Frank Alexander enjoyed playing against Texas
A cautionary note here: the tape you see below is very impressive. You will see two Oklahoma defensive lineman dominating their opponents in a manner which will leave you impressed and hoping they’ll swap red for blue next season when they enter the NFL. What’s more, they’re both possible scheme fits in Seattle – which kind of helps.
However, try not to read too much into what you see – at least only on this evidence. The Texas team they were facing is a complete mess. The offensive performance in the game was quite frankly unacceptable for a school with the well earned reputation Texas has. The Longhorns are used to promoting NFL talent and winning football games with style, yet this current version is so bad you’re tempted to question what on earth is going on?
Partly it’s down to two freshman quarterbacks who clearly are nowhere near ready to start sharing the responsibility of trying to create something like a functioning offense. It’s not working, but it’s not just down to the quarterbacks. The effort, the organisation, the playcalling is so bad it makes a mockery of the ridiculous #11 AP ranking Texas carried into the game where they were blown out by the Sooners 55-17 – a scoreline that totally flatters the Longhorns.
Frank Alexander (Senior DE, 6-4 255lbs) had three sacks and flashed the kind of range, technique and speed to warrant serious LEO consideration. He now has 5.5 sacks for the season after a seven sack campaign last year. Ronnell Lewis (Junior DE/LB, 6-2 244lbs) is probably too small to play in a four man front as a LEO, but could offer a long term option at outside linebacker while playing some rush downs up front in certain situations. Lewis had two sacks in the game, taking his tally to 3.5 for the season.
Watch the videos, enjoy, keep this pair in your minds for the future as Oklahoma move through their schedule with some tougher tests ahead against much greater offensive opponents. You can only beat what’s in front of you, but this shambolic Texas team was no match for a Sooners defense which is under rated and fun to watch. What we have to judge now is whether this was a case of a serious difference in class for one week, or whether players like Alexander and Lewis are capable of adding a needed boost to the sadly lacking group of talented defenders shaping up to be part of the 2012 draft class.
Tape supplied by JMPasq
Watched the game. Sickening performance by Texas. Tried to pay attention to Landry Jones; got bored with how he was plowing through them.
Curry gone to Oakland. All 1st round draft picks of the Tim Ruskell era are no longer here. Good job, Tim…
im definatly hoping for Alexander, hes a good rusher, i watched him against FSU and he did pretty well, possibly QB 1st rd and maybe get him later in the draft if hes there, hes a nice player and would help the pass rush with brock getting older.
Next year Chris Clemons will be in the last year of his contract, and Raheem Brock will be a free agent. It’s probably a good idea to draft and groom another Leo player.
im wondering about these DE’s im def hoping to watch them this weekend:
Vinny curry 6-5 260lbs Marshall-he runs a 4.74 i believe.hes got 34 tackles 6.0 sacks and 2 forced fumbles,
9 tackles and 2 sacks against UCF, not bad, dont care who hes playing, nice prospect i believe.
Andre branch-6-5 260 lbs Clemson- 39 tkls and 6.0 sacks. had 4 of those sacks against VT two weeks ago.
In addition to Oklahoma’s two DEs, #53 Casey Walker (3 tech DT) was quite the attention grabber as well. On one play, he tossed an interior lineman aside like he was a WR or something, then body slam sacked the quarterback. Seattle loves physical interior defensive lineman like that. Might be a guy to watch in the mid rounds of 2013.
Based on what little I’ve seen, Lewis definitely impressed me more of the two. I get a Leroy Hill impression from him. Does anyone else see that? Plays downhill, tackles well, and hits like a ton of bricks. Their build and the way they move also look similar to me. I would love to have this guy play SAM for the Hawks. In what range is he looking to be drafted? Second or third maybe?
Right now his range appears to be R1-2, I think he’s a solid round two who may move into round one becuase this isn’t a great draft for defense.