Why DaShaun White Thinks Oklahoma's Kip Lewis is 'More Ready Than Any Of Us Thought'
As the Sooners continue to search for answers all over the field, inexperienced players will have to step up and fill important roles. Down the stretch, as Oklahoma solidifies its defensive rotations, there are a few young players with a chance at unexpected playing time.
One of those talented first year players is linebacker Kip Lewis, who saw his first playing time ever in Saturday’s loss to Texas. Lewis and fellow highly touted linebacker Kobie McKenzie were expected to redshirt this season, but due to injuries and the shaky defensive start, that redshirt status seems to now be up in the air.
“Really happy for Kip," senior linebacker Dashaun White said. "I really was. He got got in there, got in the backfield, he’s playing fast. He didn’t get a lot of snaps. But he made the most of ‘em. It’s one of those deals like, a few weeks ago, I didn't know if I would be able to tell you that he would get in there and he just playing that fast, looking that good? We called him up, you could kind of see he was he's more ready than any of us kind of thought. So, really proud of Kip.”
Lewis, a consensus four-star recruit, recorded the first tackle of his career last weekend. The Sooners needed bodies on the field in the second half and Lewis could get opportunities moving forward.
Before Saturday’s game, it was reported that backup linebacker Shane Whitter would miss the remainder of the season due to a left shoulder injury.
Because of Whitter’s injury, and Oklahoma’s paper-thin depth at the position, the Sooners might have to call on a player like Lewis to play meaningful snaps. The past few weeks have been crucial in Lewis’ development, as the linebacker is understanding his position more every day. With Oklahoma’s inconsistencies at nearly every position on the defensive side of the ball, it wouldn’t take much for Lewis to make the most of his opportunity. He’s talented enough, and with the Sooners already sitting at 3-3, it’s always smart to develop young talent.
“I would say just knowing where he's supposed to be at," White said. "I’m telling you, a few weeks ago, I wouldn't have been able to tell you that he'd be this confident and just doing his job and stuff like that. And so I'm super proud of him. And he's kind of really becoming like a young guy that we can really trust. If you gotta get out there, you got to get out there.”
Lewis’s emergence into the rotation is obviously connected to Whitter’s injury in part, but it’s also a testament to the true freshman’s talent.
“He's worked hard and he's improved,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. “There comes a point for a guy where it starts to make sense for them. It's such a big jump from high school football to a place especially like Oklahoma. Our depth right there right now, we've lost some guys with season-ending injuries. There's a lot of football left. A lot of football left. We give guys some opportunities that have earned it. At the same time, we're making sure we're being smart moving forward as far as our roster management.”
Without reading too far into Roof’s comment, it seems like the Sooners are prepared to give Lewis opportunities on the field, but also aren’t ready to rule out a redshirt just yet. If Lewis gives the coaches a reason to stay on the field, though, he could carve out a role moving forward.
