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Oklahoma Lands Transfer Portal Pledge from Former Louisville, ASU DL Jermayne Lole
After landing former SMU center Branson Hickman on Sunday afternoon, the Sooners added another veteran out of the transfer portal just one day later.
On Monday afternoon, former Louisville and Arizona State defensive lineman Jermayne Lole announced that he has committed to Oklahoma out of the transfer portal.
Lole will enter his seventh year as a college football player in 2024, missing all of the 2021 season at Arizona State and appearing in just two games in 2022 at Louisville before suffering a season-ending injury.
From 2020 to 2022, Lole appeared in just six games, missing time with various injuries.
The veteran defensive lineman played in 12 games during the Cardinals 2023 campaign, however, logging 411 snaps, the second-most in a season for his entire career. Lole tallied five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two pass breakups in his final year at Louisville, earning a 69.1 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus for his efforts.
In his career, Lole has appeared in at least 10 games three separate seasons. As a freshman in 2018, the Long Beach, CA, product played in 10 games before having a breakout season in 2019. As a sophomore, Lole racked up 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks while playing for the Sun Devils.
The former 4-star recruit received a 75.3 defensive grade from PFF in 2019, playing 737 snaps as an interior defensive lineman.
Lole is a huge addition for Todd Bates and company, who desperately needed to add size and experience on the interior as the Sooners head into the SEC. Prior to Lole's commitment, OU had just one defensive player listed above 300 pounds on its roster.
While Oklahoma has promising young players like junior Gracen Halton, true freshman David Stone and fellow early enrollee Jayden Jackson in the trenches, the team is lacking experience in the middle of its defensive line after veteran Jacob Lacey was forced to medically retire over the offseason.
With Da'Jon Terry and Lole now fortifying the interior, the Sooners won't have to rely as heavily on inexperienced players as they head into one of the most physical conferences in college football. Halton, Stone and Jackson will likely still see the field, but can operate as rotation players rather than being the centerpieces of OU's defensive front, allowing the younger, lighter d-lineman to get acclimated to life in the SEC.
Lole's pledge comes just two days after the veteran was in Norman for Oklahoma's spring game with a few other transfer portal targets. The former Louisville and Arizona State defender is the third player to commit to the Sooners since Saturday's Red/White Game, joining former SMU center Branson Hickman and coveted 2027 edge rusher Zane Rowe.
