Player Profile
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 242
Class: Redshirt Sophomore
Seasons at OU: 2
Hometown: Lubbock, Texas
Previous School: Lubbock-Cooper HS
The Path to Norman
Kobie McKinzie, an elite four-star linebacker out of Lubbock, Texas, was committed to the Sooners for over two years. When the former staff fled west, McKinzie decommitted from the Sooners and committed to the Longhorns shortly after. Coach Venables continued to make McKinzie a priority when he landed the job. Following a visit to Norman shortly before December signing day, McKinzie flipped back to the good guys. He joined Kip Lewis and Jaren Kanak in an absurdly talented 2022 linebacker class.
— kobie (@kobiemckinzie26) December 13, 2021
Career so Far
In his first year in Norman, McKinzie played in four games, mostly on special teams, on his way to a redshirt season.
Although he played in all 13 games in 2023, it was a fairly quiet year for McKinzie. He played 165 snaps on defense, 18% of the total available, but continue his role on special teams.
Stats
Years: 2023 | 2022 | Career
Games Played: 13 | 4 | 17
Tackles: 22 | 0 | 22
TFL: 1 | 0 | 1
PBU: 3 | 0 | 3
Stats via Soonersports.com
Highlights
This Season
Despite speculation that McKinzie may transfer after the 2023 season, he has stayed at OU and has enjoyed a very solid offseason. Danny Stutsman will start at MLB, with McKinzie expected to be the first man up after Stutsman. The linebacker group is a deep one this fall, but there is certainly a role for McKinzie to play this year and the potential for a much larger role to come in 2025.