Oklahoma football: What do latest injuries mean for OU?

A blow to defensive line depth

The Sooners are at a crossroads on the defensive line as they try to get leaner and faster for Grinch’s one-gap scheme. Rumors had been swirling that Jordan Kelly was making a name for himself as a candidate for potential playing time through the first handful of practices.

A four-star recruit out of the Tulsa area, Jordan Kelly is one of the few young defensive linemen to survive the recent purge the Sooners went through as they changed schemes.

Could this mean Michael Thompson moves back over to the defensive side of the ball after? Probably not, after he has made big strides as a guard already. It could put even more pressure on the Sooners to look for another defensive lineman in the transfer portal in the next few months.

Ohio State’s Malik Barrow is one of the premier defensive tackles in the transfer portal right now. Barrow retired from football due to injuries last fall, but decided to return after the first of the year and is exploring his options. A highly-touted recruit coming out of high school, Barrow could be a good fit for what Oklahoma football wants to do defensively and with Grinch’s ties to Ohio State, it could be a real possibility provided Barrow is medically cleared to play in the near future.

Some other names in the transfer portal include Zach Abercrumbia (Rice), Davontae McCrae (NC State), Allen Daniels (Purdue), Darius Slade (Arizona State) and Joe Babros (NC State). Some of these guys are listed as defensive ends, but could potentially contribute on the inside in a scheme that values speed and quickness over massive size.