Oklahoma football: Five bold predictions for 2017
By Chip Rouse
The back end of the Sooner defense will finally put the kibosh on getting beat deep on pass routes
Despite having a defensive secondary that college football analyst and publisher Phil Steele consistently rates as one of the nation’s top 25, the Sooners have been vulnerable to deep passing routes in recent seasons.
Mike Stoops’ defense loses one starter from the secondary, but has two of the Big 12’s best returning in cornerback Jordan Thomas and safety Steven Parker. The Sooners also are well stocked for the future with four highly touted defensive backs as members of OU’s incoming 2017 recruiting class and four more already committed in the 2018 class.
The Oklahoma defense in general should be improved over last season, and the best talent may be at the back end of the defense.
Getting beat deep in the passing game should not be the issue it has been in the recent past. Look for the Sooners to tighten up this problem area in 2017.