CBS Sports' Cody Nagel and Shehan Jeyarajah on Tuesday named the most irreplaceable player that isn't a quarterback for each major College Football Playoff contender heading into the 2026 season. For the Oklahoma Sooners, the pair decided it was linebacker Kip Lewis, and it's hard to argue against that conclusion.
"Brent Venables has raved about Lewis' impact on the Sooners defense," Nagel wrote. "The veteran linebacker stands out as a presence Oklahoma can't easily replace in 2026 and one of the few defenders who routinely makes plays against the run, in coverage and as a blitzer."
Kip Lewis quietly becoming OU’s most important player in 2026
Lewis is essentially QB1 of the Sooners' elite defense as the veteran heartbeat with 30 starts under his belt. He's a redshirt senior who knows Brent Venables' system better than anyone else could after four years in the same program, which is a rarity in college football today.
Last season, Lewis led the Sooners with 76 total tackles, while also posting 10.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. In 2024, he mostly famously had a game-winning pick-6 against Auburn to secure the Sooners' first SEC win. He also intercepted Alabama's Jalen Milroe and returned that for a 49-yard touchdown to help OU upset the Crimson Tide at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
A pick 6 gives Oklahoma a 24-3 lead over Alabama in the 2nd half. Kip Lewis also had a key pick 6 in the Sooners' win at Auburn.pic.twitter.com/nURvnEUUIW
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) November 24, 2024
The Sooners nearly had to replace Lewis no matter what this season, but it was one of OU's biggest victories of the offseason when Lewis chose to return to Norman instead of head to the NFL early.
Now, the Sooners have one of the best linebacker groups in college football for 2026 with Lewis, plus the addition of Michigan transfer Cole Sullivan. OU will be even more loaded if Owen Heinecke is granted another year of eligibility after suing the NCAA.
However, even despite that surrounding talent, it would definitely be a devastating blow to the Sooners if they have to be without Lewis at any point this season, which could be the difference in returning to the College Football Playoff or just missing out.