NORMAN — Since Jay Valai was hired at Oklahoma, the Sooners’ cornerbacks have heard him repeat the phrase “paper the rock” over and over.

The meaning of that phrase? OU’s cornerbacks need to be aggressive in smothering opposing wide receivers and forcing turnovers, similar to how paper covers rock in the game "rock-paper-scissors."

Kani Walker could hear the phrase in his head last Saturday against Arkansas State, and it’s what helped him snag the Sooners’ first takeaway of the season.

In the third quarter, the Red Wolves attempted a swing pass to the left side of the field. Freshman safety Peyton Bowen swarmed and stopped the ASU receiver, allowing Walker to come in and rip the ball out.

But Walker didn’t just force the fumble. He recovered it, too, all in one motion. And he heard Valai’s phrase in his head as he made the play.

“Coach Valai been on our necks about getting the ball out,” Walker said during his Tuesday media availability. “... Once you keep hearing it over and over again, it kind of just becomes like a habit, so now you can get everyone actually going for the ball consciously, and you don’t even think about it (anymore).

“At first, (it’s like), ‘Why is he saying that?’ But we also know why they're saying that, (because) it creates a lot of turnovers. And it also kills momentum from other people. So I say I appreciate for a fact that they will emphasize and make sure we get the ball out, make sure we're creating turnovers and creating defensive points for us.”

That play was just an example of how much the redshirt sophomore has grown since he arrived at Oklahoma.

The former Louisville transfer landed at Oklahoma prior to last season, but he didn’t see much time on the field. He played in six games and logged 65 total snaps, per Pro Football Focus, finishing with three tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Walker, rated as a 2021 three-star prospect by Rivals, said last year was important for him to learn more about technique and getting comfortable in Brent Venables’ system.

“I’d just say I was very raw,” Walker said. “I was too raw to understand what technique was. I was just out there playing ball. So now I’m coming to Oklahoma and I’m making the transfer to Oklahoma, it’s actually teaching me the game. (Stuff like), ‘Why am I doing this? Why am doing that? Why am I doing this on third and two or third and one?’ That’s growth, honestly. That’s growth.”

During the spring and fall camp, Walker began to work his way up the depth chart at a crowded cornerback room. Though Woodi Washington and Gentry Williams started against Arkansas State, Walker saw an elevated role compared to last season. He played 20 snaps — the 11th most on the defense, per PFF — and finished with three tackles in addition to his forced fumble and recovery.

The biggest difference in Walker has been his consistency, OU defensive coordinator Ted Roof said.

“The consistency in the transition after he transferred, the consistency and how he's worked, how he's put in the time and the work, it's how I've seen him getting better,” Roof said Monday. “We’ve seen him (trending up).”

His teammates have seen that consistency show up in practice, too, which is why OU linebacker Danny Stutsman wasn’t surprised by Walker’s takeaway against Arkansas State.

“He came in there and made the most of his opportunity,” Stutsman said after Saturday’s game. “He's talked about it. That's a dude that makes plays throughout practice. To see him make a play like that was awesome.”

While the Sooners have a lot of options at cornerback, Walker is earning opportunities on the field. But now, it’s about continuing to get better after a solid performance in Week 1.

“Coach (Venables) even said that after practice,” Walker said. “Our goal or our challenge is gonna be how hungry and how humble we're gonna stay as long as the season’s going on.”

“So I’d just say just keep the standard, stay hungry and stay humble about everything regardless of who we play.”