Oklahoma LB Kip Lewis: 'The Tape Speaks Volumes'

NORMAN — Kip Lewis doesn’t need much in the way of motivation to get fired up for football.

The Oklahoma linebacker is well-known for his “Game Day Kip” persona that he slips into when the lights are the brightest.

Lewis has been bringing that energy for as long as he can remember.

But entering his fifth year in Norman, Lewis is focused on turning heads, both with the defense as a whole and individually.

“I don’t really get recognized nationally,” Lewis said. “So I kind of make that my effort now, to let them know it’s kind of a little BS that I sometimes get overlooked.

“So I’m always going to have that chip over my shoulder, in every technique I do, just coverage wise, blitz wise, pass-rush wise, fitting wise. Just making me want to bring my A game all the time.

Lewis isn’t exactly unappreciated nationally.

He’s on the preseason watch lists for both the Butkus and Bronko Nagurski awards, was named a second-team All-American by ESPN and a second-team All-SEC by league media in preseason polls.

Lewis was a first-team All-American by Phil Steele, but wasn't on The Athletic's preseason All-SEC team or on Pro Football Focus' top 10 returning linmebackers for 2026.

Lewis believes his play has dictated more hype.

“I have no idea,” Lewis said when asked why he felt he was being overlooked. “You should ask them. I don’t really know. That’s not a me question.”

Lewis led the Sooners in tackles last season with 76. It was the lowest tackle total by Oklahoma’s leading tackler since Brian Asamoah’s 66 in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign and the lowest team leader otherwise since the stat began being tracked in 1970.

Lewis had plenty of big games — most notably his seven-tackle, two-sack performance against Alabama in the regular season — last year.

But he didn’t have the same type of signature moments that he had the year before when he returned interceptions for touchdowns against both Auburn and Alabama.

Lewis is a more consistent player overall though.

“His best qualities are his energy and passion, the love for the game,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said. “He’s got a great, great maturity. He wants things hard.”

The Sooners’ collective success defensively, and the depth which fueled it, certainly kept Lewis’ numbers down a bit in 2025.

The three linebackers on ESPN’s first-team list averaged 97 tackles last season with none having fewer than 84.

“I just know whenever you roll the tape, the tape speaks volumes,” Lewis said.

One of Lewis’ primary areas of focus this offseason has been getting comfortable with his role as a leader.

“Definitely have to get out of the comfort zone and bark a little bit,” Lewis said. “Pull people where sometimes they don’t want to be pulled. If that’s what it takes, I’ll do it.”

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