Oklahoma Linebacker Using Defensive Shakeup to Become Better Leader

The linebacker position — and the defense as a whole — will look much different in Kobie McKinzie's fourth year with the Sooners.

Oklahoma linebacker Kobie McKinzie | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

The linebacker position — and the defense as a whole — will look much different in Kobie McKinzie’s fourth year in Norman.

McKinzie, a redshirt junior middle linebacker from Lubbock, TX, is slated to start at the position alongside Kip Lewis. In 2024, McKinzie played in all 13 games, logging 30 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and a pass deflection.

Between coach Brent Venables — now serving as OU’s defensive coordinator — and new linebacker coaches Nate Dreiling and Wes Goodwin, McKinzie and his fellow linebackers will receive plenty of coaching.

And McKinzie thinks that’s best for the unit.

“It’s a lot of competitiveness out there, a lot of excitement,” McKinzie said at one of the Sooners’ spring practices. “It’s been really fun.”

Venables, entering his fourth year as OU’s head coach, has plenty of experience leading elite defenses.

He served as Clemson’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2012 to 2021, helping the Tigers win two national championships. Venables won the Broyles Award, given to college football’s best assistant coach, in 2016.

Venables will run the defense after 2024 defensive coordinator Zac Alley spent just one season in Norman, departing in favor of West Virginia after the season. Before that, Ted Roof was Oklahoma’s defensive coordinator in Venables’ first two years at the school.

Most of McKinzie’s hands-on coaching will come from Dreiling, who primarily coaches OU’s inside linebackers, while Goodwin will lead the outside linebackers.

Dreiling joined OU’s staff in February after spending the 2024 season as Utah State’s defensive coordinator.

McKinzie noted that Dreiling and Venables coach with very different styles — but their instruction is equally valuable.

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“Like I said, they’re not from the same coaching tree, so when you go for the scheme, they don’t necessarily coach the same,” McKinzie said. “It’s just been very unique to hear (Dreiling’s) take on a lot of things and how to attack certain things.

“If you want to win, why not play for the guy who’s won the national championships coaching the defense?”

The differing methods of instruction have allowed McKinzie to become even more of a leader.

McKinzie and fellow redshirt junior Kip Lewis have played at OU longer than any of the Sooners’ other linebackers. 

Those two will try to mimic the leadership of four-year linebacker Danny Stutsman, who graduated in 2024 and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 2025 NFL Draft. Stutsman compiled 376 tackles throughout his four seasons in Norman, earning consensus All-American honors as a senior.

Though being an upperclassman is new for McKinzie, he doesn’t consider his leadership position new.

“It’d be really remiss of me to say I’m just now all of a sudden doing this, and this is who I’m going to be all of a sudden because he’s no longer here,” McKinzie said. “I’ve been Kobie since I got on campus, and I’ve always been a leadership guy.”

Others on the Sooners’ linebacker corps include Sammy Omosigho, Kendal Daniels, Kendel Dolby, James Nesta and Taylor Heim.

McKinzie described his leadership style as aggressive — and it’s that way for a reason.

The linebacker wants to be a driving force in making the Sooners a defensive juggernaut.

“I want, when people come back to this place, they fear playing us — not that it’s just fun,” McKinzie said. “That’s what my dream is for the defense and for this university.”