Michigan · L 10-17
No tackles.
New Mexico · W 14-6
No tackles.
Lewis has tackles in 6 of Oklahoma’s 8 games: none against Michigan and New Mexico.
“OU’s offensive scheme?? Kip Lewis.”
14 stories in the last 60 days, from 8 outlets.
As of
Lewis was the heartbeat of Oklahoma's defense in 2025 — a team-leading 76 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and five pass breakups, the every-down signal-caller and captain who's started since the middle of 2024. He returns for a final season already on the Bronko Nagurski preseason watch list. The forward stakes ride with the program's: Oklahoma enters its second SEC year with a defense built to contend, and Lewis is the experienced voice in the middle who sets the front and makes the calls. He's not the flashiest name, but he's the kind of veteran anchor good defenses are organized around.
Update (Oct. 28, 2026): Oklahoma lost 21-13 to Kentucky as a 7-point favorite on Oct. 17, then beat Mississippi State 23-15 on Oct. 24 and is 4-3. Lewis has 25 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in the five games with a stat line on his page, including 8 tackles against Kentucky.
Sources
Play style
Lewis is a balanced, do-everything middle linebacker — the on-field quarterback of the defense. The stat line is well-rounded rather than spiky: a team-leading tackle count, 10.5 tackles for loss as a downhill run defender, four sacks on timed pressures, and five pass breakups that show real range in coverage. As a captain and multi-year starter, his value is as much in the pre-snap communication and alignment as in the production. He's a steady, instinctive, every-down linebacker who diagnoses plays quickly and is rarely out of position — the reliable core a contending defense leans on.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
from 8 outlets
OU football: Brent Venables gives Kip Lewis, Michael Fasusi injury updates after Michigan loss
Tulsa World +1 Sep 12 · 2 outlets
Yahoo SportsOklahoma LB Kip Lewis previews the Sooners' matchup with Michigan.Sep 7
Saturday Down SouthOklahoma levels the score vs. South Carolina thanks to Kip Lewis pick-6Oct 31from 13 outlets
OU football: Brent Venables gives Kip Lewis, Michael Fasusi injury updates after Michigan loss
Tulsa World +1 Sep 12 · 2 outlets
Sports IllustratedWhy Oklahoma LB Kip Lewis Believes Sooners’ Defense Will Take Another Step ForwardAug 12Sports IllustratedOwen Heinecke, Kip Lewis' Differing Personalities Have Elevated Oklahoma's LB RoomAug 22
On3Crimson Countdown: No. 10 Kip LewisAug 25
FOX SportsLinebacker Kip Lewis heading into his final season at No. 10 Oklahoma with something to proveAug 25Yahoo SportsOklahoma LB Kip Lewis previews the Sooners' matchup with Michigan.Sep 7Saturday Down SouthOklahoma levels the score vs. South Carolina thanks to Kip Lewis pick-6Oct 31Sports IllustratedOklahoma LB Kip Lewis: 'The Tape Speaks Volumes'Aug 14Saturday Down SouthBrent Venables says star LB Kip Lewis ‘will miss some time’Sep 13Saturday Down SouthSports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports IllustratedYahoo SportsYahoo SportsOn3Each week: his team’s game, the stories about him that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Nov 4.
Fans first named Kip Lewis at Georgia.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Last game (Wk 9): 5 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 6 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 51-0vs UTEP | 3 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | L 13-41@ No. 2 Georgia | 5 | 4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 6 | W 27-24vs No. 1 Texas | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | L 13-21vs No. 15 Kentucky | 8 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.5 | — | 0 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 8 | W 23-15@ Mississippi State | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | L 25-42vs South Carolina | 5 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 30 | 12 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 1 | 1 |
Oct. 31 · L 25-42 vs South Carolina, play by play
A defensive touchdown: his interception went 30 yards for the score. 5 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 6 for him; the box score credits 5.
Intercepted, returned 30 yards for the score. Second quarter, made it 7-7.
Sacked the quarterback for a 5-yard loss. Fourth quarter, down 35-16.
His defensive touchdowns put 14 points on the board directly. Without them the final is 11-42, not 25-42.
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 2 tackles for loss, 1 of them a sack, in the 5 games with play by play.
How Oklahoma’s defense played that day
South Carolina’s 12 drives: 6 stopped (3 takeaways) · 6 scored. While the game was within a score they held 3 of 6. His pick-six came with Oklahoma down 7.
5 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
8 tackles, including 1 more for loss. He hurried the quarterback twice.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 7 of his 8, sacks included.
Sacked the quarterback for a 2-yard loss. First quarter, down 7-3.
4 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
5 tackles, including 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Sacked the quarterback for a 2-yard loss. First quarter, tied 0-0.
Ratings of the games shown run from +6 to +27 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
30tackles this seasonTFL rate
8%2 TFLSack rate
7%2 sacksPD rate
3%1 pass breakups30 tackles · 2.5 for loss · 2 sacks · 1 interception.
5 seasons under Brent Venables — 36-24 over that span.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 6 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 5.3 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Road2g | 5.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-74g | 5.0 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 5.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Brent Venables
Pass share
48.6%
250 pass / 264 run
Plays / game
64.2
8 games
Team sack rate
7.5%
293 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Player standing · 2026
About as many tackles a game as a typical FBS linebacker who plays every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Former four-star. Now #143 at the position.
2026 outlook
In the mix for All-SEC
Based on 2025: #9 of 76 SEC LBs
A base rate for the rank, not a forecast of this player: 35% of returning players who ranked #4–10 at their position in their conference made an all-conference team the next season (95% confidence interval 31–38%).
2026 is in progress.
A stat line in 45 games over five seasons.
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
1 coachPlayed every college season under Brent Venables.
