Jake Kreul

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-3, 240 lbs. Taller than 21% and heavier than 60% of 2026 Edge Rusher prospects in the SEC Scouts database (169 with a listed size).

Play Style

An active, technical edge rusher who plays mostly in a two-point or wide stance and wins with speed, angle and hand work rather than raw power. On film he attacks half of the tackle, gets his hands off quickly and bends under reach blocks. When his first move is stopped he keeps working to a counter. That's where his 11 hurries in 2024 came from. He plays with a high motor in pursuit, and his 16 TFL as a senior show he can get into the backfield on runs as well as passes. His play fits a stand-up end/Cheetah role that moves around more than a traditional hand-in-the-dirt 5-technique.

Strengths

• Pass-rush toolbox: Ivins credited him with 'a near complete menu of moves' (dip, rip, swipe) and said he's 'quick to cycle them.' When one move is stopped he goes straight to the counter, which is rare for a high school rusher who could have won on athleticism alone.
• Get-off and bend: his first step and his ability to flatten at the top of the rush let him beat offensive tackles around the edge, and his low pad level comes from his shorter frame.
• Steady production against top competition: at IMG he had 39 tackles, 12 TFL, 6 sacks and 11 hurries as a junior (2024), then 36 tackles, 16 TFL and 4 sacks as a senior (2025). His TFL total went up as a senior, which shows he makes plays against the run as well as the pass.
• Football IQ and effort: Ivins said he wins 'early or late with his technique and hustle,' and OU senior DE Taylor Wein said he has 'never seen a true freshman come here and be as knowledgeable as he is.' That kind of mental readiness is why a player gets on the field early.

Areas to Improve

• Size and play strength: at 240 he can get stuck on SEC tackles who are 320 pounds or more when they get their hands on him first. He needs to build lower-body strength to set a firm edge against power run schemes and to add a bull rush that actually works.
• Length: with arms that aren't elite, he has to win with hand speed and hitting the right spot first. Against long, patient tackles who don't overset, he needs a better long-arm/push-pull counter and inside moves.
• Every-down reliability: his sack totals were modest for a prospect at his level (4-6 per season). Turning pressures into finishes and holding up against down-after-down run fits will decide whether he's a situational rusher or a full-time starter.

College Projection

He's already on campus as an early enrollee, and Oklahoma staff and veterans praised his spring. That points to a rotational role in 2026, mainly on third downs and obvious passing downs, with special-teams work likely. A realistic timeline: pass-rush specialist in 2026, pushing for a starting job in 2027 once his body reaches 250 or more, and a full-time starter and possible All-SEC candidate by 2028 if the added strength holds up against the run.

NFL Outlook

Day 2 draft potential, with a Day 1 ceiling if his frame fills out. NFL teams will like his bend, variety of moves and football IQ, and those traits carry over. At the next level he'll be judged on arm length, play strength and whether he can play the run on early downs. His likely NFL role is a 3-4 outside linebacker or a wide-9 rush end. Without the added mass he would profile as a situational rusher who needs to produce 8 or more sacks per season in college to climb draft boards.

Best Fit

An aggressive, multiple defense that uses a hybrid stand-up rusher (DE/OLB) and moves him around on stunts and simulated pressures to create matchups. Brent Venables' Oklahoma defense, with DE coach Miguel Chavis (Kreul cited his relationship with Chavis in his commitment), is close to ideal. The scheme lets him rush from space while his body develops, and he gets strength development in the program before he's asked to be a 270-pound base end.