Oklahoma’s defensive line keeps finding new ways to look deeper, and Saturday night against Kentucky gave the Sooners another flash of it.
Freshman edge rusher Jake Kreul was the latest name to surge forward, piling up 2.5 sacks and six tackles. He arrived at Oklahoma as a former four-star prospect from Orlando, Fla., but the performance was more evidence that the Sooners’ front is not just leaning on the established names at the top of the rotation.
Defensive tackles coach Todd Bates, speaking Tuesday in place of head coach Brent Venables, said Kreul’s impact has been building for a while. Bates said the freshman is already showing he can do more than rush the passer.
“We knew he was a great pass rusher,” Bates said. “Can play the run too.
That’s a lot of peoples’ misconception on Jake is that he’s just a pass rusher. He’s a real student of the game.
He’s up here as much as the coaches are. He’s right there under Coach (Miguel) Chavis’ wing and learning everything there is to know.”
Bates said the work behind Kreul’s breakout started long before the Kentucky game.
“Over the summer just going back to since he got here, he wasn’t just sticking to whatever the install was,” Bates said. “He wanted to know every play that we had, and he studied on his own way ahead of time. That’s why you see his work come to fruition right now.”
Kreul is part of a wider trend on a unit that already brought in five relatively proven playmakers to start the season: David Stone and Jayden Jackson inside, plus edge rushers Taylor Wein, Adepoju Adebawore and Danny Okoye. As the season has gone on, Oklahoma has kept adding to that mix.
Trent Wilson has already had his moment too, delivering a big sack against Texas that helped set up the blocked punt that turned into an OU touchdown. Bishop Thomas, meanwhile, has carved out a steady role behind Stone and chipped in with several key plays.
Bates said both players have given the room a lift.
“To see Trent grow weekly has been a breath of fresh air,” Bates said. “I knew he would do it.
I could just tell where he was in spring ball, and he’s just continued to work at his game. He takes it seriously.
He wants to be great.”
Thomas, a Georgia State transfer, has earned his place through effort and steady improvement.
“The one thing about him is even when he didn’t know the playbook his effort was phenomenal,” Bates said. “He’s going wherever he’s going like his hair is on fire, like somebody’s trying to hold him under water.
He has a tremendous passion about him. Now that he’s learning the playbook you’re starting to see him play some really good football.”
Bates also said there are still more bodies in that room waiting for a chance.
“We got other guys in that room,” Bates said. “We just haven’t had the opportunity yet to show them to the world.
But they’re ready to play. They play winning football and they’re ready to win every time they step on the field.”
In Other News...
Todd Bates Just Gave Oklahoma Fans A Reason To Exhale
Todd Bates has been a steady part of Oklahomas defensive staff since 2022, and his latest comments should calm any nerves about his immediate future. The defensive tackles coach said he intends to stay put and keep focusing on his current job, rather than using this moment to chase a quicker climb up the coaching ladder. For a program that has leaned on continuity as it keeps building under Brent Venables, that matters.
Bates also pointed to his own growth working under Venables and to the defenses production up front during his time in Norman, with the Sooners making impact plays in tackles for loss and sacks. He still has bigger goals down the road, but for now the message was clear enough for Oklahoma fans: he sees value in staying in place and continuing to develop within the staff instead of looking for the next move right away. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas 2026 Slide Just Hit An Uncomfortable New Low
Oklahomas 2026 season has drifted into an awkward place, and the latest sign came not on the field but in the TV listings. At 3-3 and staring at a slim path back to the College Football Playoff, the Sooners are now finding their games parked on SEC Network instead of the bigger ESPN platforms that usually come with national relevance and higher stakes. It is a small detail on paper, but in a season already defined by inconsistency, it says plenty about where the program sits right now.
The loss to Kentucky only sharpened the concern, and the next stop offers little relief beyond a chance to steady things against Mississippi State, another team searching for traction. Even beyond that, the schedule does not suggest much of a national spotlight returning anytime soon, with future matchups pointing toward the same lower-tier exposure. For a program used to being part of the broader playoff conversation, the present reality is a lot less comfortable than anyone around Oklahoma would have expected. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Offense Showed Promise But One Problem Still Looms
Oklahomas offense finally flashed some of the rhythm and pace the Sooners have been chasing this season against Kentucky, a welcome sign for a unit that has spent much of the year searching for consistency. The bigger picture still looks shaky, though, with turnovers and injuries repeatedly interrupting any momentum and the overall production lagging far behind what the program needs as the schedule wears on.
Mississippi State is next, and it offers another chance for the Sooners to build on what worked and get healthier in the process. Even with the offensive issues, Oklahoma has been able to lean on a defense that has held up well, especially against the pass, but the question now is whether the return of injured players can help the offense catch up before the margin for error gets even smaller. [Read more 🡒]