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Oklahoma DE Ronnie Perkins declares for NFL Draft

Arguably the Sooners' best defensive player would have been a major boost to the team's chase for a national championship in 2021
Ryan Chapman|
Oklahoma DE Ronnie Perkins declares for NFL Draft
Oklahoma DE Ronnie Perkins declares for NFL Draft

Star defensive end Ronnie Perkins will not return to Oklahoma in 2021. 

Perkins announced Saturday he would enter the 2021 NFL Draft in a statement on Twitter.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to play the game of football," he said. After thanking his OU coaches, including Lincoln Riley for how he "stood by me during my toughest times," he declared, "I would like to announce that I will be declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft!" 

After missing the first five games of the season due suspension by the NCAA, Perkins did everything he could to make up for the lost time. In six games of action, Perkins racked up 10.5 tackles for loss, including 5.5 sacks. 

The 6-foot-3, 247-pound junior from St. Louis, MO could have returned for two more seasons due to the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, but the dominant defensive end would have likely only stayed one more year in Norman. 

Following in the footsteps of Eric Striker and Obo Okoronkwo, Perkins emerged as the latest in the line of elite Oklahoma pass rushers. 

Committing to Oklahoma as a 4-star recruit by 247 sports, ESPN and Rivals, Perkins made an instant impact in his first season on campus. Seeing action in every game his freshman year, Perkins was named a Freshman All-American by ESPN. 

He then followed up his productive freshman year with back-to-back second team All-Big 12 honors in his final two seasons for the Sooners. 

In total, Perkins finished with 32 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks as an Oklahoma Sooner. 

The emergence of Nik Bonitto, Isaiah Thomas and Perrion Winfrey across Oklahoma’s defensive front lessens the blow to Oklahoma’s 2021 national title aspirations.

Thomas has already announced his intentions to return in 2021, and the return of Jalen Redmond will bolster the numbers in the defensive line room.

Redmond had already resumed working with the team during bowl preparations after opting out of this season, Lincoln Riley said. 

Perkins joins center Creed Humphrey, tackle Adrian Ealy, running back Rhamondre Stevenson and defensive backs Tre Brown and Tre Norwood as Sooners who have declared for the 2021 draft.

Published
Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is co-publisher at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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