Oklahoma football: Preseason hype continues to build for Kenneth Murray
Oklahoma football linebacker Kenneth Murray‘s was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list, adding to a growing list of preseason accolades.
Kenneth Murray’s first two seasons as Oklahoma football’s middle linebacker have relatively successful. Murray was a Freshman All American in 2017 and second-team All Big 12 in 2018, he recorded a staggering 155 tackles, 12.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks last year.
As good as he has been, preseason hype suggests he might be ready to make the jump to elite in 2019. Murray was named the preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year a couple weeks back and has been a mainstay on most of the major defensive awards watch lists including the Nagursky, Bednarik and Butkus.
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Murray has been a polarizing figure among Oklahoma football fans during his time with the Sooners. On one hand he’s been downright dominant at times, but can often look lost and a step behind the play in certain situation.
To be fair to Murray, he’s always had the physical tools, and there are plenty of reasons to believe that a new scheme and new coaches could lead to big things could be on the horizon for the junior middle linebacker.
Murray has been bullish on his opinions regarding the new defensive coaching staff, particularly linebackers coach Brian Odom. Odom was on the 2000 Oklahoma national championship team and is considered a rising star in the coaching ranks. He was lured away from Missouri where his brother Barry serves as the head coach.
"“He obviously knows that I’ve been what I have been in the past, but he knows that if I can come in and I can just listen to him and I can take in and soak in as much as I can from him, then I’ll be a lot better off. And I know that myself. So it’s just fun knowing that I can just go in there and we can sit down and watch ball film [and say], ‘OK, like this is what we’re going to do on this,’ and talk play calls, talk X’s and O’s and stuff like that. And then another thing I’m just excited to do is just get in there and game plan with him when the season comes around."
Murray – a noted film room student of game film – is particularly excited to game plan with Odom.
"“Soon, a couple weeks from now, me and him are going to be in there game planning. I’m going to be able to pick his brain and learn new things and learn new things and learn how to read offenses better and do this and do that when it comes to game planning."
With new guidance and a trust that his coaching will put him on the right path, Murray should be able to think less and react more on the field this year than ever before.
That can only lead to good things for not only Murray, but the entire Oklahoma football program.