More on the coverage unit

Finding players able and willing to make kickoff return tackles is crucial.

Last year, the Sooners had several players who took pride and excelled in special teams play, notably linebacker Lewis Baker and running back Allen Patrick.

“If I was going to run down the field full-speed, someone was going to get punished,” Baker said. “Sometimes you have to want to do it. It’s something I wanted to do. I made sure I was on all the special teams.”

This year, that player is yet to emerge, even though Bob Stoops has placed several of his best and speediest defenders on kickoff coverage, including Lendy Holmes and cornerback Brian Jackson.

“Those guys we had last year were impactful,” Stoops said. “We just haven’t had that same production. We’ll look at working some other personnel. We had guys we felt could handle it and even guys that were on it a year ago. But we’re not getting the production consistently enough.”

By Jake Trotter