Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma football: Breaking down the 2019 season depth chart

By Trenton Corn

MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 29: CeeDee Lamb #2 of the Oklahoma Sooners reacts after completing the catch for a touchdown in the fourth quarter during the College Football Playoff Semifinal against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 29: CeeDee Lamb #2 of the Oklahoma Sooners reacts after completing the catch for a touchdown in the fourth quarter during the College Football Playoff Semifinal against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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NORMAN, OK – SEPTEMBER 16: Linebacker Kenneth Murray #9 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the game against the Tulane Green Wave at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Tulane 56-14. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK – SEPTEMBER 16: Linebacker Kenneth Murray #9 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the game against the Tulane Green Wave at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Tulane 56-14. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /

Defensive unit

Unquestionably, the biggest question coming into this season rests on the defensive side. It’s no secret that last season Oklahoma’s defensive struggles caused the best offense in the nation to miss out on playing for a national championship.

The team hired former Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Alex Grinch to lead and reshape the struggling defense. In 2014, the year before Coach Grinch’s arrival at Washington State, the Cougars were ranked 99th nationally in total defense, and 127th in pass defense. In his third season at Washington State, Grinch’s defensive unit ranked 16th in total defense, and 9th in passing defense, dramatically better than where the WSU defense was prior to his arrival.

Grinch is a three-time nominee, and 2017 semifinalist for the Broyles Award, presented every year to the nation’s top assistant coach. The 38-year old Grinch takes over an Oklahoma defensive unit that ranked 114th last season in total defense, giving up 453.8 yards per game last year.

In Grinch’s first offseason on the recruiting trail for the Sooners, he was able to nab eight four-star defensive players, and four three-star players. Some big name additions to the defense include Jeremiah Criddell, Jaden Davis, Woodi Washington, Joseph Wete, Marcus Stripling, and Marcus Hicks, just to name a select few.

Lets breakdown this new and improved “Speed D” and how Oklahoma’s older, pre-Grinch players, along with the talented freshmen class, mesh in this new scheme.

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