Midseason review: Defensive end

Finding depth at defensive was a huge priority for Oklahoma during the offseason. The Sooners nabbed veterans Rondell Bothroyd and Trace Ford via the transfer portal and also added five-star freshman Adepoju Adebowore to the mix, hoping that would help strengthen an area of weakness from a season ago.

Through six games, that added depth is paying dividends. But it's not just the new faces making an impact.

Here's a look at the stats, data, takeaways and midseason grades for the Sooners' defensive ends:

1. Ethan Downs — 233

2. Rondell Bothroyd — 221

3. Trace Ford — 130

4. Adepoju Adebowore — 106

5. Marcus Strippling — 88

1. Ethan Downs — 17 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks

2. Rondell Bothroyd — 9 tackles, 1.5 TFLs

3. Trace Ford — 7 tackles, 1 INT

4. Adepoju Adebowore — 6 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 1 pass break up

5. Marcus Strippling — 4 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks

(All snap-count data provided by Pro Football Focus).

— No question, the first player that should be mentioned is Downs. The production just wasn't there for Downs a year ago, and he was the center of a lot criticism in 2022 as the Sooners' defense struggled down the stretch. He has bounced back in a huge way, and it has gone largely under the radar. He doesn't just lead the defensive ends in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks and snaps. He also has the highest PFF season grade (76.4) of anybody in the position group.. The next highest is Bothroyd at 67.8. Downs also played a critical role in the Sooners' win over Texas, leading the team in TFLs (2) and sacks (2). To this point, Downs has simply been the most productive defensive end on the team.

— The counting stats for Bothroyd aren't blowing anybody away, but he's been a consistent and steady presence for the Sooners. He's started all six games, with the Sooners seemingly having settled on a starting unit of Bothroyd and Downs since Week 2. He also has the highest tackle grade among the defensive ends (80.2) and the sixth highest on the team.

— Ford has only started one game, but he's played 21 snaps or more in four of the last five games. His highlight of the season came against Tulsa, when he intercepted a pass and nearly scored before being tackled inside the five-yard line.

— Four of the five leaders in snaps are upperclassmen. The exception? Adebowore. The true freshman is one of just four defensive ends to log snaps in all six games so far. He logged 22 or more snaps in three straight weeks before the Texas game, and he played 14 snaps in the win over the Longhorns. He probably needs to add a little more weight moving forward, but he's already made a significant impact with his size (6-foot-4) and length. Considering the coaching staff was willing to play Adebowore against the Longhorns, expect the snap counts to only increase for the talented first-year player. The ceiling for him is clearly becoming a star player.

— Strippling played 245 snaps last season, and he's on pace to finish slightly under that this season. Still, he's found a way to make a decent impact in limited reps.

— The predicted breakout season hasn't quite happened yet for sophomore R Mason Thomas, as injuries have limited him to just 46 snaps this season. However, he's logged 21 combined snaps in the past two games, indicating he could see the field more consistently moving forward. He also saw some snaps alongside Adebowore against Texas, and that combination has a lot of potential if Thomas can stay healthy.

— After starting every game in 2022, Reggie Grimes has seen his playing time cut significantly this season. He's played just 49 snaps and didn't play at all against the Longhorns. This was anticipated given the additions the Sooners made during the offseason. Grimes has been a great locker-room player and is a big leader for the defensive ends, but he likely won't play much of a role down the stretch unless there are injuries.

— It was a bit of a slow start for the defensive line as a whole. But the entire unit, particularly the defensive line, has been really steady in the last couple weeks as the Sooners have settled on a regular rotation.

MIDSEASON GRADE: B+