NORMAN — Kobie McKinzie acknowledged there were some struggles early on in his collegiate career.
The redshirt freshman, a consensus four-star prospect, played just four games last season after suffering a torn groin during fall camp. That limited his opportunities to compete for a spot on the depth chart. Coming into this season, he faced stiff competition in a crowded linebacker corps.
At moments, McKinzie had some doubts.
"That’s human nature, every human does that," McKinzie said during his Monday media availability. "That’s the belief in knowing that the work you have put in, you will ultimately have the output. I have lived my life like that. I know that I’ve done my deeds. I will reap what I sow. I’ve been happy for everybody in every moment, no matter what. Never jealous of anybody. As a man, that’s just an aspect of growing up."
But in the last couple of weeks, things have begun to trend in a positive direction for McKinzie.
He played just 57 total snaps in the first nine weeks, per Pro Football Focus, largely seeing spot playing time behind Danny Stutsman and Jaren Kanak. But his snap count has gone up in recent weeks. Against Oklahoma State he played a season-high 56 snaps, logging five tackles and finishing with the seventh-highest Pro Football Focus grade (67.8)
He again saw a heavy workload in Saturday's win over BYU, playing 44 snaps and finishing with five tackles. McKinzie also played a role in Stutsman's pivotal strip-sack fumble in the fourth quarter.
"We had a blitz called," Stutsman said after the game. "It was a backer-backer check. Kobie communicated. Honestly, I wasn’t gonna go, but Kobie took control over there, got me in the right position and everyone executed and we got off the field."
For OU coach Brent Venables, McKinzie's recent play is a testament to his growth as a football player.
"Kobie’s done a great job," Venables said. "He kinda struggled as a freshman. He tore his groin in camp. He came in as a (mid-year enrollee) and that was probably a struggle. You miss several weeks and that’s missing opportunities to show what you can do and it’s hard once the season starts because the reps are limited. You don’t get the same reps. You just have to be ready when you get the opportunity.Been real proud of him. His mental part of the game is really good. He takes full responsibility.
"A lot of young guys don’t want to look at the man in the mirror and they allow themselves to beat themselves or they let external factors distract. Kobie has a maturity when it comes to those things. He’s one of the smartest linebackers we have. He’s improved tremendously fundamentally. He’d fall down a lot ten months ago. He’s gotten quicker with his feet and his balance and his blitz timing and his ability to strike. He has a tremendous upside, too. He has a high ceiling still in front of him as well. He comes in on his own a lot and lets you coach him hard and takes responsibility."
His emergence as a real player has been huge as the Sooners' linebacker room continues to change.
Stutsman and Kanak played nearly every snap to start the season, forming what appeared to be an electric one-two punch at the middle and weakside linebacker spots. While Stutsman continues to lead the defense, Kanak's role in the defense has diminished in recent weeks. After averaging nearly 60 snaps per game through the first eight games, Kanak's played just 56 total snaps over the last three weeks, per Pro Football Focus.
Kip Lewis has also emerged in recent weeks, starting each of the past three games. He played 135 total snaps against Oklahoma State and West Virginia, per PFF. But the Sooners' defense struggled against BYU and that included Lewis, who saw just 24 snaps and recorded a PFF grade of 49.3 against the Cougars. That opened the door for McKinzie to play more snaps.
The cheetah position, a hybrid of linebacker and defensive back, has also seen its fair share of dynamic shifts. Justin Harrington started the first two games but suffered a season-ending injury. Dasan McCollough has been in and out of the lineup with injuries. Peyton Bowen, who saw some time at the cheetah position early in the year, hasn't been fully healthy for weeks. As a result, Kendel Dolby — who primarily played cornerback at Northeastern A&M University — has seen the bulk of the cheetah reps.
It hasn't been a perfect and straightforward season for the linebackers, who are relying on a lot of young players. But Venables is confident that the emergence of guys like McKinzie give the team a blueprint moving forward.
"I love their willingness to be coached, their willingness to be led, their willingness to invest, their willingness to strain," Venables said, "whether it’s Dasan, it’s Kobie or Kendel Dolby or Kip Lewis and his emergence, Jaren Kanak, Shane Whitter, Lewis Carter — we lost Phil Piccotti to start the year to an ACL, (and) because of injuries we’ve had to put some guys over there. I wish Peyton was a hundred healthy because he’s at safety and we worked him at cheetah, but it’s hard when you’re not practicing as much.
"Real proud of the group. We have a lot of improving to do and a lot to get better at. We’re not close... Until we get three first-team All-Americans I’m never going to be happy. But I also have the right perspective and I’m thankful for this group of dudes. They like it and I’m thankful for that and proud of them."
