Editor's note: With Oklahoma's spring practices set to begin on March 6, OUInsider will project the depth chart for each position group and evaluate the biggest questions. This installment focuses on the defensive line.

Continuity is the theme that sticks out for Oklahoma's defensive line.

The Sooners' defensive line mostly held up in its first season in the SEC, and the positive is that they can build on it. The Sooners return 60% of their tackle production on the defensive line, including four of the eight players who logged the most snaps at defensive end and defensive tackle.

There are some shoes to fill, particularly with the departure of three-year starter Ethan Downs and regular rotation players like Da'Jon Terry, Trace Ford and Caiden Woullard. But the Sooners got huge news with the returns of Damonic Williams and R Mason Thomas, and with the returns of Jayden Jackson, Gracen Halton, David Stone and Adepoju Adebawore, the Sooners should have a very solid rotation on the defensive line.

Pair that with some of the young players like Danny Okoye and Nigel Smith, and the Sooners have a group with experienced veterans and young players with upside.

Here's an overview of the defensive line heading into spring practices:

(Snap-count data provided by Pro Football Focus)

DE: R Mason Thomas, Danny Okoye

DT: Jayden Jackson, Gracen Halton, David Stone

NT: Damonic Williams, David Stone

DE: Marvin Jones Jr., Adepoju Adebawore

— It's hard to overstate just how massive it is that both Williams and Thomas are returning. It's more than just having two locked-in starters. They give the Sooners two veterans who have played a ton of snaps.

Last season was the breakout for Thomas that everybody was hoping for. He finished fifth in the SEC in sacks (9.0) and 10th in tackles for loss (12.5), and his 87.2 pass-rushing grade ranked 18th among all NCAA defensive ends who logged at least 230 snaps. He showed his ability to complete disrupt opposing offenses in the fourth quarter against Tulane and late against Auburn, when he generated the pressure that led to Kip Lewis' pick-six. On pure pass-rushing plays, it's hard to find a player better than Thomas.

Williams was solid in his first season, finishing with 36 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and a sack. He led every OU defensive lineman in snaps (416). His production was roughly on par with his previous two seasons at TCU, and if he can take another step forward as a senior, that would mean huge things for the Sooners.

— What a freshman season for Jackson, who finished with 30 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. He started all but three games last year and should slot right back in as a starter. He's a future All-American in the making, and still has a ton of room to grow.

— In terms of both production and snap counts, Halton basically acted as the third starter on the interior. That should be the case in 2025. There were games where Halton was the best player on the field for the defense, and he finished second on the team in sacks (5). With Williams, Jackson and Halton, the Sooners have a rock-solid trio on the interior.

— The question, then, centers around who can pick up that fourth rotation spot. Losing Terry means the Sooners have to replace 317 snaps.

Stone is the obvious candidate, both in terms of experience and potential. The going-to-be sophomore's playing time was the definition of inconsistent; he played in every single game, but he logged just four or fewer snaps in eight contests. But the former five-star prospect clearly has potential, and he spent a large chunk of last season wearing a cast on his arm.

Plus, and not that will matter a ton necessarily, but his snap alignments are similar to Terry's. Stone lined up 34 snaps as the defensive tackle and 58 as a nose tackle. Terry lined up for 118 snaps as a defensive tackle and 194 as the nose tackle.

— There's two big questions on the defensive line. The first one centers on the starting D-end spot opposite Thomas. There was a lot of optimism for Adebawore to have a breakout sophomore year, but it didn't come to pass. He finished with less production across the board and played 65 fewer snaps compared to his freshman year. He just wasn't healthy and wasn't consistent enough compared to the Sooners' other options.

But obviously, it's still way too soon to give up on Adebawore, who probably still offers the highest ceiling of anyone on the defensive line (and possibly the defense). He still has elite length and speed.

But the Sooners added Jones Jr. for a reason. The fourth-year player had a solid season last year at Florida State (25 tackles, 6 TFLs, 4 sacks) and he played more snaps last season than Adebawore has for his career. He hasn't fully delivered on the promise he had as a four-star prospect in the 2021 class, but the upside is there and he offers a bit more stability than Adebawore, at least right now.

That battle between Jones Jr. and Adebawore will be something to watch in the spring. But ideally, both will see a lot of playing time.

— The other question centers around the young guys, particularly at defensive end. Even if Thomas, Jones Jr. and Adebawore are all productive and healthy, the Sooners need at least one other option. The Sooners had five defensive ends log at least 119 snaps last season.

Okoye is probably the most-likely option. He's still raw and needs to add some size, but the coaching staff remains incredibly high on his development. But could Nigel Smith work his way into the rotation? What about four-star freshman CJ Nickson?

Maybe one of the other young defensive tackles take a step, but there's such a log jam on the interior, especially if Stone becomes a reliable contributor.

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