The Oklahoma Sooners' defense has been one of the best in college football through the first half of the season. It's a talented group with several veterans playing at a high level. Though the team took a disappointing loss to Kentucky on Saturday, one of the biggest stories was true freshman defensive end Jake Kreul's performance.
Kreul was credited with 2.5 sacks, 0.5 tackles for loss, and six total tackles. Kreul's fourth-and-4 sack inside the Sooners' own 10 shut down a potential Kentucky scoring drive and gave the Sooners the ball back with a chance to take the lead.
For his efforts, Kreul was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday.
It's a breakout that's been coming, as Kreul has seen an increase
in snaps over Oklahoma's last five games. He played a career-high 33 snaps against Kentucky and was one of the best players on the field.
Out of IMG Academy, Kreul was a five-star prospect according to ESPN and one of the best edge rushers in the country. Scouts praised his advanced pass rush skills and tenacity and that's shown up early in his Oklahoma career.
This year, he has nine total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and leads the Sooners with three sacks. He's become a big part of the Sooners' defensive end rotation and is proving to be a big-time player as a run defender and a pass rusher.
The Oklahoma Sooners have one of the best defensive lines in college football, and freshman Jake Kreul's emergence has taken the depth to another level off the edge.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma Sooners DE Jake Kreul wins SEC Freshman of the Week
