If Ronnie Perkins was also replaceable
What ESPN Says…
In his six games, Perkins recorded 5.5 sacks with a 16.3% pressure rate, second-best in the country among linemen with 170-plus pass-rush attempts. OU allowed 34 points per game against FBS teams without him and 18 with him. Coordinator Alex Grinch’s vision of extreme havoc and disruption is rounding into form, but a new playmaker — blue-chip freshman Clayton Smith, perhaps? — must come up big.
Oklahoma went into last season without Ronnie Perkins in the lineup and the defense faired well. It was just a different level once he returned. Isaiah Thomas and Nik Bonitto shouldered a large portion of the load. It will be year two in the system for Perrion Winfrey, who is viewed as a first-round pick in next year’s draft. Add in Jalen Redmond, Marcus Stripling, LaRon Stokes, and even a freshman like Clayton Smith, and the defensive line could be another strong unit for OU.
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Finally, a look at the secondary