OU football: Can the interior defensive line improve in 2023?

Editor's Note: This is the latest installment in a series examining every Oklahoma position group heading into 2023. The previous installments covered wide receiver, running back, linebacker, defensive end, safety, tight end and cornerbacks.

It’s clear Brent Venables and the Oklahoma coaching staff has had a major priority during the offseason.

Add depth on the interior defensive line.

The Sooners have added three defensive tackles — Phillip Paea, Danny Saili and Da’Jon Terry — in the last three weeks. Counting the rest of the 2023 class, the Sooners have seven new interior defensive lineman to the roster. That doesn’t include four-star freshman Derrick LeBlanc, who announced last week he’s transferring to UCF after one semester in Norman.

Venables focusing on the defensive line makes sense, as it was an area of weakness in 2022. The Sooners struggled to generate consistent pressure in the backfield, finishing with 14 sacks against Big 12 opponents. Six of those sacks came against Oklahoma State. The OU defense also finished ninth in the conference in rushing defense.

The Sooners also have to replace two key defensive tackles after the departures of Jalen Redmond and Jeffrey Johnson. Redmond, in particular, was one of the more productive players on the defensive line, starting eight games while finishing third in tackles for loss (10) and second in sacks (4).

Here’s an overview of the 13 defensive tackles on OU’s roster and how they stack up heading into 2023:

Isaiah Coe (6-foot-2, 308 lbs)

Marcus Hicks (6-foot-6, 306 lbs)

Jordan Kelley (6-foot-4, 295)

Jonah Laulu (6-foot-5, 295)

Out of this group, Coe and Kelley stand out the most.

After four seasons that were marked by inconsistent playing time and a significant injury, Kelley finally earned a bigger opportunity in 2022. Kelley appeared in all 13 games and made three starts, finishing with 24 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. He still didn’t see a ton of playing time — he played 399 snaps, per Pro Football Focus, the 14th most on the team — but made the most of his opportunities. PFF gave him a final season grade of 77.1, the second highest on the team.

Coe saw playing time as a reserve in 2021 before seeing a more substantial role in 2022, starting six games. He played 347 snaps and finished with eight tackles for loss and two sacks. The junior, doesn’t offer a ton of size but has gained weight during the offseason, weighing in at 305 during spring practices.

Laulu is the biggest wildcard of this group. He spent last season primarily at defensive end and racked up 5.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks. But Laulu decided to return for his sixth-year senior season, and he and the coaching staff agreed to move him to defensive tackle. Listed at 6-foot-5, he’s one of the bigger defensive tackles on the roster and played a bit on the interior at Hawaii, but he’s essentially learning a new position in Venables' defense

Hicks is a tough player to evaluate. The former four-star recruit began his collegiate career as a defensive tackle before the coaching staff moved him to the offensive line last season. Now, he’s back on the defensive line entering his fifth season. The talent has always been there, but Hicks has appeared in just three games for his career.

Kelvin Gilliam Jr. (returning) (6-foot-3, 295 lbs)

Gracen Halton (returning) (6-foot-2, 271 lbs)

Ashton Sanders (6-foot-1, 286 lbs)

Markus Strong (6-foot-3, 265 lbs)

Let’s start with Gilliam and Halton, who both have some experience on the field.

Gilliam, entering his redshirt sophomore season, has yet to have a major impact on the Sooners’ defense. Gilliam appeared in nine games and played 99 snaps in 2022, finishing with one tackle. Halton, a true sophomore, was more productive in fewer snaps than Gilliam, finishing with 10 tackles and a TFL in 74 snaps. Halton doesn’t offer much size, but did show some flashes in 2022.

Both players are former four-star recruits, but they aren’t the only young players with potential.’

The Sooners added a pair of three-star prospects to the 2023 class in Sanders and Strong. Rivals rated Sanders as the No. 27-ranked defensive lineman in the class after he finished with 82 tackles, 22 TFLs and 10 sacks during his senior year at Cathedral High School. Strong was ranked as the No. 64-ranked defensive lineman in 2023 despite missing a significant portion of his senior year.

Considering the amount of returning veterans and the transfer players the Sooner added, a realistic path to significant playing time may not be there for any of the young players. But it’ll be interesting to see who lands on the depth chart in the fall.

Jacob Lacey (6-foot-1, 271 lbs)

Davon Sears (6-foot-2, 282 lbs)

Da’Jon Terry (6-foot-4, 321 lbs)

Phillip Paea (6-foot-4, 304 lbs)

This is where it gets really interesting. With their transfer defensive linemen, the Sooners added a mix of size and experience.

Lacey has the most experience of the group. The redshirt senior appeared in 36 games over four years at Notre Dame, posting 35 tackles, 6.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks, and he has two years of eligibility remaining. Sears, also a redshirt senior, comes to Norman after two seasons at Texas State and two at Ellsworth Community College. Both players, notably, participated in spring practices.

The other three players were added in recent weeks, and they all bring much-needed size to the defensive line.

Terry, a redshirt senior, arrives after spending two seasons at both Kansas and Tennessee. His most productive season came last year with the Volunteers, appearing in all 13 games while finishing with 16 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and 2 sacks. Terry is a former three-star prospect.

Paea is a unique case. He arrived in Michigan as a three-star recruit in 2017 and spent four seasons there before transferring to Utah State. Last season, he started the first three games before suffering a season-ending injury. 2023 will mark his sixth season and he still has two years of eligibility remaining.

Players like Coe and Kelley have an advantage over almost every other defensive tackle. They both saw playing time last season and posted solid numbers, and they are familiar with Venables' defense. But it’s clear Venables and defensive tackles coach Todd Bates weren’t satisfied with the DTs entering the offseason, and now they have options.

As of now, it’s unlikely the Sooners have a firm DT rotation set, making fall camp critical for players looking to earn playing time. But if last year is any indication, this coaching staff values experience above all else. If that’s the case, players like Coe, Kelley, Laulu, Lacey, Paea and Terry hold an advantage.

Ultimately, the Sooners' interior defensive line should be better in 2023. It's still a work in progress, particularly with the SEC move getting closer, but OU simply has more depth and more options at defensive tackle than it did last season.