Oklahoma football: Sooners to move Mike Onuoha from defensive end to outside linebacker

Oklahoma, which begins spring football practices Saturday, is expected to shift to a 3-4 defensive scheme, which features bigger defensive linemen and often backs traditional ends off the line of scrimmage as pass rushing linebackers.

“I think he's gonna be good in space, coming off the edge and doing some things out in the flats,” said Edmond Santa Fe coach Lance Manning. “I know some of the things they're gonna do with him will work to his strengths.

“The big cat can move and run, and he's got a big wingspan. He's gonna be imposing out there.”

Onuoha missed most of his junior high-school season with a separated shoulder, but he had a breakout performance at Oklahoma's summer camp before his senior year. Before that, he'd been considered more as a basketball prospect.

Onuoha's senior season was Manning's first at Edmond Santa Fe.

“He was really raw for us,” Manning said of Onuoha, who weighed around 230 pounds throughout his only full season of high school football.