Oklahoma Sooners relying on pair of exciting young players to help replace Danny Stutsman in the middle of their defense
The loss of linebacker Danny Stutsman is a significant hurdle for the Oklahoma Sooners to overcome, both on and off the field. Stutsman was the leader of the defense (dare I say the whole team) and his impact there will be hard to replace. However, the Sooners have invested plenty into the linebacker room over […]
The loss of linebacker Danny Stutsman is a significant hurdle for the Oklahoma Sooners to overcome, both on and off the field. Stutsman was the leader of the defense (dare I say the whole team) and his impact there will be hard to replace.
However, the Sooners have invested plenty into the linebacker room over the years, and have two players primed to step up and help fill the void left behind by Stutsman's departure.
Oklahoma will be relying on the duo of redshirt junior linebacker Kobie McKinzie and junior Samuel Omosigho over at MIKE linebacker in 2025.
SoonerScoop reported that the duo are taking turns carrying the "green dot" for the defense, meaning the two are calling the defense in practice. This points to a serious competition for the starting MIKE position, and it's nice to see that the Sooners have depth here and can afford such competition.
These two made an impact already last year, with both earning over 300 snaps as part of the Sooners' rotation in 2024. McKinzie posted 17 run stops and a pass breakup on 337 snaps while Omosigho posted 20 run stops, a forced fumble, and a pass breakup of his own.
However, this will be a bit of a transition for both of them. McKinzie has never stepped into a full-time role before, with the most snaps of his career coming in the Sooners' bowl game against Navy last year. McKinzie also had the highest missed tackle rate of the entire linebacker room, a stat he will have to cut down moving forward.
Samuel Omosigho mainly played as an outside linebacker last season, moonlighting over at the Sooners' "Cheetah" position. While on the surface they might seem similar, Omosigho's responsibilities completely shift with a move inside. Given that this will be Omosigho's first season in a full-time role, he'll have to prove he's ready for that mental adjustment.
What makes this an exciting competition is that both of these players would be no-brainer starters on almost 99% of teams across college football. Now, the Sooners have the benefit of allowing two talented players to step up and win the job through a steep competition.
