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USA Today
01-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oklahoma Sooners among PFF's best defensive lines in 2025
If there was one position group that was a clear strength of the Oklahoma Sooners in 2024, it was the defensive line. Led by breakout seasons from R Mason Thomas, Gracen Halton, and true freshman Jayden Jackson, the Sooners' defensive line was a game-changer to Oklahoma's fortunes last year. The addition of Damonic Williams via the transfer portal, along with the steady performance of Ethan Downs at the defensive end spot opposite of Thomas, made Oklahoma's defensive front difficult to run the football against. The Sooners allowed just 3.1 yards per carry and less than a touchdown rushing per game on the season. Though Oklahoma lost Downs and senior defensive tackle Da'Jon Terry, the Sooners are still among the best defensive lines in college football, according to Pro Football Focus' Max Chadwick. Chadwick included the Sooners among his top 10 DL units for 2025, coming in at No. 9, just one spot ahead of Texas. The Sooners have plenty of experienced players on their defensive line, returning four contributors who played at least 300 snaps last year. Gracen Halton is my No. 10 interior defender in the country. His 13.6% pressure rate since 2023 leads all returning FBS defensive tackles, while his 12.5% pass-rush win rate is the best among returning Power Four ones. R Mason Thomas is also a terrific pass-rusher, placing second among FBS edge defenders with a 93.2 pass-rush grade on true pass sets last season. - Chadwick, PFF The Sooners have a chance to be even better this year with another year of development for Thomas, Halton, Jackson, Williams, and former five-star defensive tackle David Stone. The addition of Marvin Jones Jr. at defensive end gives the unit potentially more pass-rush off the edge. If they can be as good along the interior as they were in their debut year in the SEC, the sky is the limit for the Oklahoma defense this year because of the defensive front. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
USA Today
01-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oklahoma Sooners defensive tackle among Pro Football Focus' top 10
Oklahoma Sooners defensive tackle among Pro Football Focus' top 10 For as much talk as there has been about the Oklahoma Sooners upward trajectory since December, much of the confidence hinges on one thing not changing. The Sooners may have finished last year 6-7, but the OU defense was one of the best in the country. Those optimistic projections for what the 2025 season may yield are reliant on the defense maintaining, or, at worst, only slightly falling off last year's pace. One of the key players to doing that is defensive lineman Gracen Halton. Halton was named the 10th-best defensive tackle in FBS by Pro Football Focus this week. He finished with 30 tackles, including six for loss, and five sacks as a junior last year. According to Pro Football Focus, Halton was second on the team in total pressures behind R Mason Thomas with 29. Small for size, Halton brings a different approach to anchoring the Sooners' front line. "While Halton may not have ideal size at 6-foot-2, 291 pounds, he compensates with elite quickness for the position," the PFF article states. "That explosiveness has helped him earn an 84.2 pass-rush grade on true pass-rush snaps over the past two seasons—the highest mark of anyone on this list. His 13.6% pressure rate since 2023 leads all returning FBS defensive tackles, while his 12.5% pass-rush win rate is the best among returning Power Four interior defenders." Halton joins fellow senior Demonic Williams and Jayden Jackson to give Oklahoma one of the best three-man rotations at defensive tackle in the country. They're so good; in fact, projected depth chart doesn't even list Halton as a starter despite his PFF No. 10 ranking. Oklahoma ranked 29th in scoring defense and 19th in total defense last year and are hoping for another jump in 2025. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.
