The linebacker room has a ton of question marks heading into 2025.
It's not just about replacing Danny Stutsman, an every-down linebacker the last three years and whose value to the program extended way past just his production on the field. The Sooners also lost Dasan McCullough and Lewis Carter — guys who were projected to play meaningful snaps in 2025.
With those departures, the Sooners are left with a room headlined by exciting veterans and tons of depth concerns.
Fortunately for the Sooners, fourth-year players Kip Lewis and Kobie McKinzie should be ready to take ownership of the defense. The Sooners also landed Kendal Daniels via the portal, who should bring experience and versatility to the defense. Add in Samuel Omosigho and Kendel Dolby — who can hopefully continue recovering from last year's season-ending injury — and there's no question that the Sooners have talent.
But the spring will be about figuring out if the Sooners have enough depth and talent to keep the defense afloat.
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART
MIKE: Kobie McKinzie, Jaren Kanak
WILL: Kip Lewis, Sammy Omosigho
CHEETAH: Kendel Dolby, Kendel Daniels
— Kobie McKinzie and Kip Lewis are the only true known commodities in this group. Lewis had his breakout season in 2024, playing 470 snaps (the seventh most on the defense) to go with 63 tackles, four tackles for loss and two interceptions (both for touchdowns). Heading into his fourth season, it's time for Lewis to take control of the defense.
There's still some room for growth for McKinzie. He played 24 or fewer snaps in four of the final five games and his production dropped off down the stretch. But he has way more experience than the other guys in the linebacker room, and Stutsman's departure could be the opening for McKinzie to fully settle in.
— Outside of those two, there's a lot of ways this could go. Kanak is a huge question mark because he barely played last season (92 snaps), he hasn't looked great when he's been on the field and the offseason noise about his involvement with the offense. It would be really helpful if Kanak made a leap on defense, but the path to playing time might be better on offense.
— The Sooners don't have a ton of depth at any on the linebacker spots, which might force some creativity. Omosigho has almost exclusively played cheetah, and he logged more snaps in the slot corner than anywhere else on the defense and has primarily been used as a coverage guy. But he might be most useful at one of the will or mike linebacker spots.
— It's going to be really interesting to see how the Sooners utilize Kendel Daniels. He was used all over the field during his three years at Oklahoma State. But he primarily played as a safety and a defensive back in his first two seasons before playing mostly linebacker last year. He's got versatility, but the push and pull with him will be: Can the Sooners afford to play him where he'll be most successful? Or because of depth issues, will they play him where he's most needed?
— This whole discussion could also hinge heavily on Kendel Dolby, who was arguably the Sooners' best defensive player before he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4. If Dolby is healthy, he's your no-brainer starter at cheetah and can soak up a ton of snaps there, which would give the coaching staff flexibility on where everyone else is playing. If Dolby isn't healthy, then the picture becomes blurrier.
— What about the young guys? There's been some buzz about James Nesta, who wasn't needed last year as a freshman. The Sooners also added Marcus James in the freshman class, but Nesta will be someone to watch. Even if everything goes perfectly over the next few months, depth will still be a question mark heading into the fall. The Sooners really need someone like Nesta to grow up quickly.
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