100 Days to Football Time in Oklahoma: #42 Konnor Near By: Ryan Lewis Posted on: July 22, 2023

Player Profile

Position: Linebacker

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 232

Class: Redshirt Senior

Hometown: St. Johns, Michigan

Previous School: Ferris State University

The Path to Norman

A recruit in the 2019 class, Konnor Near went from high school football in Michigan to college at Ferris State. He did not play in the first two seasons, but was a big part of the defense the next two seasons. After 2022, Near decided to enter the transfer portal. Despite offers from schools including Michigan State, West Virginia, and Texas Tech, Konnor transferred to Oklahoma.

Career so Far

Near took a redshirt season in 2019 and did not play. In 2020, the D2 season was cancelled during COVID.

2021 was a big season for Near, as he played in all 15 games of the season at linebacker. He again played in all 15 games in 2022, this time averaging over four tackles per game en route to a Ferris State National Championship an All-American honors

Stats

Years: 2022 | 2021 | Career

Games Played: 15 | 15 | 30

Tackles: 66 | 27 | 93

TFL: 6.5 | 2 | 8.5

Sacks: 2 | 0 | 2

FR: 1 | 0 | 1

Stats via Soonersports.com

Highlights

This Season

Near has two years of eligibility remaining and comes to OU as one of the most experienced linebackers in the room. The linebacker room was thin by Coach Venables’ own admission last season, so additional veterans can be nothing but good. It’s unclear how he’ll fit into the depth chart, but an experienced linebacker will almost certainly find ways to contribute for the Sooners.