Oklahoma Starting 11: Defensive Back Key Lawrence

SI Sooners Examines OU's Best and Brightest Players on the 2022 Roster Heading Into Spring Practice. Today: No. 6, Key Lawrence.

No matter where he played last year, Key Lawrence made an impact.

The Tennessee transfer took some time to find his way onto the field, first slotting in at safety before shining as a cornerback, but he soon become a key piece of Oklahoma’s secondary.

Featuring in 12 games last year, Lawrence defended four passes. And while he didn’t pull down any interceptions, he came up big in key moments by rallying to the football and forcing a fumble.

Dislodging the ball once against Kansas and twice against Iowa State, Lawrence helped flip the momentum in both contests to ensure the Sooners would avoid a pair of disastrous upsets.

Lawrence really came on strong through an October stretch which saw the OU defense take a major step back last year, which was something then-defensive coordinator Alex Grinch praised the transfer for.

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Oklahoma Starting 11

• No. 11: Brayden Willis
• No. 10: Jeffery Johnson
• No. 9: Andrew Raym
• No. 8: Michael Turk
• No. 7: Eric Gray
• No. 6: Key Lawrence

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“We've gotta do maybe less talking and more actual doing,” Grinch said after Oklahoma’s win over Kansas. “… Key stepped up. If I think about the guys that have stepped up over the recent weeks, that list is very short, which means we've gotta do a better job of preparing the guys.

“He'd be one of the guys at the top. He's stepped up in his role.”

Lawrence benefitted last year from an injury to Woodi Washington which momentarily opened a revolving door at corner.

But once he stepped in to help fill the void against TCU, Lawrence didn’t look back.

In the five games he featured prominently at corner, Lawrence averaged 6.4 tackles per game, helping bring stability to Oklahoma’s secondary.

This season, Lawrence will have even more opportunities to take on a bigger role at safety for the Sooners.

Three-year starters in Pat Fields and Delarrin Turner-Yell have moved on, with Fields transferring to Stanford and Turner-Yell headed to the NFL Draft.

Key Lawrence :: Jay Biggerstaff / USA TODAY Sports

North Carolina transfer Trey Morrison and Lawrence are primed to get the early nod as starters, as both will bring plenty of on-field experience to OU’s secondary, which will help everyone pick up the defense and be ready to have their presence felt on Saturday’s.

“I don’t think there is much experience, but there is some viable experience,” new OU safeties coach Brandon Hall said during his introductory press conference. “As much as there is game experience, but there is also college experience.

“… You have guys like Key Lawrence and guys like Justin Broiles. Even someone like Billy Bowman. Guy played in the Cotton Bowl. He’s played in some big games, big snaps. The assimilation for those guys is going to be so much quicker.”

Key Lawrence :: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN-USA TODAY NETWORK

The Nashville native will also add something the back end of OU’s secondary has been lacking for a few years — size.

Utilizing his 6-foot-1, 208-pound frame, the young defensive back brings a different level of physicality to the defensive back room in Norman.

Still, Lawrence no doubt will have to adapt as he’s learning his third defensive system in as many years. But if he can pick up the mental side of Brent Venables’ defense, the Sooners will have a safety who has exhibited great cover skills in the pass game as well as the ability to step up in the run game and deliver punishing hits.

On top of that, Lawrence enters the 2022 season with the designation as a sophomore due to COVID, meaning the Sooners could still get three more years out of the defensive playmaker. 

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