Midseason review: Linebackers

If there's a defining characteristic of Brent Venables' defenses, it's typically high-level linebacker play. The Sooners have found that in both Danny Stutsman and Jaren Kanak.

Those two guys, who Venables' jokingly referred to as 'Frick and Frack' during the preseason, have proven themselves as stalwarts in the Sooners' defense. Their elevated play as been instrumental in the team's defensive improvement from a year ago.

Here's a look at the stats, data, takeaways and midseason grades for Stutsman, Kanak and the rest of the Sooners' linebackers:

1. Danny Stutsman — 354

2. Jaren Kanak — 337

3. Kip Lewis — 76

4. Kobie McKinzie — 43

1. Danny Stutsman — 58 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery

2. Jaren Kanak — 35, 3.0 TFLs, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble

3. Kip Lewis — 23 tackles

4. Kobie McKinzie — 9 tackles, 1 TFL

— Here's a quick snapshot of impressive Stutsman's season has been. He's on pace for the exact same amount of tackles he finished with last season (125) and he's already tied his tackles for loss output in 2022. But the crazy thing is that he's doing while playing significantly fewer snaps. Last season, Stutsman played 992 snaps. This season, he's on pace to play 767 snaps. But make no mistake, Stutsman is leading the Sooners in snaps this season just like he did in 2022, but he's elevated his play to new levels. He currently has a PFF season grade of 78.5 and a team-high rushing defense grade of 87, compared to his season grade of 58.9 in 2022. If he continues to perform this well over the second half of the season, he's got more than a decent shot at winning the Butkis Award.

— Another big development for the Sooners? Stutsman has found a true running mate in Kanak. The true sophomore is second on the team in tackles and third on the team in snaps, and they've developed a true synergy in the middle of the Sooners' defense. Against Texas, Stutsman played all 79 defensive snaps while Kanak played 77. That was also a breakout game for Kanak, who finished the game with a team-high 13 tackles. Kanak flashed his potential last season in limited snaps, and now he's proving he more than belongs on the field.

— Lewis hasn't played a ton of snaps, but he's appeared in every game. Against Texas he played just four snaps, but he made them count. On the Sooners' goal-line stand in the fourth quarter, Lewis made a solo tackle on first down before combining with Dasan McCullough for the stop on second down. On the season, Lewis has a PFF grade of 71.4. He may not see the field a ton behind Stutsman and Kanak, but the redshirt freshman has shown his potential.

— Speaking of McCullough, he has seen the majority of the snaps at the cheetah position since Justin Harrington's injury. The cheetah position, a combination of linebacker and defensive back, will be discussed more than in the midseason review focused on the safeties.

— McKinzie has played spot duty this season. He's played in five of six games but has logged more than 10 snaps just once. Again, it's a product of Stutsman and Kanak's heavy workload. McKinzie and Lewis aren't the only ones affected. There also just hasn't been a ton of snaps available for other guys like Konner Near (17), Lewis Carter (19) and Shane Whitter (21).

MIDSEASON GRADE: A