Oklahoma LB Brian Asamoah Selected by Minnesota Vikings

Asamoah is on the small side for a weak side linebacker, but his speed, reaction, athletic ability and sideline-to-sideline pursuit makes him a good prospect.

Ryan Chapman | Apr 29, 2022

Brian Asamoah became the second Sooner to have his dreams come true on Friday night.

The talented athletic linebacker was selected on the second day of this year’s NFL Draft when the Minnesota Vikings took Asamoah with the 66th overall pick, No. 2 in the third round. He was selected just two picks behind the first Sooner to go off the board: Nik Bonitto went to Denver with the last pick of the second round.

A former 3-star recruit by 247 Sports and Rivals, Asamoah redshirted his first year on campus in Norman before carving out more snaps for himself as he got older.

As a redshirt freshman, Asamoah flashed the ability to play sideline-to-sideline while finishing the year with 23 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback sacks and a pass breakup.

When Kenneth Murray moved on to the NFL, Asamoah stepped into the linebacker rotation in a major way for then-linebackers coach Brian Odom.

Asamoah started nine games in 2020, and racked up 66 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks while also pulling down an interception, forcing a fumble and breaking up four passes.

Last year, Asamoah took another step forward, finishing with 90 tackles, and played the best football of his career down the stretch.

The Columbus product posted a career high with 14 tackles and a forced fumble against Baylor, and he built on that the next weekend with 10 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble against Iowa State.

In total, Asamoah was named a Butkus Award Semifinalist for his production in 2021, which led to making the decision to opt out of the Alamo Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft.

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Published Apr 29, 2022

RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK.