The #Sooners are entering the season ranked at No. 2, watch our best clips from today's practice for the 2021 season:
Filmed by Collin McDaniel and Justin Jayne
Edited by Collin McDaniel
Every day Jalen Redmond was away from football, his desire to play the game grew.
The redshirt sophomore opted out of Oklahoma’s 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns and watched the Sooners take the field every Saturday from home. While viewing his TV, he remembers recognizing every play OU defense was about to call. For a while, Redmond said it felt like he was still with his teammates and was just waiting to go in on the next play.
He never got the chance to play for the Sooners last season, but Redmond’s role with his team in 2021 will surpass film study. The 6-foot-2, 280 pounder will lead an OU defensive line that’s expected to be among the country’s best. Alongside redshirt junior Nik Bonitto, redshirt senior Isaiah Thomas and senior Perrion Winfrey, Redmond’s return and newfound appreciation for the sport could prove that expectation true.
“I love it even more,” Redmond said Thursday about football. “Sitting away from it, you realize that football can be over at any day for anybody. You have to take the chances that you get and go with your opportunity. I don't want to lose this opportunity.”
In 2019, Redmond led OU with 6.5 sacks in 13 of 14 games. He also had 29 tackles, 11 for loss, two pass deflections and a forced fumble on the year. Throughout his career, Redmond has missed several games due to blood clot issues, which eventually led to his decision to sit out last season.
Though he declined to answer if he’s vaccinated, Redmond said he’s no longer worried about COVID-19 due to OU’s in-house precautions. Redmond’s current focus is “all about ball right now” as the season nears.
Redmond’s return to Oklahoma was announced by head coach Lincoln Riley on Jan. 1. Riley also revealed Redmond had been practicing with the Sooners leading up to their Goodyear Cotton Bowl matchup against Florida. Riley believes that experience primed Redmond for his return in 2021.
“He's been disruptive as he's always been,” Riley said on April 15. “He's always been a pain in the butt to block, and that certainly hasn't changed. And I think he's just really in good place, just all parts of it, physically, mentally, just everything, he's just in a really good place.
“I do think him coming back was big, not just for Jalen, but I think also, the team saw that. That said a lot to teammates for him to come back and do that and to practice, to want to help us to be ready to go, to play Florida, to beat Florida. I think that was really a positive for him and for the team and the team chemistry.”
Redmond started spring practice with OU shortly after, but that wasn’t without challenges.
“It took me a while,” Redmond said about getting situated this offseason. “I went through the spring and knocked some rust off. I’m still knocking rust off now. I’m not the perfect player. I’m still working on it, still trying to get back into it. But I feel like it’s doing good. I’m feeling good. I’m doing good in the camp right now. I feel like it’s working out.”
The Midwest City native also spoke highly of his unit’s other core members. Redmond said Bonitto’s get off speed is the quickest he’s ever seen, and he credited Thomas with helping him through last year and this offseason.
Thomas, Redmond’s roommate, said at OU’s local media day that Redmond’s more mentally and physically sound than he’s ever been. That’s made Thomas more than excited to start this season, and it also adds to what could be defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s deepest position group.
And Redmond doesn’t care how he’s thrown into OU’s rotation at defensive line. He just wants to be on the field.
“I'm doing whatever the team needs me to do,” Redmond said. (Whether) I’m playing on D-tackle or on the edge, it doesn't really matter to me. If they tell me the first game that they need me to play (defensive) end, I'm going to do it. I don't have a problem with either one.”
