When the Oklahoma football defense plays bad on a week-to-week basis, it starts with the leader. DaShaun White has been the anchor for a defense that has some youngsters, and some transfer portal guys.
The fifth year linebacker has come into his own the past few weeks and has been a big part of the defense success in recent games. White is third on the team in tackles with 49, has one sack, and one interception to his name. The criticism started with his lack of play in the Kansas State loss, and both the TCU and Texas meltdowns.
Go ahead and toss that to the side, White is showing his experience and his leadership on defense.
The veteran has led the Sooners in tackles in the last two victories over Kansas and Iowa State. White disrupted the Iowa State running game, tallying a team high 14 tackles, and 1.5 tackles for loss in the win. In the three OU losses, White had a total of 11 tackles. It’s evident to say White is playing much better football at a critical time for Oklahoma.
It was a struggle early on for White, adjusting to the cheetah position, a position that White isn’t use to. White has played inside linebacker, and some outside linebacker during his time at Oklahoma, but it’s been mainly the cheetah position. The cheetah includes both linebacker and defensive back, so it’s designed for a linebacker to cover more on the field. Despite the position change and taking time to adjust to it, the senior is playing more confident.
Head Coach Brent Venables has been impressed with the play of DaShaun White and the progress he has made
Give credit, when credit is due. White has silenced the criticism for his lack of play and leading the Sooners defense in a big way. White and the Sooners hope to build momentum and keep gaining confidence on defense.