Kip Lewis Looking for Personal Growth, Team Growth in Return to Oklahoma

NORMAN — Kip Lewis said his decision to return for another season at Oklahoma was simple.

“Mostly just chalking it up with God and just knowing I’ve still got more in the tank to get better, just small things details-wise,” the linebacker said Wednesday after the Sooners’ first spring practice. “So excited to come back, ready to give it my all.”

Lewis led the Sooners with 76 tackles last season with 10.5 for loss, four sacks and a forced fumble after having 63 tackles and a pair of interceptions — both returned for touchdowns — in 2024.

Lewis debated making the jump to the NFL, but after conversations with Sooners coach Brent Venables and general manager Jim Nagy, he decided to instead return to be the leader of Oklahoma’s defense.

“It would have been really hard to replace his juice on game day,” Nagy said. “So glad we got Kip back.”

The conversations with those two convinced him there was plenty more growth to make.

“Really just helping me clean up my game a little bit,” Lewis said. “Just being able to go higher than what I wanted to go, and so that was kind of really most of the talks with Jim and BV.”

Venables appreciated the mature approach Lewis took toward making that decision.

“I love watching Kip play on gameday,” Venables said. “His focus and his why to come back was great wisdom. … One of the most disruptive linebackers in all of college football that’s invested in this program going on, I’d guess it’d be five years here.”

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Quarterback John Mateer also played a role in recruiting Lewis to return.

Though the Sooners’ defense was dominant for much of last season, Lewis said he sees room for plenty of improvement.

“I’m pretty sure we just talked about it, just whenever we did get penalized on defense, they scored 46% of the teams and then whenever we didn’t have any penalties, they only scored 9% of the time,” Lewis said. “So just kind of not shooting ourselves in the foot ostly is our big step, big gain. And getting turnovers.”

Lewis said he’s growing into his role as a leader.

“Just being more vocal as I can, I think that would just be about it,” Lewis said. “Just keep on bringing the passion and energy I can around the guys.”

When Lewis talked to Venables to tell him he was returning, Venables’ was ecstatic.

“Very stoked,” Lewis said. “That’s my guy, and so he definitely — it was a good time, a good celebration.”

Lewis said he appreciated the weight Venables, Nagy and others put on his return.

“It feels good just to know that people look up to you and count on you,” Lewis said. “It’s a big thing for me this year to pour into (this team) as much as I can — everything I’ve got.”