Blatant Homerism: It's all about the Cheetah
In the Oklahoma Sooners’ defensive scheme, the hybrid Cheetah position can play a variety of roles. He may go from setting the edge against the run on one play to covering a deep zone on the next. You could classify his position as a linebacker or a safety – it demands versatility above all.
At the beginning of the ‘24 season, Cheetah may have been the strongest single position on OU’s defense. Kendel Dolby had emerged as an effective option in the middle of the 2023 season thanks to his capacity to do many things well, particularly when playing in space. He went from playing around 20 snaps per game in the first half of that season – while shifting between cornerback and strong safety – to a full-time Cheetah who got no fewer than 39 snaps in any of the final seven contests of the regular season.
After a gruesome injury ended his ‘24 season, Dolby is vying for time at Cheetah once again. Ideally, Dolby gets back to his old self. What should the plan be if he doesn’t?
With Dolby sidelined last year, OU’s defensive brain trust took a committee-like approach to the Cheetah spot. In other words, OU didn’t have a Cheetah at all. The Sooners instead deployed conventional personnel groupings to match what they were seeing from opposing offenses, rotating defensive back Woodi Washington and linebackers Dasan McCullough and Sammy Omisigho rotated continuously for most of the season.
When all was said and done at the end of the regular season, Washington got the most burn of the Cheetah replacements. That makes sense, as most base defenses now use five DBs anyway. PFF data show Washington logged a total of 333 snaps in ‘24. While he registered 59 plays as a traditional cornerback through the Tennessee game, he morphed into a slot cornerback and box defender almost exclusively the rest of the way.
Washington didn’t come close to making the same impact on games as Dolby. For example, Dolby had nearly as many total tackles in the two-and-a-half games he played last year as Washington did for the entire rest of the season once he moved to Cheetah. Similarly, Dolby proved to be an effective rusher coming from the Cheetah position; Washington was credited with a total of two quarterback pressures all season.
To be fair, Washington was usually in the game at Cheetah due to the likelihood of opponents exploiting McCullough and Omisigho in pass coverage. The linebackers often showed out when OU needed the Cheetah to serve as a force player on the edges. They just didn’t get those chances often enough.
Which brings us to the state of the Cheetah position heading into the 2025 season for the Sooners. If Dolby still needs more time to get back in fighting shape, the buzz coming from preseason practices indicates linebacker Kendal Daniels or safety Reggie Powers will take over as the primary Cheetah instead.
Of the two, Daniels (6-5, 242 pounds) fits more in the mode of a Sam outside linebacker. The Oklahoma State transfer lined up all over the field for the Cowboys in 2022 and 2023, getting a plurality of snaps as a box defender and splitting the majority of his time between playing at safety depth and in the slot. In ‘24, OSU’s coaching staff put Daniels in the box or on the outside edge of the defensive line roughly 90% of the time he was on the field. The change resulted in a noticeable step back in his performance.
Using Powers (5-11, 214 pounds) at Cheetah would give the Sooners more of a safety-heavy presence. We have little film of Powers at the college level, but we can safely assume he’s the better option as a pure coverage player. But does being a better option make him good enough in coverage to elevate the defense as a whole?
It seems most likely that OU head coach and defensive coordinator Brent Venables will approach the Cheetah position similar to last season’s timeshare arrangement. Against offenses that prefer heavier personnel groupings – think Michigan – that would mean we’ll see OU playing traditional 4-3 defensive packages with a large dose of Daniels. Take the scenario below from last year’s matchup with Auburn:
The image above shows the Tigers on first down in 12 personnel with one running back and two tight ends. OU countered Auburn’s size with a 4-3 look that put Omisigho (No. 24, circled) at Sam OLB to the strength of the formation. With both tight ends attached to the OL, Omisigho came down to the line of scrimmage to play the edge. After the snap, it appears Omisigho has responsibility for the standup tight end in man coverage. This all fits well with Daniels’ skill set.
Of course, if the Sooners want to contain an explosive passing attack, there’s a simple way to get Daniels and Powers on the field at the same time:
This image from the first play of the Texas game in ‘24 provides an example of OU’s 3-3-3 look (three defensive linemen, three LBs and three safeties). Omisigho is playing Sam OLB on the second level of the defense. Meanwhile, OU inserted Peyton Bowen (No. 22, circled) as a middle-of-the-field safety. This year, you would have Daniels in place of Omisigho and Powers playing one of the safety positions. The tradeoff: The Sooners would have to pull one of their salty defensive linemen off the field.
The biggest dilemma regarding the Cheetah in 2025 seems to be finding an answer for situations in which OU would be best served by using the equivalent of a nickel cornerback. Dolby’s value at Cheetah has come largely from his ability to play that role without significantly impairing the defense’s ability to stop the run. If Dolby’s health forces Venables to look in another direction, perhaps Powers can handle slot corner duties? Alternatively, Venables could add a true CB such as Jeremiah Newcombe or Eli Bowen to the Cheetah mix and tailor the scheme to mitigate the risks they pose as run defenders.
Bear in mind that the OU defense still took a major step forward overall last year, even though the Cheetah spot fell off from the previous season. Raising the quality of play from the position this year could go a long way towards transforming the Sooner D from a very good unit to one of the nation’s best.
Through the Keyhole teams up with Homefield
Through the Keyhole is joining forces this season with Homefield Apparel to bring you the best in college sports apparel. Throughout the month of August, the Can’t Miss Kickoff event will include drops for an incredible amount of new items, so treat yourself to some new Homefield gear celebrating the start of the college football season.
A smorgasbord of seasonings
The arrival of football season means it’s also tailgating season. And tailgating means barbecue and grilling. I’ve smoked plenty of meat in my time, and I’ve accumulated a solid base of knowledge about great seasonings for taking your Saturday delicacies to the next level. As a gift to Through the Keyhole’s legions of fans, here are a few that you should make staples of your pantry.
Rocky Mountain Seasoning (Penzeys) – I believe I’ve mentioned my fondness for Penzeys in this space in the past. You really can’t go wrong with anything from this company’s line, but Rocky Mountain Seasoning is especially useful for making a quick dip. Just mix a package with a commensurate amount of sour cream and serve.
Flame and Smoke (Quail & Hound Farms) – Based out of Middleburg, Virginia, Quail & Hounds Farms is a way-off-the-beaten-path purveyor of a line of stellar seasonings to complement all manner of dishes. If you want those smoky accents but don’t have the time to go all low and slow, try the Flame and Smoke mix.
Killer Hogs Steak Rub – Poke around on YouTube for barbecue how-to videos and you’re sure to come across Malcom Reed of How to BBQ Right. I’m not sure if Killer Hogs is Malcom’s own brand, but he plugs that product line constantly in his videos. I broke down and tried the steak rub – it became my go-to choice for beef pretty quickly.
Gaucho Churrasco BBQ Rub (Major Flavor Seasonings) – This would be my top pick if you’re going Brazilian. Frankly, you can find plenty of great options in this category.
Slap Ya Mama Original Blend Cajun Seasoning (Walker & Sons) – Tony Chachere’s seasonings have been the big bad of Cajun cooking for decades, and there’s nothing wrong with the king. But I made the switch to Slap Ya Mama a few years ago and haven’t looked back since. This can go on just about anything for me, but I find myself breaking it out most often with poultry. (SYM works great for this easy jambalaya recipe.)
That’s just a sample of my favorites. Comment below or hit me up with some suggested spices of your own.