per head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]. One of those positions could be occupied by Jaren Kanak who would be replacing [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag].

Kanak will be battling with [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag] and [autotag]Konnor Near[/autotag] to start in 2023. He was someone that not only was new to playing linebacker last year, but he was also new to playing defense full-time entirely.

In 2022, Kanak showed flashes of one day becoming an elite linebacker with his incredible athletic ability. This offseason he’s work to put it all together. Kanak said this offseason he’s starting to get more comfortable playing linebacker.

“It’s night and day,” Kanak said. “The linebacker room has made a commitment as much as we can to try and learn and get an in-depth knowledge of this defense. Just get out there so we can get comfortable and play fast and fully understand what’s going on around us and use that to our advantage.”

He also believes having Venables with the linebackers during drills in practice makes them want to take advantage of every rep. “Brent’s always watching us, every rep is important,” Kanak said. “We take every rep like it’s a first-team rep like it’s the last rep ever. Having that in the back of our head, even if he’s not watching, the eye in the sky is watching and the eye in the sky doesn’t lie. We all take every rep and every opportunity we get and try to take advantage of that as much as we can.”

There are still a few weeks to go before the start of the season and the battle for this position is over, but Kanak seems to be making waves. But with the addition of “competitive depth” this year, expect multiple people to get their shot during games throughout the season.

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5 storylines to follow as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to open fall camp

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to open fall camp, here are five storylines to follow ahead of the 2023 season.

You can taste it. We are so close to the start of the 2023 college football season.

Some teams that will play in Week 0 have already started fall practice. For everyone else, such as the Oklahoma Sooners, they start this week. The first event on the horizon is OU football media days on Tuesday.

The summer is filled with official visits and major recruiting events. The Sooners just concluded their summer recruiting efforts with “Sooners under the Stars” and “Party at the Palace.” They’ve put a good foot forward and have already reaped the rewards of their efforts.

But the dead period starts Tuesday, so it’s time for these teams to lock in and get ready for the season.

Oklahoma kicks off fall camp on Thursday and there are a number of storylines to look for. Whether that’s position battles or progress from players from a year ago, we’ll have you covered throughout camp here on Sooners Wire.

So, without further adieu, let’s take a look at the five storylines I’m looking for this fall camp.

‘Able to lead a defense’: Konnor Near’s addition gives Oklahoma experience and leadership

The Oklahoma Sooners needed to add linebacker depth and experience this offseason and they believe they did just that with Konnor Near.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ linebacker depth was a problem in 2022. Their starting trio of Danny Stutsman, DaShaun White and David Ugwoegbu each played more than 900 snaps a year ago.

Brent Venables talked about that depth at Big 12 media days and how it affected the team late in games and later in the season.

“We started the year pretty strong, and then we didn’t finish the year very well, particularly in, again, those fourth quarters of a bunch of games. We just didn’t have any juice left about the middle of the year on. The competitive depth will lead to better competitive stamina.”

Venables and his coaching staff weren’t shy in their pursuit of “competitive depth” this offseason. In addition to the progression of players coming back, the Sooners made sure to add some experience at linebacker as well. One of the players that will help in a big way in 2023 is Ferris State linebacker transfer Konnor Near.

Near played four seasons at Ferris State and was a big part of two national championship-winning teams at the Division II level. That experience helps provide security for a team that doesn’t have much experience beyond Stutsman.

“My fear at linebacker is that we’ve got one linebacker that’s ever started a college football game,” Venables said at Big 12 media days. “Really wanted to bring the right person, the right individual, the right player that fit our culture, our playing style. You know, that brought experience. I wasn’t just going to bring in an experienced guy. I wanted a guy that can line up and play winning football for us.

“Konnor is a guy that’s going to bring instincts, toughness, physicality. He’s gonna be able to lead a defense. He’s going to be able to communicate. He’s going to be able to perform under pressure. He knows right from wrong. He understands standards. He understands a locker room. He understands leadership. He understands tough coaching.”

There’s understandable excitement about the future at the position with Kobie McKinzie, Kip Lewis, Jaren Kanak, Samuel Omosigho, Lewis Carter and Phil Picciotti. But there’s also very little experience with that group.

So the addition of Near gives the Sooners some experience to create a solid floor for the linebacker group while their deep group of linebackers begins to get playing time as either a first-time starter or a rotation player.

The Sooners did a great job adding impact players in the transfer portal, especially on defense with Dasan McCullough, Rondell Bothroyd and Reggie Pearson. Adding Near also gives the Sooners a dynamic player at linebacker.

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‘A great opportunity for the new guys’: Brent Venables excited about Sooners despite turnover

Despite a big roster turnover in their first year and a half, Brent Venables is feeling good about Oklahoma’s competitive depth.

The last 20 months in Norman have seen a coaching staff overhaul that led to roster turnover that highlights much of what college athletics has become.

The transfer portal, graduation and the NFL draft lead to turnover every year. After a coaching change, that turnover is exaggerated.

“We’ve had tremendous turnover, like a lot of people in this day and age of college football,” Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said at Big 12 media days. “Like many people, there’s been tremendous roster turnover. We desire a roster of stability and consistency. I think that’s what lends to success and sustainability.”

[autotag]Venables[/autotag] relayed that 78.8% of his roster is in the first or second year with the program.

“We’ve got 123 players on team 129, and out of those 123 players, 97 of them will be in either their first or their second year at the University of Oklahoma,” Venables said. “Tremendous turnover, but I couldn’t be more excited about the group of guys.”

Venables added, “To me I look at it as a great opportunity for the new guys.”

Oklahoma’s banking on a lot of those new guys being significant contributors to the team’s success in 2023. As the transfer additions go, so likely will the Sooners’ Big 12 title aspirations.

Defensive additions [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] and [autotag]Konnor Near[/autotag] are each expected to have big roles for Oklahoma this season.

“And then the addition – again, we’ve got nine guys, six guys up front, two All-American linebackers, a hard-hitting safety in [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag].” Venables said. “I believe we’ll be better up the middle of our defense, and I look at where we were at really at every single position, and we didn’t have the competitive depth a year ago.”

In particular, the lack of defensive depth was staggering.

At linebacker, the Sooners’ trio of [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag], and [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag] each played over 900 snaps. Only two players in Football Bowl Subdivision played more snaps than Stutsman. Adding depth at linebacker with McCullough and Near was critical. Their 2022 and 2023 linebacker signees add to that depth.

The 2022 guys have been in the program for more than a year now. [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] and [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] will have bigger roles this season for the Sooners, which will help their linebacker play be better.

Tackle [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] and tight end [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] should start on the offensive side of the ball. Guard [autotag]Caleb Shaffer[/autotag], wide receivers [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] and [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag], and defensive tackles [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag], [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] and [autotag]Phillip Paea[/autotag] are expected to compete for playing time.

The Sooners’ 2023 recruiting class could have guys be early X-factors on the field this season. At cornerback, [autotag]Jasaiah Wagoner[/autotag] and [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag] have been turning heads. The drumbeat for Peyton Bowen hasn’t slowed. [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] has turned heads with his speed despite being on campus only a month or two.

“It goes without saying, we went 6-7 last year and fell well below our expectations and our standards at Oklahoma,” shared Venables. “But man, we learned and grew a lot as a football program. In five of the seven losses, it goes down to the last minute, two minutes of the game in the fourth quarter with a chance to win.

“We started the year pretty strong, and then we didn’t finish the year very well, particularly in, again, those fourth quarters of a bunch of games. We just didn’t have any juice left about the middle of the year on. The competitive depth will lead to better competitive stamina.”

The Sooners are hoping the improved competitive depth will lead to a more competitive defense that’s able to help close games for a team with lofty expectations.

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Transfer linebacker Konnor Near commits to the Oklahoma Sooners

Ferris State transfer linebacker Konnor Near commits to the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Sooners got a big-time commitment from Ferris State linebacker transfer Konnor Near. Near was a Division-II All-American with offers from Georgia Tech, Duke, Michigan State, Cincinnati, and Texas Tech. He played four years at the Division II level and helped Ferris State win back-to-back national championships while he was there.

Near is a 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker from Michigan who stayed close to home to begin his football career. He was a standout performer, which caught the eyes of a handful of Power Five teams when he decided to enter the transfer portal during the spring period.

He was a tackling machine. Through the 13 games in 2022, he had 66 total tackles, with 34 solo tackles. He also recorded three sacks and a fumble recovery. Near brings in some much-needed experience and toughness to a Sooners defense looking to emulate the attitude of their head coach.

 

Near is a physical presence that displayed good play strength when filling his gap and showed enough athleticism to flow sideline-to-sideline to make plays in the outside running game.

The improvement on defense was on display at the spring game. Despite some strong performances, this is a type of move that shows Venables and his staff’s desire to continually add talent.

Near will come in and compete for snaps at inside linebacker with guys like Kip Lewis, Kobie McKinzie, and Shane Whitter. He could push Jaren Kanak for first-team opportunities.

Near is an underrated pickup that won’t be noticed by many as a game-changer. However, he’s been a productive linebacker that gives the Sooners the type of leader on a defense that can get things done.

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Oklahoma offers transfer linebacker Konnor Near

Oklahoma seeks out linebacker depth as they offer Ferris State transfer LB Konnor Near.

Oklahoma has seen its share of departures this spring via the transfer portal. The departures have come mainly from the defensive side of the ball as the Sooners retool following their 6-7 season.

While much of the roster that will contribute in the fall is already assembled, there’s always room to add talent that has produced at the collegiate level. So, it makes a lot of sense that Oklahoma offered Ferris State transfer linebacker Konnor Near.

Near, a linebacker with two years of eligibility, entered the portal toward the end of April. He picked up an offer from Sooners’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ted Roof.

In his time at Division II Ferris State, Near was an All-American and helped Ferris State win its second straight national title in 2022. That kind of proven experience, albeit at a lower level, is something Brent Venables would love to add to a talented but young linebacker room.

Michigan State may be the leader by default considering Near is from Michigan. So the connection and ability to play for a major Power Five school in the state he’s from could be very appealing.

Outside of the Sooners and the Spartans, Near has picked up solid Power Five offers, including West Virginia, Duke, Georgia Tech, Texas Tech and Washington State.

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Michigan State football offers Ferris State transfer LB Konnor Near

MSU is looking to add a hometown graduate transfer who is blowing up on the trail:

Michigan State has offered Konnor Near, a linebacker from Ferris State University who was an All-American at the division two level. Near won two national championships in his time in Big Rapids. A hometown kid, Near is from St. Johns, Michigan, attending St. Johns High School.

Aside from Michigan State, Near has picked up some solid power five offers, including Oklahoma, West Virginia, Duke, Georgia Tech, Washington State and Texas Tech.

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