NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
We’re one step closer to football season, as the Oklahoma Sooners began spring practice on Thursday. After a 6-7 season in 2024, the 2025 season is a crucial one for the program. Fourth-year head coach Brent Venables is facing a make or break season, and OU is looking to bounce back in their second season in the Southeastern Conference.
With the beginning of spring football game a brand-new spring roster, and there was one notable change for a veteran player who has been with the team for a long time.
Linebacker Jaren Kanak arrived in the 2022 recruiting class, Venables’ first as a head coach. He was a big part of the first class of signees in the post-Lincoln Riley era and was initially committed to the Clemson Tigers to play for Venables. He flipped his commitment to Oklahoma in December of 2021, enrolled in January of 2022, and became a starter for the Sooners at the beginning of the season in 2023.
Kanak has since been unseated at the starting inside linebacker spots by the likes of Kip Lewis and Kobie McKinzie, but he’s going to try to help the team in another way in 2025.
According to the official spring football roster, Kanak is switching from linebacker to tight end, and he’ll also be switching from the No. 7 jersey to No. 12.
Kanak joined a revamped tight end room that includes holdovers from last years’ team like Kade McIntyre, Kaden Helms and Davon Mitchell, a true freshman in Trynae Washington, and transfers Carson Kent, John Locke Jr. and Will Huggins. Tight end has been a weakness for OU over the past two seasons under Joe Jon Finley and Sooner Nation is hoping it can return to being a strength in a new offensive scheme this year.
Kanak’s departure leaves Oklahoma a bit thin at inside linebacker behind Lewis and McKinzie at the starting spots. Players like Sammy Omosigho and Kendal Daniels will have to step…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/oklahoma-sooners-veteran-changing-positions-130248827.html
Author : Sooners Wire
Publish date : 2025-03-07 13:02:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
