Tag: Shane Whitter

What can the Oklahoma Sooners do to defend Texas running back Bijan Robinson?

Slowing Texas running back Bijan Robinson is priority No. 1 for the Oklahoma Sooners. What will it take from the Sooners defense to limit his impact?

Oklahoma entered last week trying to solve a Deuce Vaughn problem. It emerged victorious, but it would be a stretch to stay the Sooners solved the Kansas State running back. If they thought that was hard, they’re going to hate what they have to do this weekend when they travel to Dallas, Texas, to take on the Texas Longhorns.

The Red River Rivalry has featured some amazing talents and this next iteration proves no different. The Longhorns no longer are dependent on quarterback Sam Ehlinger to throw and run them to wins. Instead, they have an offense centered around Bijan Robinson, a sophomore running back from Tucson, Arizona.

Robinson, a former five-star recruit, is quite the player. He can lower his pads and get the tough yards between the tackles. He can run the outside zone and stretch plays and beat you to the corner. He can catch the ball out of the backfield, too. Simply put, he can do it all.

He’s north of six feet and more than 200 pounds. A stark difference to Deuce Vaughn, who stood at 5 feet, 6 inches and less than 185 pounds. Robinson offers a different challenge.

Oklahoma’s efforts to stop Robinson will start with the interior defensive line. Without the versatile Jalen Redmond, the Sooners will have to rely upon Isaiah Coe, Josh Ellison and LaRon Stokes. All three have played quite a bit of football and have been a part of this game multiple times.

Challenging them will be a Texas offensive line that has struggled with protections and had to shuffle some new players in after losing Denzel Okafor to a season-ending lower leg injury. Oklahoma’s veteran front will have to impose its will. Expect the rotation of bodies to continue as Alex Grinch’s “Speed D” relies on max effort on every play. Pass protection and consistency sustaining run blocks have been issues as Texas has shuffled its offensive line in the absence of Okafor.

Texas will double Perrion Winfrey and hope it’s enough to spring Robinson into the second level. Awaiting him will be linebackers Brian Asamoah, DaShaun White, David Ugwoegbu, Shane Whitter and maybe Danny Stutsman. These linebackers have looked much better playing downhill and filling gaps in the run game than in pass coverage. However, filling the gaps is one thing. Tackling is another. Robinson will not go down via arm tackling or getting caught flat-footed as they did against Vaughn in space. Contact, wrap up and finish. A team effort. Robinson led the NCAA in missed tackles forced in Week 5 and leads all of the Football Bowl Subdivision this season in missed tackles forced.

DaShaun White or Shane Whitter on tape looks like Oklahoma’s better coverage linebackers. In man coverage, they’ll likely be tasked to follow Robinson on outs, wheels, or the “Texas” route.

Robinson will get his touches whether Texas is winning or losing. He’s their best offensive player. Making Robinson accept tough yards and not giving the chunk plays is where Oklahoma should focus their efforts. If the Sooners cannot contain Robinson, there’s a real chance that Texas walks out the victors.

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Best Grades from Pro Football Focus in OU’s win over WVU

Taking a look at the best grades from Pro Football Focus for the Oklahoma Sooners in their win over West Virginia.

The Oklahoma Sooners have started to find a way to win defensive battles in 2021. It’s a far cry from what the Sooners looked like just a couple of years ago when they had to score 40-50 points per game to win. The defense in those early years of Lincoln Riley’s tenure as offensive coordinator and then head coach were some of the worst years of defense this program’s ever seen.

The script has flipped for the 2021 Oklahoma Sooners. The offense has been inconsistent. They haven’t been able to run the ball as effectively as they’d like and the Sooners defense is carrying the day.

For the second straight week the Sooners were unable to reach 30 points while the defense held their opponent to fewer than 16 points. While we’d certainly like to see more points scored, the Sooners are going to win a lot of games if they can continue to keep their opponent to fewer than 20 points a game.

There will be challenges in the coming weeks with Kansas State, Texas, and TCU on the docket, but the Sooners defense looks more up to the challenge than at any other point in the last five years.

Let’s take another look at Saturday’s win over West Virginia through the lens of Pro Football Focus (Subscription required) and take a look at which Sooners graded in the top five of various categories.

Lincoln Riley provides injury updates ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Nebraska

The Oklahoma Sooners may be without a couple of key starters on defense heading into week three against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Heading into the 50th anniversary of the “Game of the Century,” the Oklahoma Sooners are riding high after a 76-0 throttling of Western Carolina, where everything was going their way. Unfortunately, they’ll also be riding without wide receiver Brian Darby who has already been ruled out for this week’s game with Nebraska and could be without starting cornerback Woodi Washington, who Lincoln Riley listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game.

Billy Bowman and Danny Stutsman were the other notable injuries from Saturday’s win, but no specific update was given on those players. Lincoln Riley did mention several other players were questionable but didn’t mention anyone by name.

Latrell McCutchin, who made his first start last week against Western Carolina, looks to be in line for another start this week against Nebraska. At slot corner, more of Jeremiah Criddell should be expected if Billy Bowman is unable to play.

Brian Darby wasn’t high on the wide receiver depth chart, but he’s figured into each of the first two wins for the Sooners and has totaled four receptions for 42 yards through two games.

Stutsman was one of the standout defensive players from the shutout win in week two and figured to earn more opportunities, but if he’s unable to play, look for Shane Whitter to get some opportunities in his stead.

Cody Jackson worked with the starters in the second quarter, turned three receptions into 31 yards receiving, and helped set up one of the Sooners’ scores late in the second quarter.

In week three, the Oklahoma Sooners’ depth will be tested if they’re forced to play without Woodi Washington or Billy Bowman against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. But every team has to deal with injuries, and it will be interesting to see if the Sooners experience any drop-off without arguably their best cornerback in Woodi Washington.

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DaShaun White on Sooners linebacker depth: Can’t ask for a better setting

The Oklahoma Sooners linebacker group has a ton of experience and talent and is ready to help the Sooners defense take the next step.

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After allowing 40 points per game in the Oklahoma Sooners’ first three Big 12 contests in 2020, the Oklahoma Sooners allowed just 17 points per game the rest of the way. Over the season’s final seven games, including the Big 12 Championship game and the Cotton Bowl, the Sooners defense burst onto the scene and announced this isn’t the same defense that the nation’s come to expect.

In the second half of 2020, the Sooners defense started trending toward why OU was winning games. For several seasons, the Sooners were winning games despite the defense. Heading into 2021, they’re looking to build off of that stellar finish and be part of the reason the Sooners contend for a national championship in 2021.

With a lot of attention paid to the defensive front and the defensive back group, the linebacker depth has quietly become one of the best units on the team. One would be hard-pressed to find a group with the level of experience and depth at a position that the Sooners have entering 2021.

DaShaun White, Brian Asamoah, David Ugwoegbu, Caleb Kelly, Shane Whitter, Jamal Morris, Bryan Mead, and Danny Stutsman make up an ultra-talented group of players. With White, Asamoah, Ugwoegbu, and Kelly, the Sooners have four guys who have played a lot of snaps for the program and will lead the defense into 2021.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, White discussed the depth the linebacker group brings to the table and the work they’ve put in to get to where they are.

It’s definitely motivating. Just be in a situation where there’s always competition. As a player, you can’t ask for a better setting. Just an opportunity to surround yourself with something like that. Around the country there’s not a lot of place where you get into the three-deep group and it’s still a really, really solid group.  That’s really a just testament to our group and how hard we work. I think the linebackers work extremely hard. We do a lot of extra together.

During his appearance, White was asked how the linebackers performed during the scrimmage. He mentioned that the linebackers “had a great day” and were “getting into the backfield… running relentlessly after the ball carrier” He later went on to joke that he “felt bad for the ball carriers.”

With the Sooners’ talent upfront in Isaiah Thomas, Nik Bonitto, Perrion Winfrey, Jalen Redmond, and La’Ron Stokes, the Sooners’ linebacker corp is poised for a fantastic season. Though they might be the most underrated group on the roster, that doesn’t mean they won’t be as impactful as any position on the team. This is a group that’s ready to compete and wreak havoc on opposing offense.

Oklahoma Sooners’ linebackers provide veteran stability to improving defense

While much of the talk about the Sooners defense in 2021 has focused on the defensive line, OU’s veteran linebackers provide the foundation.

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This offseason, there’s been a lot of talk about the Oklahoma Sooners defensive line as a reason to be optimistic about the Sooners’ chances of contending for a national championship in 2021. There’s also been a lot of talk about the secondary and its youthful playmakers stepping into full-time roles in 2021.

There should be a lot of excitement about the defensive front and the secondary. They’re going to be a lot of fun to watch in 2021.

Offensive coordinators and offensive line coaches will be up late trying to come up with a way to block Nik Bonitto, Isaiah Thomas, Perrion Winfrey, and Jalen Redmond.

Woodi Washington and D.J. Graham will make it incredibly difficult for teams to throw to the outside. The safety group is experienced and won’t be left out to dry as often as they might have been in the past.

This defense is going to be really good. But a position group that often gets left out of the discussion is the linebacker group led by Brian Asamoah and DaShaun White. It might just be the most underrated position group on the entire team. And at the same time, it might just be the deepest group on the squad.

We’re thinking of traditional linebackers for this discussion and not including “rush linebacker” Nik Bonitto.

White, Asamoah, David Ugwoegbu, Caleb Kelly, and Shane Whitter provide the Sooners with five guys capable of making plays for Alex Grinch’s defense.

At the top of the depth chart, you have four guys that have played a ton of snaps for the Sooners and a fifth in Whitter that got his feet wet in 2020 but appears to be a player that has a big future.

White has played more than 1,000 snaps on defense for Oklahoma. Asamoah and Ugwoegbu have played more than 600. Caleb Kelly’s snap counts aren’t available from Pro Football Focus, but according to SoonersSports.com, he’s played in 41 games in his Oklahoma career.

It’s an experienced group that can bring four veterans into the game and contribute to Alex Grinch’s defense. Throw in Shane Whitter that Oklahoma Sooners Linebacker Coach Brian Odom talked about as a player on the rise back in the spring and you’ve got a great group of players.

There may not be a star on the linebacker depth chart (yet), but this group is flying under the radar heading into 2021. The stability, leadership, and experience at the position will be foundational to what Alex Grinch and the Oklahoma Sooners want to accomplish in 2021.

Player card: No. 35 Shane Whitter

Sooners Wire will be creating player cards for readers to be introduced to the 2020 roster.

Here is the defensive No. 35 for Oklahoma.

There is a ton of momentum to having a 2020 college football season these days. No definite signs, yet, but the season would start less than 100 days from now.

Sooners Wire will be creating player cards for readers to be introduced to the 2020 roster.

Here is the defensive No. 35 for Oklahoma.

______________________________________________________________

Name: Shane Whitter

Number: No. 35

Year: Freshman

Position: Linebacker

Hometown: Burlington, North Carolina

Height/Weight: 6-foot-0, 236 pounds

______________________________________________________________

A three-star linebacker, Shane Whitter was ranked as the No. 23 class of 2020 prospect in the state of North Carolina.

Drawing offers from Navy, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Oklahoma was his only other Power 5 Conference offer.

In his senior season at Walter M Williams High School, Whitter tallied up 123 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and one sack.

Recruited by linebackers coach Brian Odom, Whitter looks to join the group tasked with the defensive reawakening for the Sooners that is being headed by second-year defensive coordinator Alex Grinch.

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Three-star linebacker Shane Whitter flips commitment to Oklahoma

Linebacker Shane Whitter flipped his commitment to Oklahoma from Wake Forest.

Wake Forest lost the best commit of the best player of its 2020 class.

Shane Whitter, a linebacker for Walter M Williams (Burlington, North Carolina), flipped his commitment to Oklahoma.

He tweeted the news Wednesday morning.

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Whitter is ranked by the 247Sports Composite as a three-star player, the No. 22 inside linebacker in the country and No. 15 player in North Carolina. The 247Sports’ own ranking system lists him as a four-star player and a top-15 inside linebacker.

He had seven offers in total. In addition to Oklahoma and Wake Forest, Whitter was offered by North Carolina, Navy, Charlotte, Elon and Liberty, according to 247Sports.

This season, Whitter had 123 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, two interceptions and two blocked punts. He also had some offensive snaps, getting 24 carries, nine receptions and eight total offensive touchdowns, according to MaxPreps.

He also had some snaps as at Wildcat quarterback, Walter M Williams head coach Jim McGill told 247Sports.

McGill told the outlet he loves “everything” about Whitter.

“He’s a fantastic kid. Tremendous athlete. Been a four-year player for us. Captain of the football team two years in a row,” Whitter said. “He has a lot of natural talent and his work ethic has been insane.”

While Whitter primarily played inside linebacker in high school, McGill said he projects as an outside linebacker at the college level.

Wake Forest now has 18 commits, according to 247Sports.

Oklahoma is up to 18 as well, and has the No. 11 class in the 2020 recruiting cycle, according to 247Sports.

Oklahoma picks up 3-star, 2020 linebacker Shane Whitter

Alex Grinch’s ‘Speed D’ gets a new addition.

Three-star linebacker, Shane Whitter announced his commitment to Oklahoma Wednesday morning…

Alex Grinch’s ‘Speed D’ gets a new addition.

Three-star linebacker, Shane Whitter announced his commitment to Oklahoma Wednesday morning via Twitter.

Whitter was previously committed to Wake Forrest since March.

The Burlington, North Carolina (Williams High School) native stands six-foot-two and 236 pounds. The three-star linebacker is the No. 32 overall ranked recruit in the state of North Carolina and holds a 5.6 rating according to Rivals.

Whitter makes the eighteenth commitment to the Sooners in the class of 2020 and joins Bishop McGuinness’ (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), Brynden Walker as one of two linebackers committed to play for Grinch and Brian Odom.

Oklahoma’s 2020 recruiting class currently ranks No. 13 in the Rival’s rankings. The Sooners are now just five spots behind No. 8 Texas for the best class in the Big 12 for 2020. Outside of Oklahoma and the Longhorns, Kansas is the next highest ranked 2020 recruiting class coming in at No. 30. Iowa State is No. 36 and Oklahoma State are No. 40.

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