Who Fills the Void If Jalen Redmond Opts Out?
The Sooners are already down Kennedy Brooks in 2020, and now they may also lose a huge presence on the defensive line. Per a report Saturday evening from OUInsider's Brandon Drumm, it appears "likely" that Jalen Redmond will opt out of the season as well.
One could hardly fault Redmond for choosing not to play. The redshirt sophomore from Midwest City missed all but three games of the 2018 season with blood clots, and given the noted correlation between COVID-19 and cardiac issues, Redmond takes a greater risk than his teammates by playing this fall.
It appeared evident earlier this week that Redmond was at least weighing a decision to opt out. Oklahoma defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux praised several of his players by name in a Wednesday presser, but noticeably omitted Redmond from the conversation. Given that Redmond is arguably the most talented member of the Sooners' interior line, it hardly seemed an accident that Thibodeaux failed to mention him.
Should Redmond indeed choose not to play, it's another huge defensive loss for the Sooners, who are already operating without senior linebacker Caleb Kelly (knee) for the foreseeable future. Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Marcus Hicks (knee) will also miss the season after undergoing surgery last month.
Redmond led the team with 6.5 sacks in 2019, and appeared poised for another quantum leap in production this year. NFL draft analysts have touted him as a potential future first-round pick.
Redmond and junior-college transfer Perrion Winfrey were the projected starters on the interior of the Sooners' defensive line. In Redmond's presumed absence, senior LaRon Stokes figures to inherit starting duty alongside Winfrey, although he'll have stiff competition from Josh Ellison, Jordan Kelley and Isaiah Thomas. Also in the picture are Kori Roberson and Zacchaeus McKinney.
Of his defensive tackles, Thibodeaux said, "You look at a guy like Jordan Kelley, he's been part of the program. He's grown and you see that, which adds to our depth. Perrion Winfrey, when everything's on he can do it. He can do it at a really high level. You look at LaRon Stokes, who's played. He's doing some really good things.
"Josh Ellison, he's doing some good stuff. Isaiah Thomas has kind of swung back and forth. Due to the scheme, it allows him to be really active and penetrate gaps. He's really done some good things for us."
Don't expect the Oklahoma staff to lend any clarity to the circumstances surrounding Redmond's situation. Lincoln Riley told media last month that he won't offer any comment on players' opt-out decisions.
“I visited with our leadership group, several of our older players," Riley said. "Their wish, and I totally agree with it, is that we’re going to keep the focus on our guys that are here. If a player chooses to opt out, obviously that’s their choice. If they want to make an announcement or something, that’s up to the individual.”
Redmond is still listed on Oklahoma's roster, so if he indeed intends to opt out, nothing is official as of yet. SI Sooners will continue to provide updates as more details become available.
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