NORMAN — Oklahoma defensive ends Taylor Wein and Adepoju Adebawore both enrolled at OU in 2023.
Now in their fourth year together, Wein and Adebawore have become inseparable. Wein refers to the edge rusher duo as “salt and pepper,” while Adebawore calls Wein his “dawg.” The two of them can be seen together almost always, whether on the sidelines, at practice or anywhere else on OU’s campus.
This is the first season in which both Wein and Adebawore started on the edges. Both of them have played exceptionally through seven games, combining for 5.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
Neither of them, however, are content with how they have performed.
“I still have to be better in all areas of my game,” Adebawore said. “I’m still leaving some plays out there.”
Wein said, “There’s a lot of meat left on the bone. We both have goals and aspirations. Those don’t mean anything if you don’t put the work in.”
In the Sooners’ 23-15 win over Mississippi State on Saturday, Adebawore and Wein both feasted.
On the Bulldogs’ opening drive, Adebawore sacked MSU quarterback Kamario Taylor and helped the Sooners force a punt. The defensive end finished the day with 1.5 sacks and two tackles.
Wein registered five tackles and one solo stop, and he also recovered a fumble.
Adebawore and Wein were standouts for an OU defense that allowed only 15 points and 352 offensive yards in Starkville. Still, Wein believes that he and Adebawore can both be even more disruptive.
“We have to make our layups, and in critical moments, we can’t make mistakes,” Wein said. “We had several penalties, myself included. And we just have to learn from that.”
The star edge rushers will have another chance to showcase their steady growth this week.
The Sooners host South Carolina and quarterback LaNorris Sellers on Saturday.
Sellers, a senior, has thrown for 1,548 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions in seven games while also rushing for 507 yards and four touchdowns. The dual-threat quarterback stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 238 pounds.
Wein, Adebawore and the Sooners have faced off against Sellers twice since joining the SEC. South Carolina beat OU 35-9 in Norman in 2024 before the Sooners got their revenge in Columbia last year, winning 26-7.
OU’s fourth-year defensive ends will have their hands full when they face off against Sellers on Saturday. But both of them are excited for the challenge.
“His feet are his weapon, and he has a heck of an arm, too,” Wein said. “We have to come correct with our eyes, our physicality.”
Adebawore said, “We know that he’s fast, elusive, strong, can break tackles. Very, very impressive player. A guy that we just have to contain. We just have to put it together.”
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