LINCOLN — Jeremy Beal, at cornerback?
That’s how Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops described the role of his versatile defensive end during the Sooners’ 47-41 win over Oklahoma State on Saturday.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 267 pounds, Beal played much of that game without putting a hand on the turf, showcasing his athleticism and amplifying his value to an improved defensive unit.
OU regularly used just three down linemen Saturday, a formation that appeared to catch the Cowboys by surprise. Beal acted like a linebacker — or like a cornerback, according to Stoops — covering receivers and providing pressure from an upright stance.
“The guy can do anything,” Stoops said during the Big 12 weekly teleconference Monday. “He’s incredibly bright. He comes up with those tackles for loss, the sacks, the pressures when you need them. He had another great game this weekend.”
Good enough to be named Big 12 defensive player of the year? Beal, who had five tackles Saturday, is certainly one of the favorites.
No one has more tackles for loss than Beal’s 18. Texas A&M’s Von Miller is the only Big 12 player with more sacks than Beal’s nine this season. Beal has a team-high three forced fumbles.
“The guy is the absolute best,” Stoops said.
Beal’s job against OSU, not even a week after learning of his new responsibilities for the game, helped solidify that in Stoops’ mind.
The OU coaches reportedly visited Alabama during the offseason for tips regarding the three-man front.
They added their own spin on it Saturday. Against Oklahoma State, the Sooners didn’t even insert a defensive tackle into the game at times. They varied blitzes from their linebackers. Beal loved it.
“I played linebacker in high school, so it wasn’t that big of a change,” he said. “It was a little bit of a switch-up from defensive end. It was pretty fun.”
Stoops said the alignment fit well against a spread-oriented offense that attempted to run the football out of four-wide receiver sets.
Comparably, that general concept was utilized by NU coach Bo Pelini when he stood up defensive end Cameron Meredith for the entire game against Missouri last month.
The two head coaches, both from Youngstown, Ohio, do talk regularly and maintain a well-documented friendship. Pelini was co-defensive coordinator under Stoops at Oklahoma in 2004.
But it doesn’t appear the two compared specific notes on this particular strategy.
“I’ve messed with that (three-man) front for years,” Pelini said. “(Oklahoma’s coaches) have, too.”
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