100 Days to Football Time in Oklahoma: #22 Jeremiah Criddell By: Ryan Lewis Posted on: August 13, 2021

The Path to Norman

Jeremiah Criddell, a very highly-ranked defensive back out of California, had offers from about every top program in the country. His first offer, Oregon, won a commitment for about half a year before his signing day. However, he opened his recruitment back up shortly before early signing day, with OU and Oregon seeming to be the two main contenders. 

Criddell ended up announcing live on ESPN’s coverage of the early signing day. Suffice it to say, the staff was officially pretty happy about it.

Career so Far

Criddell took a redshirt season in 2019, but was able to enjoy three games of playing time. He seemed to bounce around in the secondary during the season as the coaches found the best spot for him. 

In 2020, Criddell’s role increased substantially. He played in all games, starting in one, as he worked at nickel behind Bookie and played on special teams. While his tackle numbers weren’t eye-popping, he was rarely challenged when on the field and seemed to make few mistakes.

Current Profile

Position: Defensive Back

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 198

Year: Redshirt Sophomore

Stats

Stats via Soonersports.com

Highlights

This Season

In the offseason, Bookie departed the OU program, leaving one less option at nickel. Criddell was already playing frequently at the nickel spot and is now in a battle for the starting role. TFB has reported that this offseason was a big one for the defensive back and that he was taking a step forward, despite an injury during training camp. The main competition at nickel is freshman Billy Bowman, who has also received a lot of snaps at the spot. Coach Riley recently alluded to a stiff competition between the two to start. Criddell’s full season of experience should help him stand out to the staff. Regardless of who wins the starting role, as Coach Riley mentioned, “expect both to play a lot for us this season.”