Oklahoma Defensive Players to Watch vs. Baylor Week 10
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The Oklahoma Sooners return just four defensive starters for the 2022 season, leaving a lot of question marks as to how potent that unit will be.
While their inexperience might cost them early in the season, the Sooners have two factors that could please the optimistic Oklahoma fan. First, the game against the Bears isn't until Week 10, meaning if this is a talented group on defense and they are in the conference championship hunt, they should have figured out the kinks by then and by no means would they be mailing their season in.
The second benefit the Sooners defense has is their new head coach, Brent Venables. There is uncertainty all over this Sooner team, but whereas the offense brings in coordinator Jeff Lebby and a diverse playbook with him, the new head man has been one of the most sought-after defensive coaches in the country the last few seasons. With Venables at the helm, they could rebuild their defense fairly quickly.
Five Sooner defenders made All-Big 12 teams in 2021. None of them will be playing for Oklahoma thanks to graduation and the transfer portal in 2022.
LB DaShaun White
White is one of the few returning defensive players who made a real impact on the Sooners in 2021. The senior made 66 tackles in 2021, good for third best on the team.
While White is not projected to be the Mike linebacker, he has the most experience in the position room, meaning he will have to be a real leader for the Sooners' defense if they are going to be successful. White will need to do a little bit of everything if the Sooners are going to be competing for the conference title.
DT Jalen Redmond
Redmond brings a bevy of experience with him to 2022, at least in the locker room. In three full seasons, Redmond has only started 11 games and has been more of a bit player, only being used situationally last year.
This year, Redmond is expected to be the primary run stuffer on the defensive line. It's no secret that Dave Aranda, Jeff Grimes and the Bears would love to win by just stuffing the ball down their opponent's throat. While Blake Shapen is more of a natural passer than Gerry Bohanon is, the Bears would still love to pound the rock to win, so Redmond will have his hands full.
Once one of the top recruits in all of Oklahoma, 2022 now or never for Redmond to make a name for himself in a Sooners uniform.
P Michael Turk
This seems a little odd, but hear us out on this one. We're suckers for a good punter, and Michael Turk could end up being the Sooners' most valuable defensive player in this matchup with the Bears. The Arizona State transfer was a First Team All-Big 12 selection in 2021 and was Oklahoma's only preseason All-Big 12 selection this year.
If Turk has a big game against the Bears, he can make life difficult for the Baylor offense. An inexperienced defense (again, this game is in November though) can afford to take bigger chances and sell out if the Bears are backed deep into their own territory.
Call it boring, but a big game like this will be won in the trenches and won with field position. I'm well aware of how often that lazy take has been said over the last century or so, but this one will come down to the nitty-gritty details.
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