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Season Grades: D-Line Was the Strength of OSU’s Defense

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Along with having one of the best names in all of football, Joe Bob Clements’ group of defensive lineman was one of the bright spots for Oklahoma State this season.

I hope somehow, someday, there’s a way to unite Clements with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. That would undoubtedly be the best name combination in the history of sports. Anyway, let’s take a look at how the Cowboys’ defensive front performed in 2017.

Performance

When evaluating the defensive line as a whole, there are a few elements I believe should be considered:

  • Hits, pressures and sacks on opposing quarterbacks
  • Opposing yards per carry
  • Tackles for loss

The Cowboys racked up 30 sacks this season, which was good enough for third in the Big 12. Twenty-one of those sacks came at the hand of the defensive line. DeQuinton Osborne and Jordan Brailford led OSU with six and five sacks, respectively.

Osborne’s improvement from 2016 to 2017 was remarkable: He had 12 tackles in 11 games last year, but he quadrupled that effort in 2017 in just two more appearances, notching 44 tackles on the season. Brailford, on the other hand, led all OSU D-lineman with 57 tackles, including 11 for a loss.

Here’s a look at how the defensive linemen performed compared to the rest of the team.

  • The Cowboys had 91 tackles for loss, 51 of which came from the D-line. (The defensive line had 52 TFL in 2016 and 45.5 the year before that.)
  • OSU had 42 quarterback hurries as a team, 25 of which came from the D-line.
  • The defensive line also accounted for six of the 11 forced fumbles throughout the season.

Obviously there are attributes that can’t be measured on a stat sheet, such as drawing a double-team to free a blitzing linebacker. But, given the stats we do have, I think it’s fair to say this group played up to par, especially when compared with other units on this team.

Production Grade: B

Health and Dependability

As OSU fans have learned, the best ability is availability. The Cowboys were decimated on the other side of the ball, losing offensive linemen as the season progressed. Vili Leveni has been oft injured throughout his career, and his senior year was no different. Still, he battled through injuries and played in 12 games, but he finished the season with 11 tackles. When looking at the season as a whole, Leveni and Jordan Brailford essentially split time starting at left end. Osborne was the lone player to start every game on the defensive line, and he drew positive reviews throughout the season. Fans are sure to miss his contributions, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

Here’s an expanded look at the starters along the defensive line in 2017:

Screen Shot 2018-01-15 at 5.21.20 PM

Daniels showed his versatility, starting a pair of games at right end early in the season. The usual starters (Leveni, Osborne, Daniels and Walterscheid) missed only four games combined, which warrants a positive grade.

 Health and Dependability Grade: B+

The Future

Osborne’s departure will open up a spot for another starter inside. One would assume Brailford will take over Leveni’s starting duties and perhaps Walterscheid manning the other end position. Darrion Daniels still has a year left, giving the Cowboys a pretty experienced group heading into next season. Trey Carter will be a redshirt senior, and is a likely candidate to fill the void Osborne leaves.

The Cowboys have picked up commits from three defensive ends, all of which are three-star recruits, in the 2018 class, including Michael Scott. Unfortunately, this Michael Scott isn’t from Scranton, Pennsylvania. Could you imagine watching The Office’s star lining up in a three-point stance and rushing Kyler Murray next year?

The Michael Scott OSU is getting goes to Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas. He stands at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds.

The other two recruits, both from Texas, are Tyler Lacy (6-foot-4, 238 pounds) and Braden Cassity (6-foot-2, 240). Cassity recorded 11 sacks in his senior season at Westlake High School.

Losing Osborne hurts, but because of the leadership and experience of the returning starters, I don’t think this unit will fall off much.

 Final Grade: B+

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