Why Kendel Dolby is 'Thriving' at Cheetah as he Enters His Second Season at Oklahoma

After studying the cheetah position for the entire offseason, Kendel Dolby is ready to play an even bigger role for the No. 16-ranked Sooners in 2024.

Oct 7, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Kendel Dolby (15) celebrates with teammates after making an interception during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

NORMAN — Kendel Dolby’s had a quiet offseason, but that’s fine with him. 

A year ago, the 5-foot-11 defensive back arrived at Oklahoma looking to harness his ball skills in OU’s secondary. 

There wasn’t a clear path to playing time for the junior college transfer, but Brent Venables loved his mentality. 

But as so often is the case, hard work and a little bit of fortune afforded Dolby a huge opportunity. 

Injuries at Venables’ cheetah linebacker spot, one a season-ending injury sustained by Justin Harrington and the other a minor injury to Dasan McCullough, cleared a path for Dolby to blend his ball hawking instincts with his heavy-hitting attitude for the defense. 

And he ran with the opportunity. 

Dolby played 39 defensive snaps against Texas per Pro Football Focus, and he wouldn’t dip below 40 snaps the rest of the regular season as he made the new position his home. 

“It felt good to be thrown into a new position,” Dolby said on Monday ahead of the No. 16-ranked Sooners’ season-opener against Temple. “But [I’m] thriving and had the season I had, so I’m ready to build on that and have a great season this year.”

Dolby ended the year with two interceptions, four pass breakups, two quarterback sacks and five tackles for loss, but he feels he’s just scratching the surface. 

The adjustment from playing junior college ball to learning Venables defense was hard enough when he was just focused on cornerback, but now Dolby is confident he’s dialed in on the finer details of everything the cheetah position encompasses. 

“It was kind of hard for me a little bit just because at cheetah you’ve got to do a lot,” Dolby said. “You’re in the box, you’ve got to cover man, zone, it was hard. But I feel like BV did a great job helping me adjust to that position and build on that position, so I feel like I had a pretty good year.

“… [I’m] way more comfortable. Last year… I was thrown in like, third game of the season. So I didn’t have any offseason, I didn’t have any spring, fall camp. But this year I’ve had spring and fall camp, so I’m way more comfortable at cheetah for sure.”

Venables and his coaching staff were immediately attracted to Dolby’s mindset as a football player, something that the OU coach has pointed to as a big reason the defensive back will continue to grow in Norman.

“I love where he’s at… Plays really big,” Venables said during his weekly press conference on Monday. “Incredibly disruptive. Got tremendous man-to-man skills. Really good zone space player. Plays big when he blitzes. He’s [got] like 6’2, 220-pound vision of himself, that’s what he sees himself as.”

That mentality isn’t a newfound aspect to Dolby’s game. He’s always brought a gritty mentality to the football field as its something that was instilled in him from a young age. 

“Since I was a little kid, I’ve never been the biggest guy, the strongest guy, the fastest guy,” Dolby said. “But I feel like it’s just a mindset. My dad always told me, like, you’ve got to have that dog mentality. Not being the biggest, I feel like I’ve got that chip on my shoulder. So I go out there like I’m 6-2, 6-4, whatever it is. That’s my mindset.”

Oklahoma s Kendel Dolby (15) intercepts the ball in the first quarter against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium. / Nathan J. Fish-USA TODAY Sports

Playing big benefits Dolby, as he now shares roles as both a member of Oklahoma’s secondary but also as an extra linebacker near the line of scrimmage. 

Dolby said he relished having an entire offseason to study all the intricacies of the position instead of learning it on the fly like he did in the middle of the season a year ago. 

He feels so comfortable in the system that he said he’s taken it upon himself to help teach younger guys like Samuel Omosigho the ropes at cheetah throughout the spring and summer. 

Venables said all of Dolby’s extra work diving into the playbook is apparent, and it’s helped him play even better throughout practice this offseason. 

“I’ve seen the most growth probably in becoming a more detailed player, being more specific and intentional situationally,” Venables said. “Eyes, alignment, just being better, more accountable, more aware (of) his role, how he fits into the rest of the defense, so there’s been a maturation defensively and technically that I have great appreciation for. He has a chance to have a tremendous year and play the game a long time. Gotta keep his head down, gotta keep improving, but I really like where Kendel Dolby is. He’s had a great last several months.”

As the Sooners enter the SEC, the expectations for the defense have taken on a life of their own. 

Dolby said his entire side of the football is embracing the challenge to be great against a tough schedule, but for now everyone is focused on starting 2024 off the right way against Temple at 6 p.m. on Friday. 

“It’s time to go now,” Dolby said. “I feel like we’ve been, after that loss to Arizona [in the Alamo Bowl], we’ve been ready to get back on the field and get it started back up.”