Oklahoma Lands Yet Another Defensive Lineman Via the Transfer Portal
Brent Venables said weeks ago that Oklahoma needed help on the defensive line. For the second day in a row, he got it.
Davon Sears, a transfer defensive tackle from Texas State, announced Monday he was committing to Oklahoma over Penn State, Tennessee and others.
Venables noted on Dec. 21, while addressing the 2023 recruiting class, that OU would lose nine total defensive linemen from this season.
In addition to the five incoming freshmen, Sears is the Sooners’ fourth defensive line transfer this offseason, as he joins Notre Dame d-tackle Jacob Lacey, Oklahoma State d-end Trace Ford and Wake Forest d-end Rondell Bothroyd, who announced his decision Sunday to become a Sooner.
Sears was originally committed to Houston in 2020 but instead went to junior college out of Centerline High School in Detroit, a 3-star prospect, according to 247 Sports, when he landed at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa. But he earned All-ICCAC and first-team All Region in 2020 with 15 tackles, two sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss.
The 6-foot-2, 290-pound Sears transferred to Texas State in 2021 but didn’t play in any games. In 2022, he played in 12 games, finished with 15 tackles, one sack and 3.5 TFLs.
According to Pro Football Focus, Sears is "one of only 11 Group of Five interior defensive linemen to rank inside the top 25 in both pass-rushing and run-defense grades."
Per PFF, Sears played 355 snaps this season, which was third among the Bobcats' interior d-linemen. He graded at 78.3 overall, 78.1 against the run and 75.5 against the pass. He had 15 total pressures this season, including 10 QB hurries, and was credited with only one missed tackle all season.
He played one game against a Power 5 opponent this season — Baylor in Week 3 — and logged 41 total defensive snaps while grading out at 64.2, including 75.5 in pass rush situations.
Sears entered the transfer portal on Dec. 17 and arrives in Norman with three years of eligibility.
