What had been anticipated by Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables became a reality on Thursday morning as redshirt defensive lineman Jacob Lacey announced that he would have to medically retire from the game of football.
In an appearance on The Oklahoma Breakdown podcast, Venables said that this move was “probably” coming for Lacey. “That’s a devastating blow for us,” Venables said. “We were really counting on not only his leadership, but he’s a really good player.”
Lacey led all Oklahoma defensive linemen in snaps played in 2023, despite missing most of the summer and fall camp heading into the season.
Know who hasn’t gotten his due as an unsung hero from Saturday? Jacob Lacey.
— Parker Thune (@ParkerThune) October 9, 2023
First and 10 from the #Sooners 35-yard line with 2:20 left. The entire complexity of the game — and perhaps the outcome — changes without Lacey’s sack. The Horns were humming. This wrecked their rhythm. pic.twitter.com/8fEPWUb2fv
His departure leaves Oklahoma without their top three defensive tackles from the final depth chart of the season. Jonah Laulu and Jordan Kelley were both “super seniors” who exhausted their eligibility with the 2023 season. The Sooners will have Gracen Halton and Davon Sears returning in the middle of the defensive line in 2024. They also signed 5-star defensive tackle David Stone as a part of the 2024 recruiting class.
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