Oklahoma Position Preview: Defensive Line

The Sooners have plenty of experience back across the defensive front, but can the returning players and transfers make up for the productivity lost to the NFL Draft?

Not much has changed personnel-wise across the Oklahoma defensive line since spring football ended.

The Sooners haven’t augmented the depth chart this summer via the NCAA Transfer Portal. Haven’t added any junior college transfers or late signees to the 2022 class.

One thing that did change, though, was the players’ bodies.

Under new (old) strength coach Jerry Schmidt, players are noticeably bigger and leaner, fitter in general. That should allow for more snaps by the front-line talent, and should necessitate less rotation with the backups.

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2022 Oklahoma Position Previews

• Tuesday: Running Back
• Wednesday: Linebacker
• Thursday: Offensive line
• Friday: Defensive line
• Saturday: Wide receiver
• Sunday: Cornerback
• Monday: Tight end
• Tuesday: Safety/Nickel
• Wednesday: Quarterback

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At defensive tackle, Jalen Redmond slimmed down and then added five pounds to his frame. Jeffrey Johnson and Kori Robertson both shed a little bulk and then beefed up, Johnson by two pounds, Roberson by six.

At noseguard, Isaiah Coe leaned up and added six pounds of muscle. Josh Ellison went from 283 to 297. And Jordan Kelley slimmed down and then added two pounds.

And at defensive end, Reggie Grimes went from 258 to 266. Ethan Downs added two pounds of muscle. And sophomore Kelvin Gilliam bulked up the most, going from 254 as a true freshman to 285 this offseason on the “Smitty Plan.”

That will help whenever the Sooners transition into the SEC, of course. But it should pay dividends this year as well.

Under new d-line coach Todd Bates and new d-ends coach Miguel Chavis, both the new players and the returning players have been on a learning curve. Soaking in the Brent Venables defense in the month-long spring practice was its own challenge — even for the experienced veterans.

“I’ve been out for so long, even though I’ve been here, I haven’t technically played a lot of snaps like some of the guys who have been here as long as I have,” Redmond said in the spring. “ … It’s fresh. We all need a fresh start.”

Oklahoma rotated snaps liberally in 2021 up front — much to the consternation of players like Perrion Winfrey and Isaiah Thomas, who have since departed for the NFL.

But the bottom line on Alex Grinch’s endless and occasionally frustrating substitutions last year is that they produced a much more experienced lineup this year.

Players like Roberson and Ellison and Kelley are not only bigger, they’re also ready for a bigger role in 2022.

They’ll have to earn those snaps, however.

Redmond is a fourth-year junior who has superstar ability but wants to finally produce a full season without injury or illness slowing him down.

Johnson is an enticing addition via the portal from Tulane, where he was a four-year starter and played well against the Sooners last year in Norman — but now must flip the switch on an every-down basis.

And Coe was termed the “most powerful guy in the group” by former d-line coach Calvin Thibodeaux out of juco and showed plenty of playmaking talent last year, but now takes on a larger role.

The defensive end spot will be worth watching as four talented players expect to be in the mix as front-line contributors.

Grimes showed occasional explosion throughout his sophomore year and delivered big-time in the bowl game. Downs stood out at times as a true freshman and showed a tendency to reside in the offensive backfield.

Two others add power and versatility to the position: Gilliam played across the defensive front in high school and showed that ability to adapt last year as a freshman, and Jonah La’ulu, a transfer from Hawaii, is big enough and experienced enough to hold down the d-end spot or rotate over to d-tackle if needed.

Thomas played some d-end last year and was productive (he had eight total quarterback sacks from both his end and tackle positions), but the d-ends coming back in 2022 produced just 2.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss last year and will need to drastically improve that number.

The reality is that last year’s numbers will be tough for this year’s group to replicate. Thomas (eight sacks) and Winfrey (5.5) delivered consistent push and combined for 22.5 tackles for loss, while rush linebacker Nik Bonitto (15 TFLs, 7 sacks) was a disruptive force.

Can Grimes or Downs or Coe or Redmond — or someone else — step into those roles and force opposing offensive coordinators to alter their game plans?

“I’m definitely not used to having this many plays,” La’ulu said in the spring. “It’s definitely been a very crazy process. Every other day we’re establishing five more plays, five more plays, five more plays, your brain just going crazy. But I feel like being an experienced player, because I’ve been playing since 2018, I feel like I kind of get the plays down easier, I guess you could say.”