This spring, Oklahoma has been searching for a new middle-linebacker and Jon-Michael Terry continues to be someone coaches and players can’t say enough about.
Jordan Evans had been the anchor of the Sooners’ defense for the past three years, but now with him gone, Terry hopes to fill his shoes. The redshirt freshman knows his coaches and teammates are counting on him to fill Evans’ role.
“I’ve got big shoes to fill with Jordan Evans leaving, they’re just waiting for me to step up,” Terry said. “I’ve been just been learning the defense and learning other things so I can play faster.”
The Tulsa native and Victory Christian product didn’t see the field at all last season, but has been one of the most talked about players this spring. Defensive coordinator Mike Stoops knows Terry has a high ceiling, and feels like he can step into the middle linebacker position.
“Jon-Michael Terry’s done a great job,” Stoops said. “Just our linebackers were so inexperienced early on and I just feel like we’re so much further along in that area even though we lost a great player in Jordan Evans. I feel like Jon-Michael’s got a chance to be a special player.”
Even head coach Bob Stoops has started to notice Terry’s ability and how far he has come since last season.
“He’s doing really well. He’s a big, physical guy,” Stoops said. “Got a lot of range to him, explosiveness, so it’s just getting comfortable in there with all the reads and defenses, but he’s coming along really pretty well. He’s light years ahead of where he was.”
Terry is currently in position battle with an abundance of guys like Emmanuel Beal, Ricky DeBerry, Curtis Bolton and a few others. Even though Terry may not start in the spring game, he’s excited for fans to watch the Oklahoma defense as a whole.
“I’m just looking forward to getting on the field. It’s going to be an exciting game,” Terry said. “As a defense as a whole, you should expect to see fast play, everybody getting to the ball and playing hard.”
Terry and the Sooners will play in the spring game Saturday at 1 p.m. CT.
