Three Questions on Oklahoma Training Camp: Defensive Line

The Sooners open preseason camp next week with a mix of solid veterans and high-upside young players in the position group.

Adepoju Adebawore (34) runs drills during OU football practice / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

Oklahoma opens preseason training camp next week, and the Sooners have some questions to answer during the month of August.

In this series, Sooners on SI will attempt to provide some answers ahead of camp.

Next up is OU's defensive line group, which made a few high-profile additions over the offseason.

How does Damonic Williams perform in Brent Venables' defense?

The TCU transfer will likely be a big upgrade for OU, but has yet to see any live action in Crimson and Cream.

With the Sooners making their SEC debut this fall, Brent Venables and Todd Bates knew Oklahoma would have to add size and experience on the defensive line after losing Isaiah Coe, Jonah Laulu and Jacob Lacey from last season.

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READ MORE: Three Questions on Oklahoma Training Camp: Offensive Line

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While players like Gracen Halton, David Stone and Jayden Jackson have all shown the potential to be impact players, none of the three aforementioned d-lineman have extensive experience on the field at the collegiate level.

Enter TCU transfer Damonic Williams, who spent two seasons in Fort Worth as a full-time starter, earning Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors in 2023. As a true freshman in 2022, Williams started every game for a Horned Frogs team that defeated Michigan in the College Football Playoff to reach the national title, earning Freshman All-American honors along the way.

While the Torrance, CA, product had two solid seasons at TCU, there is a chance that his play takes a step up this season under Bates' tutelage in an aggressive Venables' defense. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 319 pounds, Williams has the size and experience OU desperately needed to add along the defensive line heading into the SEC.

Still, the talented trench player has to prove on the field that he will make a difference for Oklahoma this season. If Williams improves from where he was last year, the Sooners should have enough talent and depth on the interior to compete in their new conference.

With Da'Jon Terry back for another season in Norman after being a major contributor in 2023, Bates will have multiple d-lineman in his rotation with enough size and experience to handle the physicality of the SEC.

Can PJ Adebawore and R Mason Thomas live up to their potential?

Given what both players showed late last season and throughout the spring, it seems possible.

Ever since both PJ Adebawore and R Mason Thomas arrived on campus, there have been whispers throughout training camp about how good each player could be.

Thomas, a 4-star edge rusher from Fort Lauderdale, FL, came to Norman as a member of the Sooners' 2022 recruiting class. With an extremely quick first step off the ball and good flexibility around the edge, Thomas has been described as one of Oklahoma's best pass rushers.

Yet, while his ability has been lauded, Thomas hasn't seen his talent translate to results on the field. Dealing with multiple injuries throughout his time at OU, Thomas has been sidelined or not fully healthy when he is able to play.

Entering his junior season, the 6-2, 240-pound edge rusher has accumulated just 16 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in his first two years under Venables. Thomas has, however, shown flashes of potential off the edge.

In 19 defensive snaps against UCF last season, Thomas recorded three quarterback pressures and three hurries, according to Pro Football Focus. In 29 snaps against TCU, the high-upside edge defender notched two more pressures, another hurry and one QB hit.

In the Alamo Bowl against Arizona, Thomas recorded his only sack of the season.

Like Thomas, Adebawore has a wealth of potential but hasn't seen much success on the field at the collegiate level yet. Hailing form Kansas City, MO, the 6-4, 251-pound edge rusher (Venables last week said he was at 260) was one of the top 10 overall prospects and top two edge rushers in the 2023 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

With long arms, impressive power and a quick first step off the ball, Adebawore has the potential to be one of the top edge rushers in college football later in his career if he can continue to improve his balance, bend off the edge and hand usage.

As a true freshman, the former 5-star prospect tallied six tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one pass breakup in limited time on the field. In 17 snaps against TCU, Adebawore recorded three quarterback hurries and three quarterback pressures.

With another offseason of work with Miguel Chavis, Adebawore has the potential to be a difference-maker for the Sooners this year.

Which young interior defensive linemen will emerge?

It seems that a true freshman and a returning playmaker along the interior defensive line have carved out roles.

Aside from Terry and Williams, who have played significant snaps during their careers, Oklahoma doesn't have many players on the interior defensive line who have notable experience at the collegiate level.

Redshirt senior Davon Sears spent two seasons at Ellsworth Community College and redshirted during his first season at Texas State before playing 354 defensive snaps in 2022 for the Bobcats, but only tallied 11 defensive snaps during his first season in Norman, according to PFF.

With Sears likely being a reserve option for Bates and company, the Sooners will need players like Jackson, Stone, Halton, Ashton Sanders and Markus Strong to step up and play rotational snaps in 2023.

Stone enters his freshman season after coming to Norman in January with Jackson as early enrollees. A 5-star prospect coming out of IMG Academy (FL), Stone has added weight quickly since getting to campus and could be ready to make an impact in year one.

Similarly, Jackson is one of only three defensive lineman on OU's roster who weighs at least 300 pounds. After an impressive spring that saw Jackson earn plenty of reps with the starting defense, it is likely he will be a big part of Oklahoma's defensive line rotation in 2024.

Halton will also factor into the Sooners' rotation after recording 11 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss as a true sophomore. In just 91 snaps last season, the 6-2, 291-pound Halton earned a 76.2 defensive grade from PFF.

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