Oklahoma football spotlight: LB Kobie McKinzie

Kobie McKinzie was committed to the Oklahoma football program for nearly two entire calendar years when he decommitted and chose to commit to Texas.

The chaos that surrounded the program in the wake of Lincoln Riley’s departure to USC left players needing to find new homes just in case things didn’t go in the right direction for them at OU.

Amid the uncertainty surrounding the sudden shocking news that Riley was leaving, McKinzie was concerned because he had a close relationship with former OU linebacker coach Brian Odom. Late in the process, with few seats left in the boat, McKinzie committed to Texas, though he still preferred to end up at Oklahoma.

In comes former Sooner assistant and fan favorite Brent Venables as the new OU head coach, and he was able to make a great impression on Kobie and his family and sway the talented linebacker to reunite with Oklahoma.

Kobie is listed at 6 feet, 2 inches, 238 pounds as a true freshman. This before a summer in Jerry Schmidt’s strength and conditioning program. He has the ideal size you want for a middle linebacker and is quite the athlete. McKinzie was rated the No.3 linebacker coming out in the 2022 class by ESPN and was once as high as the No. 38 prospect overall. Kobie shows elite closing skills and instincts all over his tape, and he has a unique speed for his size.

Oklahoma looks to be in a stellar shape when it comes to the linebacker room with the returning veterans as well as the players coming in. ESPN feels the same way.

McKinzie should be expected to play right away at some capacity for Oklahoma next season. There just aren’t many players in the country with his unique body type and athleticism. God simply does not make many people like McKinzie, and the Sooners will no doubt find a way to put him on the field, not as a starter but likely as a major contributor off the bench.

Defensive coordinator Ted Roof, and Venables are masters when it comes to teaching the linebacker position, so McKinzie is in the best of hands for his development for the next level. Much like Kenneth Murray and Brian Asamoah before him, do not expect McKinzie to be in Norman beyond three seasons.