Why Oklahoma LB Kristan Moore Feels Comfortable Despite Recent Position Change

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NORMAN – When Kristan Moore's high school coaches asked him to play inside linebacker prior to his senior year, he was hesitant.

Moore, one of 25 players who signed with Oklahoma as part of its 2026 recruiting class, played defensive end during his first three years at Selma (AL) High School. Moore described his position switch as "tricky," as he had to add more responsibilities to his plate.

"I had to slow down my mindset," Moore said. "I had to know everybody else's job, too. That's the tricky part."

Moore, though, adapted quickly to his new spot.

As a senior, he registered 91 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

"I can say it was a great thing for me," Moore said. "I feel like I should have been there all along."

Moore's second season at linebacker will be on a much grander stage. He is one of four linebackers who enrolled at OU in January, along with Beau Jandreau, Dane Bathurst and Jacob Curry.

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Moore said that he weighed around 210 pounds after his junior season and that he felt the need to bulk up. He got to 230 pounds by the start of his senior year, helping him be consistently disruptive during his final season at Selma High School.

Now, after the Sooners' winter workout program, Moore weighs 226 pounds and is in even better shape to be a disruptive defensive playmaker.

The linebacker, however, believes that the mental growth stemming from his position change is even more notable than his physical development.

"The defensive linemen, if they couldn't be successful, I couldn't be successful (at linebacker)," Moore said. "I think that's an early thing I had to learn throughout the process. It was a great process for me."

Oklahoma's linebacker room will come into the 2026 season with significant experience.

The Sooners retained standout Kip Lewis after their 2025 campaign, and Owen Heinecke was granted his injunction against the NCAA for another year of eligibility in April. OU also added former Michigan starting linebacker Cole Sullivan to the roster from the transfer portal.

In addition to Lewis, Heinecke and Sullivan, the Sooners will have returning depth pieces in James Nesta, Marcus James and Taylor Heim.

Still, OU general manager Jim Nagy sees Moore and the other true freshman linebackers as contenders for early playing time on special teams.

"I think the thing that stands out with these guys is they are just innately physical – there's some violence in that group," Nagy said. "We're excited about those guys. They're going to be the core of our special teams moving forward. I would expect all of those guys to push for significant roles as freshmen in that capacity."

Specifically, Moore's grit leads Oklahoma coach Brent Venables to believe that he'll quickly become a contributor.

"He's ultra physical," Venables said. "Loves to play the game, incredibly passionate."

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahoma as Why Oklahoma LB Kristan Moore Feels Comfortable Despite Recent Position Change.

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