Story by
The Norman Transcript, Okla.
Despite loss, Jake Kreul’s breakout game is massive for Oklahoma football
- Story byThe Norman Transcript, Okla.
- Despite loss, Jake Kreul’s breakout game is massive for Oklahoma football
It's been a long, long time since a freshman performed like Jake Kreul did this weekend.
So far back that the last time a performance like that happened, a player later nicknamed 'The Boz' did it in the mid-'80s.
Advertisement
Kreul, Oklahoma football's rushing freshman defensive end, got 2.5 sacks in the Sooners' loss last week to No. 12 Kentucky. He's the first OU freshman to record more than two sacks in a single game since Sooner legend Brian Bosworth got three sacks against Iowa State in 1984.
"I told you guys, I'm not surprised. He's special," said OU veteran defensive end Taylor Wein. "That's just who he is and it's only getting started for Jake Kreul. His investment, his coachability and the way he attacks every day and the way he continues to learn about football, man, I've never seen it before. And you guys saw a small glimpse of who he is as a man and as a player. And so yeah, it's only going to go up from here for Jake."
Kreul is arguably the best recruit from the Sooners' 2026 class and has proved it through half a season in Norman.
His snap-count has been on a sharp incline since the return from OU's early bye week two weeks ago, where he got in a lot down the stretch against Texas and played a large percentage against the Wildcats.
Advertisement
He's been on a rapid developmental path that typically takes more time for freshmen to earn trust on the defensive edge. OU associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator Todd Bates said Tuesday that his development is no surprise for the Sooners.
"It was good to see him have that breakout game that we all knew he could do," Bates said. "We knew he was a great pass rusher. Can play the run, too. He's a real student of the game. He's up here as much as the coaches are. He's right there under coach Chavis' wing and learning everything there is to know.
"He wanted to know every play that we had, and he studied on his own way ahead of time. That's why you see his work come to fruition right now."
Kreul impressed with his performance against the Wildcats, especially with his ability to get to the quarterback quickly.
Advertisement
Kreul's half-sack came in the second drive of the game for the Sooners' defense, where he shared the tackle of UK quarterback Kenny Minchey with linebacker Kip Lewis.
His solo sacks came at critical times for OU in the second half.
His first one was on a 3rd-down attempt from the Wildcats. He fired off the line against UK's right tackle. He limboed under the arms of the tackle and hit Minchey for a sack to force a punt by the Wildcats.
The other sack was one of the highlights of the game for the Sooners. It came on Kentucky's questionable decision to go for a 4th-down conversion up a point in the middle of the fourth quarter.
Advertisement
Kreul flew off the ball unblocked and blindsided Minchey with a massive hit and tackle to give the ball back to the Sooners.
He's impressed all of his coaches and teammates so far, with Saturday's performance being his true breakout game at such an early start for a defensive end in OU coach Brent Venables' system.
"I think the Lord and his parents gave him great athleticism, and he can bend really well," Wein said. "But I think his most special characteristic is his mindset and his brain. Super smart, super intelligent and has a killer mindset. And he's super — he understands when he goes wrong and where he goes wrong and he adjusts.
"It's not about the mistake; it's about the adjustment and how do you correct that. So that's what makes him special."
Advertisement
Kreul's rise to significant playing time this early is a bit of a surprise considering the Sooners' depth at defensive end.
The Sooners have Wein as the centerpiece on the edge with PJ Adebawore as the other starter opposite of Wein. Behind those two is a former big-time recruit in Danny Okoye and a few camp standouts in Wyatt Gilmore and Kenny Ozowalu.
His playing time proves he's already ready to play at the SEC-level. He's getting snaps over veterans in the system and making big-time plays. He's not the only freshman playing for the Sooners, however the others are more on a needed timeline for the team unlike Kreul, who has forced his way into the rotation and is thriving.
The near-consensus pick for a breakout on the defensive line was Okoye or Adebawore, however it's 18-year old Kreul, who is far more mature than his age.
Advertisement
After Saturday's performance, he appeared in postgame interviews and had all the opportunity to talk about his historic day. He, instead, focused on how the team could get better and that the Sooners did not meet their expectations against the Wildcats.
His maturity matched with his meteoric developmental path he's on could spell a soon-to-be breakout star for the Sooners sooner rather than later.
"Personal stats are cool and everything but the main goal is to go 1-0 and we didn't do that," Kreul said. "It's a little infuriating. It sucks to lose as a competitor… I don't want to be like a sob story but it sucks losing. You hate to lose.
"Everything comes back to the fundamentals. There's so many small details that we worked out in practice this week that I messed up today that there's no reason for me to mess it up."
