2022 Oklahoma Report Card: Defensive Ends

Oklahoma's defensive ends flashed in non-conference play, but came back down to earth in their first year playing in Brent Venables' defense in 2022.

Author:
Ryan Chapman
Publish date:
Jan 4, 2023 12:00 PM EST

In this story:

Oklahoma Sooners

Replacing NFL talent in Isaiah Thomas and Nik Bonitto was a tall task for Oklahoma’s edge rushers this season.

Reggie Grimes, Ethan Downs, Jonah Laulu, Marcus Stripling and R Mason Thomas not only had to deal with learning a new defense, but they all had to step into bigger roles in the defense for the firs time in their careers as well.

And for three games, things looked good.

Grimes announced himself in the first two games, combining for four sacks against UTEP and Kent State.

Brent Venables then threw a curveball in Lincoln, deploying a three-man front against Nebraska.

2022 OU Report Cards:

Wednesday, Jan. 4: Defensive Ends
Thursday, Jan. 5: Offensive Line
Friday, Jan. 6: Defensive Tackles
Saturday, Jan. 7: Tight Ends
Sunday, Jan. 8: Linebackers
Monday, Jan. 9: Wide Receivers
Tuesday, Jan. 10: Cornerbacks
Wednesday, Jan. 11: Running Backs
Thursday, Jan. 12: Safeties
Friday, Jan. 13: Quarterbacks
Saturday, Jan. 14: Special Teams
Sunday, Jan. 15: Coaching Staff

It worked against the Cornhuskers, as OU allowed only points on the first and last drives of the game in its 49-14 beatdown of Nebraska, but conference play brought new challenges to the Sooners’ defensive ends.

An Oklahoma defensive end didn’t register another sack until OU’s trip to Morgantown, which was the Sooners’ seventh game in Big 12 play.

And while the defensive line as a whole failed to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks, the defensive ends struggled to set the edge in the running game or properly cage mobile quarterbacks.

Kansas State ran for 275 yards on the Sooners in Norman, including quarterback Adrian Martinez’s 21 carries for 148 yards and four touchdowns.

A week later, it was TCU’s turn to gash Oklahoma’s run defense.

Kendre Miller and Max Duggan got to the perimeter of the defense with ease as the Horned Frogs rushed for 361 yards and posted 668 total yards en route to a 55-24 embarrassment of the Sooners.

FB - Ethan Downs — Sophomore defensive end Ethan Downs led his position group with 13.5 tackles for loss this year, and finished tied for the most sacks from defensive ends with teammate Reggie Grimes, posting 4.5 sacks each
SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Miller averaged 10.5 yards per carry for the afternoon, and Duggan took five carries for 116 yards and two scores, including a 67-yard scamper down the right side of the OU defense where he was virtually untouched.

Venables and defensive coordinator Ted Roof alternated between the four-man and three-man front against Kansas State and TCU, throwing the even front at the Wildcats and moving to the odd front in Fort Worth, and neither had success.

Oklahoma’s defensive ends simply weren’t big enough to hold their ground against the nation’s No. 20-ranked rushing attack in TCU.

Even with the extra body alone the line against Kansas State, the defensive ends were unable to stay disciplined in their rush lanes against the Wildcats, allowing Martinez to escape the pocket and nullify the pressure Venables tried to dial up.

Things didn’t get much better for the unit as the season progressed.

The Sooners were only able to muster one sack, coming from linebacker David Ugwoegbu, against a Kansas offensive line that should have been overmatched.

Then three weeks later, Baylor ran for 281 yards in Norman as the entire defensive line failed to hold up to the Bears’ rushing attack.

In total, Oklahoma’s defensive ends accounted for 11 sacks and 28 tackles for loss in 13 games, a major weakness for the Sooner defense in a year of transition into Venables’ system.

Grading the defensive ends: