The Oklahoma Sooners lost one of their very best players to injury on Saturday in their 17-10 loss against the Michigan Wolverines. In the game’s first quarter, star fifth-year linebacker Kip Lewis injured his right knee, initially returning to the game with a brace on. However, he quickly exited again, and was in the sideline in street clothes for the remainder of the contest.
After the game, head coach Brent Venables gave a quick update on Lewis’ status, which wasn’t a positive one for the Sooners.
“He’ll miss some time,” Venables said.
OU struggled mightily on defense in the first half, at least relative to their standards in Norman. However, the second half was better. The Sooners gave up just seven points when they were backed up following an interception from quarterback John Mateer.
Brent Venables on #Sooners star LB Kip Lewis:
“He’ll miss some time.” pic.twitter.com/N38qMRW1ym
— Brody Lusk (@BrodyLusk247) September 12, 2026
After the disappointing loss, the Sooners will have to bounce back quickly, with games against Georgia and Texas coming up before mid-October. They’ll have to do it on defense without the heart and soul of the unit in Lewis, who is the longest-tenured player on the entire roster.
With Lewis sidelined, Oklahoma will see a lot more of James Nesta and Cole Sullivan at the weakside linebacker spot, as they’ll try to hold down the fort beside middle linebacker Owen Heinecke until Lewis’ return.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Brent Venables updates status of star LB after Michigan loss