Three Questions on Oklahoma Training Camp: Linebackers

As Brent Venables enters his third year back in Norman, his linebacker unit suddenly looks like a strength of the team.

Dec 28, 2023; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Kip Lewis (10) celebrates a sack in the second half against the Arizona Wildcats at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

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

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

Up next is a look at Brent Venables’ beloved linebackers. 

How high is Danny Stutsman’s ceiling in 2024?

Oklahoma's Danny Stutsman (28) celebrates a play next to SMU's Sean Kane (52) in the second half of the college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Southern Methodist University Mustangs at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

Getting Danny Stutsman to defer his entrance into the NFL Draft for another year and return to Norman was perhaps Venables’ biggest recruiting win of the offseason. 

Stutsman was not only the Sooners’ best player on the field last season, he was the heart and soul of the team in the locker room and on the sidelines.

Oklahoma’s only two regular season losses — defeats to Kansas and Oklahoma State — coincided with the only six quarters of the season Stutsman missed, and the defense clearly missed the linebacker at the heart of it all. 

As a sophomore, Stutsman led the Big 12 with 125 tackles. 

He followed that up with another 104 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss, three quarterback sacks, an interception which he returned for a touchdown and a pair of forced fumbles as a junior in 2023. 

Stutsman was every bit a candidate for the Butkus Award before turning his ankle in the closing moments of the first half against Kansas. 

He enters the year with plenty of hype as evidenced by getting voted as a Preseason All-SEC First Team selection last week, but Stutsman himself said there’s plenty of room for continued growth in 2024.

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Read More Oklahoma Training Camp Questions:

• Offensive line
• Defensive line

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Who will make the most of a crucial season?

Dec 28, 2023; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Jaren Kanak (7) looks into the backfield during the first half against the Arizona Wildcats at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

Kip Lewis closed last year as Stutsman’s cohort at the heart of Oklahoma’s defense, which sets up a big year for a trio of teammates in the linebacker room. 

Jaren Kanak and Kobie McKinzie both came in alongside Lewis, but appear to have been passed up by their classmate for starting snaps. 

Can Kanak, who only started playing linebacker upon his arrival in Norman, turn the corner mentally and unlock his full potential?

An athletic freak, Kanak totaled 62 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and two sacks last year while forcing a pair of fumbles. 

He was disruptive at times. Cincinnati’s first half game plan was wrecked by Kanak last year, and he ended the victory over Texas with 13 total tackles and a sack. 

But there were still plenty of times his inexperience at linebacker was apparent. 

McKinzie still has more work to do to break through. 

He redshirted in 2022, and eventually made his way onto the field late last year in Stutsman’s absence. Listed on the roster at 242 pounds, McKinzie packs the most punch of Venables’ linebackers, which could be valuable to help stand up to the physicality of the SEC. 

Then there’s second-year Sooner Dasan McCullough. 

His transition from defensive end at Indiana to cheetah linebacker wasn’t always smooth last year, as McCullough was limited when having to drop back into coverage. 

This past spring, McCullough bounced further inside in an effort to fully unlock the 6-foot-5, 223-pound linebacker. 

Getting closer to the line of scrimmage could help McCullough be more disruptive in the backfield, as he finished 2023 with just 3.5 tackles for loss playing mostly in space after contributing 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks as a freshman in Bloomington. 

Can any new faces break into the rotation?

Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Lewis Carter (20) brings down Texas Longhorns running back Savion Red (17) during the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the University of Texas (UT) Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. Oklahoma won 34-30. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

Lewis Carter and Samuel Omosigho dipped their toes into the water last year, but the pair of sophomores are primed to come on strong during training camp. 

Venables gets visibly excited when talking about Carter, and it’s easy to see why. 

The Tampa product’s high school highlight tape was downright violent as he destroyed running backs and quarterbacks alike. 

Digesting Venables’ defense is a tall task for any freshman, and Carter’s second fall camp should go much more smoothly. 

While there may be a logjam at inside linebacker that could make the pathway to the field more complicated for Carter, Omosigho will have a chance to pair with Kendel Dolby at cheetah where he can thrive in the open space. 

Omosigho is a fluid athlete, which led him to earn a special teams role last year. 

Now is the time for the light bulb to come on as Venables and new defensive coordinator Zac Alley are always on the hunt for more depth.