Oklahoma Sooners Defensive Tackle Earns Oklahoma's First SEC Weekly Defensive Award

Oklahoma Sooners junior defensive lineman Gracen Halton was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week on Monday following his performance in the Sooners' 16-12 win over Houston on Saturday. This is Oklahoma's second player of the week award in the SEC, as kicker Tyler Keltner won SEC Special Teams Player of the Week last week.

Halton registered a pair of tackles for loss, as well as a sack and a safety this weekend. The sack was for a loss of 11 yards and the safety was a five-yard stuff on a run play with 1:42 left in the game and the Sooners leading just 14-12. It was OU's only scoring play of the second half.

Related: Studs and Duds from the Oklahoma Sooners' 16-12 Escape Over the Houston Cougars

Halton helped OU hold Houston to 58 rushing yards and 1.7 yards per carry on the night. The San Diego, Calif., product, who entered the season with 3.5 career TFLs and no sacks, ranks second among SEC defensive linemen this season with his 3.5 TFLs. He has registered 2.5 sacks so far this season.

According to PFF, Gracen Halton boasts the third-highest pass-rush win rate among all FBS defensive tackles with a 25% win rate. Even more amazing, he has posted a 60% (!) win rate on true pass sets (no screens, RPOs, play-action). That number is far and away the top number in FBS right now.

These numbers aren't totally sustainable throughout the season. Last year's top win rate was first-round pick Byron Murphy II at Texas with a 19.6%. Interestingly enough, the top win rate against true pass sets last year went to another OU defensive tackle in Isaiah Coe, who posted a 30.8% win rate.

Halton's numbers likely won't continue at this same pace as the competition gets tougher, but it's a fantastic sign for the development of that room.

This offseason, I labeled their defensive tackle room as a weakness of the team , as many of the team's players there were relatively unproven. Halton has answered the call and has formed a terrific 1-2 punch up front with transfer Damonic Williams.