Understandably, most Sooner fans are hesitant to make lofty predictions for the defense this upcoming season. After being one of the worst defenses in the whole NCAA last year, how much better can they be after just one off-season under a new D.C?
My answer is a lot better. Poor coaching is a powerful, destructive force, particularly in college football, and particularly when it's as discombobulated as it was.. I believe the problems were more mental/emotional than physical. Conversely, good coaching can elevate the mental/emotional side of things in young players, and that can bring out the best of the physical.
The reason for optimism is the physical talent is there in spades.. This is an almost entirely Blue Chip group by any recruiting site's standards. Sure, recruiting stars don't mean everything, but when there are THAT many highly rated players, odds are there will be some good ones, superstars even..
Below is a basic list of players that have a high probability of seeing the field this year in some capacity. If I missed a couple of guys, or if I've included a player that someone knows will NEVER play, please feel free to correct me. The general theme is clear though. This is a mostly 4 star defense, with some 5 star guys and a couple of stray 3 star guys.
Gallimore- 4 star
Overton- 4 star
Kelly (injured I know, but who knows when he'll be back?) 5 star
Motley- 3 star
Parker- 4 star
JMT- 3 star
Murray- 4 star
Isaiah Thomas- 4 star
Tre Brown- 4 star
Draper- 4 star
Barnes- 4 star
Bookie- 5 star
Perkins- 4 star
Redmond- 4 star
Thompson- 4 star
Fields- 3 star
White- 4 star
Criddell- 4 star
Turner-Yell- 3 star
As we can clearly see, this is a talented defense.. If anyone follows the "blue chip ratio," it has been a highly accurate predictor of which teams end up having success on the field. Nothing is guaranteed, but there are so many players in the mix that have potential to develop into solid players, if not superstars, with proper coaching (a majority of 4 and 5 star players at least have that potential.) This is, on paper, at least the 2nd best defense in the big 12. There's no reason this group can't surprise everyone this season..