It is no secret that in Brent Venables’ defensive scheme, there’s a lot of pressure on the cheetah position. The cheetah, a hybrid position of linebacker and defensive back, has numerous responsibilities that can significantly change depending on the scheme.

After bringing in Dasan McCullough from the transfer portal, Sooners fans had high expectations for how the defense would be transformed in the 2023 season. The defense did improve, with Oklahoma allowing 30 points per game in 2022 compared to 23.46 in 2023.

In the latest installment of OUInsider's season reviews, let's take a look at how the cheetahs played in 2023:

(Note: All snap-count data and performances grades are provided by Pro Football Focus. PFF assigns both game and season-long grades for individual players on a 0-100 scale; 90-99 is considered elite, 80-89 good, 70-79 above average, 60-69 average, 50-59 below average, 0-49 poor. PFF performance grades are independent and separate from coaching staff evaluations.)

(OUInsider's Season Reviews: Wide receivers, running backs, tight ends, offensive line, defensive tackles, defensive ends, linebackers, special teams, cornerbacks)

Dasan McCullough -- 30 tackles, 0 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, 0 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, targeted 16 times, allowed 9 receptions for 117 yards and 1 touchdown

Justin Harrington -- 6 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 0 pass breakups, targeted 6 times, allowed 3 receptions for 10 yards and 0 touchdowns

Peyton Bowen -- 36 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 0 interceptions, 5 pass breakups, targeted 14 times, allowed 7 receptions for 79 yards and 1 touchdown

Kendel Dolby -- 49 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 4 pass breakups, targeted 45 times, allowed 31 receptions for 298 yards and 0 touchdowns

Samuel Omosigho -- 7 tackles, 0 sacks, 0.5 tackles for loss, 0 interceptions, 0 pass breakups, targeted 5 times, allowed 3 receptions for 15 yards and 0 touchdowns

Dasan McCullough -- 276 snaps, 79.5 defensive grade, 88.3 coverage grade

Justin Harrington -- 91 snaps, 72.8 defensive grade, 76.3 coverage grade

Peyton Bowen -- 363 snaps, 69.5 defensive grade, 68.4 coverage grade

Kendel Dolby -- 475 snaps, 66.6 defensive grade, 65.8 coverage grade

Samuel Omosigho -- 63 snaps, 72.5 defensive grade, 71.6 coverage grade

-- After his transfer from Indiana, Dasan McCullough quickly became one of the most discussed acquisitions going into the 2023 season. The staff moved him around quite a bit, as he spent 60 snaps lined up on the defensive line, 60 snaps in the box, six snaps at free safety, 128 snaps at slot corner and two snaps at corner. However, he suffered an injury in the season opener that limited him to just 10 games and the 20th-most snaps on the defense. Expect McCullough to see a bigger role in 2024.

-- Harrington earned the starting cheetah spot in fall camp and appeared primed for a big role before his season-ending injury against SMU. His 91 snaps ranked among the team leaders through the first two games, and he made an impact as a coverage player (he was lined up in the slot for 53 of his snaps). If Harrington is given his seventh season of eligibility from the NCAA, the Sooners should be loaded at cheetah going into the SEC.

-- Despite being a true freshman, former five-star Peyton Bowen saw the field early and often for OU and spent time at cheetah after the injuries to McCollough and Harrington. In his 363 snaps, Bowen was utilized in many ways and lined up in the box 86 times, played free safety for 141 snaps and even got time at slot corner with 126 snaps. Bowen showed his versatility and will likely be on the field for significant playing time in 2024.

-- Even with Kendel Dolby coming to Norman as primarily a corner, he also spent some time at cheetah and the staff was able to use him at numerous spots during the season. Although most of those (330) were at slot corner, Dolby also lined up in the box for 91 snaps, lined up on the defensive line for 21 snaps and even saw 6 snaps at free safety.

-- While injuries started building up, true freshman Samuel Omosigho was utilized as the cheetah on defense during a handful of occasions. Omosigho lined up 5 times on the defensive line, 10 times in the box, 2 instances at safety and 44 at slot corner.

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