Why Oklahoma LB Kip Lewis Believes Sooners’ Defense Will Take Another Step Forward

The Sooners' defense has steadily improved throughout Kip Lewis' career, and the linebacker is helping the unit maintain its toughness.

Oklahoma linebacker Kip Lewis lines up with his teammates after the spring game. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

NORMAN — Kip Lewis has seen Oklahoma’s defense at its best and at its worst.

Lewis was a true freshman in 2022, which marked Brent Venables’ first year as the Sooners’ head coach. That year, OU allowed 30 points and 461 yards per game.

Since then, the defense has gotten incrementally better, thanks to Venables and the dozens of defensive stars who have donned Crimson and Cream under his watch. Last year, the unit was arguably the SEC’s best and led the conference in total defense (272.5 yards allowed per game), scoring defense (15.2 points allowed per game) and sacks (45).

As Lewis prepares for his final college football season, he believes the defense will take yet another step forward in 2026.

“I think we're starting off pretty strong pretty early,” Lewis said. “Take that in with a positive attitude and everybody starts to mesh well together.”

Venables, of course, deserves plenty of credit for helping the defense steadily improve. 

The 55-year-old coach previously served as Clemson’s defensive coordinator and helped the Tigers win two national titles. And since taking over as OU’s coach, he’s allowed the Sooners to go from an offensive-dependent team to a defense-first squad.

Lewis also is responsible for helping develop the defensive culture in Norman.

The linebacker made five appearances in 2022, a season in which the defense struggled as OU finished the year 6-7. Even though he used his redshirt that year, Lewis made two tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss and showed his potential.

Lewis became a staple on the defense in 2023. He notched 66 total tackles, 38 solo tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery while playing in a linebacker room that also included Danny Stutsman, Jaren Kanak and Kobie McKinzie.

The Sooners struggled collectively in 2024, but the defense quietly played exceptionally, allowing only 21.5 points per game. Individually, Lewis recorded 65 tackles, four tackles for loss and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown in OU’s upset win over Alabama.

And last year, the Sooners played their best defensive season under Venables while Lewis made his biggest impact yet. The linebacker started all 13 games in 2025 and registered a team-high 76 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and four pass breakups.

“He’s left a big impression on everybody, and this is going to be his best year,” Venables said on Aug. 4.

Oklahoma’s defense is once again expected to be elite in 2026 — but the unit will look vastly different.

Several stars from last year’s team, like R Mason Thomas, Gracen Halton, Kendal Daniels and Robert Spears-Jennings, jumped to the professional ranks after the 2025 season. The Sooners also saw a handful of players transfer out, including Sammy Omosigho, Jaydan Hardy and McKinzie.

The Sooners added reinforcements to the roster in the form of transfers Cole Sullivan, Dakoda Fields, Kenny Ozowalu and Bishop Thomas.

Lewis admitted that he thought it would take a while for the 2026 defense to mesh during the offseason. But it didn’t take long for the unit to build an identity.

“In the springtime, it was looking a little iffy,” Lewis said. “But now it's all starting to connect together, old pieces, new pieces and we're all just loving each other.”

There are growing pains every year. But as Lewis and Venables both enter their fourth year at OU, those wrinkles are much easier to overcome.

“(From) four years ago, we're not really making the same mistakes as we would, and it's just easier,” Lewis said. “Guys are just better at picking it up… so that's the difference."

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