Despite Losing Veteran Leader, Oklahoma Sooners’ Linebacker Room Remains One of Nation’s Deepest and Most Talented in 2025

The Oklahoma Sooners have built their reputation on a relentless defense, particularly under head coach Brent Venables’ guidance. As the 2025 season approaches, that identity remains firmly intact—even with a notable departure shaking up the linebacker room. Despite the loss of All-Big 12 performer and team captain Danny Stutsman to the NFL, Oklahoma enters the fall with one of the most stacked linebacker corps in the country.

Stutsman was the soul of the defense, leading the team in tackles the past two seasons while acting as the vocal and emotional leader on and off the field. His departure naturally raises questions, especially for a unit that has leaned heavily on his experience and playmaking ability. But dig a little deeper, and the story quickly shifts from concern to confidence. Venables and defensive coordinator Ted Roof have assembled a linebacker unit bursting with potential, versatility, and high-end athleticism.

Returning at the center of it all is Kip Lewis, a rangy junior who quietly emerged as one of Oklahoma’s most productive defenders down the stretch last season. Lewis had 77 total tackles, 5.5 for loss, and showed an instinctive ability to close gaps and clean up plays from sideline to sideline. With another year in the system, he’s expected to anchor the middle and provide much-needed continuity in Stutsman’s absence.

Then there’s Jaren Kanak, the former five-star prospect whose development curve mirrors that of many of Brent Venables’ past linebacker success stories. Kanak has all the tools: speed, strength, intelligence, and an aggressive motor. He split time at WILL and MIKE last season, but with the defensive scheme evolving and Stutsman no longer in the picture, Kanak is projected to step into a more defined—and more impactful—role. He has the chance to be Oklahoma’s breakout star in 2025.

What makes this linebacker group especially dangerous isn’t just its starting talent—it’s the depth and rotation behind them. Kobie McKinzie, the fourth-year junior from Lubbock, brings experience and physicality to the rotation. A stout run defender with a nose for the ball, McKinzie has shown flashes of dominance when healthy. Coaches trust him to step in and deliver in critical short-yardage and goal-line situations.

Also returning is true sophomore Samuel Omosigho, a gifted athlete who impressed coaches and teammates alike with his rapid progression as a freshman. Omosigho’s speed and length give him rare coverage potential at the second level, something that modern defenses covet more than ever. In limited action last year, he flashed elite sideline-to-sideline range and showed he could track mobile quarterbacks and tight ends in the open field. If he continues his development, he could find himself rotating in heavily or even pushing for a starting job by midseason.

Add to that the arrival of elite freshman linebacker Michael “MJ” McDonald from Georgia, one of the top linebacker recruits in the 2024 class. McDonald enrolled early and turned heads during spring practices with his natural feel for the game. He’s still adjusting to the speed of college football, but his football IQ and intensity have drawn comparisons to a young Isaiah Simmons, one of Venables’ former Clemson stars. While it may take time for McDonald to earn regular snaps, the staff sees him as a future cornerstone.

The Sooners also have Caleb Spencer, a hybrid safety-linebacker who’s being groomed to play the “cheetah” role—a hybrid defender crucial in Venables’ scheme for matching up with modern spread offenses. Spencer has already made an impact on special teams and offers a unique skillset that allows Oklahoma to be creative with its alignments.

Venables has repeatedly said this offseason that he feels “great” about the linebacker room, praising the maturity and internal competition taking place throughout the spring and summer. The scheme’s complexity demands high football IQ and discipline, and the current group appears to be absorbing it better than ever.

What’s also encouraging for Oklahoma fans is how cohesive the unit has become. Team chemistry is often an underrated factor, especially for linebackers who need to communicate constantly and react in unison. Multiple players—including Kanak and Lewis—have spoken about the culture in the room, emphasizing brotherhood and accountability. The leadership vacuum left by Stutsman is already being filled by a committee of hungry and focused defenders ready to make a name for themselves.

Another quiet weapon in the room is position coach Ted Roof. While his time as defensive coordinator has received its fair share of scrutiny, his work with the linebacker unit has been nothing short of transformative. His experience, attention to detail, and rapport with players have helped cultivate a group that doesn’t just understand its assignments, but attacks them with ferocity.

The linebacker unit will also benefit from what looks like an improved defensive line in front of them. With returners like R Mason Thomas and Jacob Lacey, and the addition of 5-star defensive tackle Zion Carter from the 2024 class, blockers may have their hands full up front, freeing up linebackers to roam and attack more freely. The synergy between the front seven could be Oklahoma’s secret weapon as they transition into the SEC.

And that transition looms large over everything. Moving into the SEC means seeing a weekly gauntlet of powerful running games, elite athletes, and punishing offenses. Linebackers must be able to take on 240-pound running backs in the hole one play, then cover a twitchy slot receiver or tight end downfield the next. Depth becomes not a luxury, but a necessity. Fortunately for the Sooners, that’s exactly what they’ve built.

Oklahoma has nine scholarship linebackers entering fall camp, and nearly every one of them has in-game experience or elite pedigree. That blend of proven production and high-ceiling potential positions them perfectly for the challenge ahead.

Still, questions remain. Can Kip Lewis become a consistent leader and playmaker across a full season? Will Kanak’s instincts catch up to his athleticism as the game slows down for him? Is Omosigho ready for a bigger role, and how soon will McDonald crack the rotation?

The answers to these questions will help determine how far Oklahoma’s defense can carry the team in Year One of the SEC era. But make no mistake: the raw materials are there. While losing Stutsman hurts from a leadership and experience standpoint, it has also opened the door for the next generation of Sooners defenders to rise—and they appear more than ready to meet the moment.

Brent Venables has built linebacker rooms like this before—at Clemson, at Oklahoma, and even earlier in his career at Kansas State. He knows the ingredients of greatness: athleticism, discipline, depth, and hunger. And this 2025 group has all of them.

So while the headlines may focus on what Oklahoma lost, the real story is what they’ve built. And if the early signs are any indication, this linebacker corps isn’t just in good shape—it’s poised to be great.