David Pollack ranks Oklahoma as a top 10 DL in college football
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The Oklahoma Sooners have come a long way in the four seasons under Brent Venables. They were once perceived as one of the worst defensive programs in the country, but are now considered among the most improved defensive units nationally, particularly in the trenches
A big reason for that is the development of a deep and disruptive defensive line group. Last season, Oklahoma fielded one of the most productive defensive fronts in the SEC, led by EDGEs R Mason Thomas, Taylor Wein, Marvin Jones Jr. and Adepoju Adebawore. The interior featured Gracen Halton, Damonic Williams, David Stone and Jayden Jackson.
The question for this season is how the team will overcome the losses of Thomas, Jones, Halton and Williams. Those departures represent a significant snap-count and production loss up front, as each player played a major role in the rotation last year.
College football analyst David Pollack doesn't think there will be much of a drop-off, ranking them as the sixth-best defensive line in football.
"Put Oklahoma in the five spot," Pollack said on 'See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack.' "I love their system. They seem to find guys who are going to be great players regardless of their stars."
Pollack eventually corrected himself and put the Miami Hurricanes in his top five, moving the Sooners to an honorable mention spot. Sitll, he believes they are a top 10 unit in college football this season.
While those losses are big, the Sooners are still returning a high-upside and development-heavy rotation up front, a testament to coaches Miguel Chavis and Todd Bates. Chavis and Bates have become one of the more respected defensive line development duos in college football.
Wein was an All-SEC selection in 2025, and many evaluators believe Stone could develop into one of the top defensive tackles in the country. Jackson showed All-America-level flashes before injury setbacks limited his availability. The biggest question mark is the spot opposite Wein, but players like Adebawore and Danny Okoye are expected to compete for expanded roles.
If that group develops quickly, the Sooners could again field a top-10 caliber defensive line nationally, even after significant personnel turnover.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: David Pollack ranks Oklahoma as a top 10 DL in college football
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