Yesterday, the SEC annouced their all-conference first, second and third teams — as voted on by the coaches. The Oklahoma Sooners boasted 10 players, good enough for second best in the conference behind Georgia's 11.
Of the 10, there were a few shoe-ins: R Mason Thomas, despite missing most of the final four games, Tate Sandell, who is the leading candidate to become the school's first Lou Groza winner, and Isaiah Sategna III, who produced explosive plays seemingly every week.
Yet, there were some notable snubs from the list. Players that, even if OU fans remove their crimson colored glasses, are still guessing why these names weren't present on any All-SEC team.
When you consider the strength of the Sooner football team — the defense — and you pinpoint the strenght of their strength — the defensive line — it's incredible to not see names like David Stone, Gracen Halton, Damonic Williams or Jayden Jackson on any of the three teams.
Where they may have been docked voting points by the coaches lies in the other part of Oklahoma's defensive strength — depth. Each player had the luxury of fresh legs within Brent Venables' defense and played anywhere from 20-50 or so snaps a game per Pro Football Focus. Perhaps the coaches thought they couldn't reward one of OU's defensive tackles considering the point of Venables' defense is to come at opponents in waves.
Still, for one of the more feared units in the conference, it is shocking to not see one of Todd Bates' players on any All-SEC team.
If you had to pick one, it would be a battle between Stone and Halton.
Stone finished the regular season with 43 tackles, sixth on the team, along with eight tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Halton, who perhaps made more memorable plays like the end of the LSU game or a scoop and score against Kent State, finished with 31 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Jackson's production saw a dip towards the end of the season. He was a regular on the midweek injury update but still managed to play in each game. He and Williams combined for 8.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
Moving to the second unit, it was surprising to not see Kip Lewis recognized for his superb play.
Lewis did not have the explosive plays he dazzled Sooner fans with in 2024, but he was still a physical and emotional leader for one of the best defenses in the country with the numbers to back it up.
The linebacker from Carthage, TX, led the team with 72 tackles, including 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. It's hard to discount plays that are only catalogued among the metric gurus. Remember Eli Bowen's pick-six against Alabama? He can thank Lewis for rushing Ty Simpson's throw on the play off of a blitz.
Venables' highly-touted "cheetah" position also may have had a snub in linebacker Kendall Daniels. The transfer from Oklahoma State finished fourth on the team in tackles with 49 to go along with nine tackles for loss and a fumble recovery against the Crimson Tide. Daniels also wowed Sooner fans with bone-crushing hits against Michigan and Ole Miss.
The SEC will also announce an all-freshman team later this week where Oklahoma could expect to see names like Michael Fasusi, Ryan Fodje and Courtland Guillory listed.
While Fasusi played well as a true-freshman, you'd be hard-pressed to argue him over many of the great tackles in the SEC. Kaydn Proctor, Trevor Goosby, Cayden Green and Austin Barber had fantastic seasons and have professional football in their future.
But Guillory may have had an argument even as a true freshman to make an All-SEC list.
Guillory started 10 out of Oklahoma's 12 regular season games, and with the annoucement of Gentry Williams' shoulder surgery, projects to start in the College Football Playoff against Alabama. The young corner graded out with an average coverage grade at 78.1 per PFF and an overall defensive grade at 77.0 — each grade second behind Eli Bowen.
Guillory routinely drew great matchups and showed his own. He struggled early, like against Auburn's Cam Coleman, but showed an ability to grow from the experience, finishing the season with 39 total tackles and 6 passes defended.
More must-reads:
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!