Midseason review: Defensive tackles

One thing has been clear for the Sooners through six weeks.

There's simply more defensive line talent, and more depth, than the Sooners had a year ago, and it's not particularly close.

Despite a slightly slow start, the defensive line production has exploded in recent weeks. After recording 11 tackles for loss and two sacks against Arkansas State and SMU, the Sooners have totaled 41 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in the four games since then. That includes an impressive 10-TFL, 5-sack performance in the win over Texas.

Here's a look at the stats, data, takeaways and midseason grades for the interior defensive line and the defensive end positions:

SNAP-COUNT DATA

1. Jordan Kelley — 151

2. Jacob Lacey — 148

3. Jonah Laulu — 133

4. Isaiah Coe — 131

5. Da'Jon Terry — 120

INDIVIDUAL STATS

1. Jordan Kelley — 6 tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 quarterback hurries

2. Isaiah Coe — 11 tackles, 1 TFL

3. Jacob Lacey — 10 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks

4. Da'Jon Terry — 9 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 sack

5. Jonah Laulu — 8 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 sack

TEAM STATS

Sacks: 14 (3.5 for the defensive tackles)

TFLs: 52 (12 for defensive tackles)

Rushing defense: 113.7 yards per game (31st overall)

TAKEAWAYS

— What a story it's been for Lacey. It seems like a distant memory now, but there was real concern about his availability due to a medical issue that came to light during the summer. But he hasn't just been available — he's started each of the last five games. He was huge in the win over Texas, playing a season-high 34 snaps. He also sacked Texas QB Quinn Ewers on the Longhorns' final drive, which helped force a field goal. But nothing is more impressive than this — he's made the most starts of anybody on the defensive line outside of Rondell Bothroyd.

— Kelley leading the group in snaps is pretty impressive, considering he hasn't started a single game this season. But he's been a steady presence — his PFF defensive grade is 71.7 for the season.

— Coe has started each of the past three games after playing as a reserve to open the season. Fun fact, he has the highest PFF grade (76.1) of any interior defensive linemen.

— After starting the first game against Arkansas State and playing 13 snaps, Terry has settled into a nice reserve role. Here are his snap counts the last five weeks: 20, 21, 21, 17, 28. The 28 snaps came against Texas, where he recorded his lone sack of the season. His pass rush grade (56.9) has been disappointing but he's been particularly effective defending the run, earning a season grade of 77.5 in that regard.

— The switch from defensive end to defensive tackle has paid dividends for Laulu, who leads the position group in quarterback hurries (8). So it's no surprise that his pass rush grade for the season is 74.2. He started the first three games and has transitioned to a reserve role in recent weeks, but Laulu has carved out a solid spot in the rotation.

— Gracen Halton averaged nearly 13 snaps per game until Texas, when he only logged one. But he's graded out really well — 73.3 for the season — and he has 2.5 tackles for loss this season.

— It appears that the Brent Venables and Todd Bates have settled on a pretty clear rotation with the six players who have been mentioned thus far. Others like Davon Sears, Kelvin Gilliam Jr., Ashton Sanders and Phil Paea haven't played in recent weeks. Still, it's pretty interesting to see that the top-six players have all logged a similar amount of snaps, with the leader having yet to start a game this season. That largely says that the Sooners may not have a superstar at defensive tackle, but every player in the unit has made an impact. All six players have a PFF season grade of 70.9 or higher and bring different strengths when it comes to pass rushing or defending the run. It's no wonder the Sooners have improved in nearly every statistical category compared to a year ago.

MIDSEASON GRADE: B+