The Oklahoma Sooners possessed one of the best defenses in college football last year. While the defense is expected to be great again, it will have to replace some key pieces.
One of those was cheetah Kendal Daniels. The Oklahoma State Cowboys transfer had a great one-season stint in Norman. He totaled 53 tackles and nine tackles for loss. He ended up being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. He will be replaced by Reggie Powers, who was a key role player for the defense last year. He had 31 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. He's expected to be the starter at cheetah this season.
He told members of the media that he's excited for his expanded role this season.
"I'm looking forward to it a lot," Powers said via OU Insider. "You know, this is what I came
here for: to be that guy and to be in the big-time games and play for my teammates. I got great guys I'm playing with, so I've got full confidence in others around me."
Replacing Daniels' production won't be easy, but Oklahoma doesn't need Powers to become Daniels overnight. The Sooners need him to take what he learned in a supporting role and translate it into consistent production as the primary cheetah.
So, Oklahoma's defense has enough returning talent to remain one of the team's biggest strengths, but maintaining that standard will require players such as Powers to replace production that left for the NFL. If he can turn his experience behind Daniels into a breakout season of his own, the Sooners may not experience much of a drop-off at one of the most unique positions in Brent Venables' defense.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Reggie Powers embracing expanded role in Oklahoma's defense
