Oklahoma DL Ethan Downs on New DC Zac Alley: 'That Dude's About His Business'

Oklahoma's offense left with a win affter Chapman McKown's go-ahead touchdown in the annual spring game, but its defense appetized fans until Aug. 30's season-opener against Temple.

NORMAN — Exiting his first spring in Norman, Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator Zac Alley has left a good taste in his players’ mouths.

Alley, a Brent Venables pupil who has been likened to a younger version of the Sooners' head coach, led Oklahoma’s defense — the White team — to an appetizing performance in Oklahoma’s annual Red/White spring game at Owen Field on Saturday. Running back Chapman McKown’s go-ahead touchdown sent the Red team back into the facility with a 65-58 win, but the defense’s unrelenting physicality and adherence on the back end stole the show.

“We’re miles ahead of where we were [last spring],” Sooners senior and 2023 All-Big 12 First-Team linebacker Danny Stutsman said after the scrimmage. “Obviously, coach Alley’s done a phenomenal job.”

WATCH: Oklahoma HC Brent Venables Spring Game Press Conference

Oklahoma’s defense, and particularly the front men, suffocated its offensive front for four quarters Saturday. It was a stark difference from the defensive fronts of the two-year Ted Roof era that ended Jan. 4 when he and the university parted ways.

Alley, 30, was hired Jan. 13 after spending two seasons coordinating Jacksonville State’s defense and coaching linebackers. Alley worked under Venables from 2015-18 at Clemson as a graduate assistant, primarily working with defensive tackles and linebackers during a 55-4 run that resulted in two national championships.

“Everything’s been good all spring. He’s adjusted quickly, like anticipated,” Venables said of Alley. “He’s done a variety of things that have helped us continue to move forward and progress and get better. A lot of it language-wise, trying to simplify some things from a language standpoint. Sometimes when you get outside of a system, you’ve got to go to several places and start completely over and everybody’s new. You figure out how to be even more efficient.”

It’s not just simplified nomenclature that has helped Alley build rapport with his players.

“[Alley] is a great man,” said defensive lineman and Big 12 Second-Team pick Ethan Downs. “We really trust him as a defense. Even the whole team can look to him and say ‘That dude’s about his business.’ He has built great relationships with the players already. He’s very focused on being in our lives. ... They go hand-in-hand, your performance on the field and your lifestyle off the field, and they’re very invested in both.”

In total, the defense produced seven sacks Saturday. Downs was responsible for one of those sacks plus four tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. True freshmen David Stone and Jayden Jackson looked like veterans combining for six tackles and a sack Saturday.

“The younger guys kind of made a lot of plays. [It] looked great seeing them, you know, coach Alley does a phenomenal job teaching every single opportunity he gets,” Stutsman said.

Save for Deion Burks’ electric 5-catch, 174-yard, two-touchdown day, the Sooners' secondary was commendable against the pass. OU’s quarterbacks went 18-40 for 326 yards in four quarters of uninterrupted play while struggling to fit passes where defenders couldn’t break them up.

“Coach Alley’s a great man. He’s young, he’s energetic,” Downs said. “That’s something different from coach Roof, not speaking against coach Roof that was previously here. He was a great coach, as well, but coach Alley, that young, exciting energy he’s got has been really reviving for our defense.”

Oklahoma’s 2024 season kicks off against Temple at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30 at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.