Mark Stoops: Jalen Farmer 'pound-for-pound one of the better players on our football team'

The Big Blue Wall has been more of a cracked curb for defenders to step over, around and through in recent years. Last year’s group made a former five-star quarterback retire from the game after getting pummeled all season.

There is no putting lipstick on that pig, and Mark Stoops knows it. Fixing the offensive line was priority No. 1 this offseason for the Wildcats.

“It’s been no mystery, I’ve mentioned the offensive line several times,” he said during his call-in radio show Monday evening about the position group needing the biggest jump in 2025. “I think it starts up front. We have to be better up front. We didn’t meet our standard a year ago with the offensive line. … We have to be more physical to get back to that physical style.

“Hopefully it’ll open up some more things in the passing game. It’s hard to put it on any one person — the quarterback, it’s one person back there, but you have to be very good around him. I know we didn’t do a good enough job a year ago protecting him and putting him in a position to be successful.”

One caller asked for Stoops’ evaluation of the offensive line up to this point, seeing how the unit has come together since the spring and if optimism is warranted ahead of the season opener on Saturday. How would he grade this version of the Big Blue Wall?

Well, it’s complicated — because he hasn’t seen them compete against a real opponent. He’s been blown away by the live reps in practice and scrimmages, but that’s blue against white and white against blue, protecting a quarterback in a red jersey. You never know until the ball is kicked and the real stuff begins.

All he can judge is the work and preparation to get to this point.

“With the offensive line, it’s hard for me to give them a grade without playing a game. I’ll tell you this, I give them an A for the work that they put in,” Stoops said. “They’ve just — I just like their approach. They’re very mature men. They’ve been around for a long time, they have played a lot of football. They care a lot about this team, and I just appreciate how hard of work that they put in.”

When asked about some of the returning talent, namely Jager Burton at center and Jalen Farmer at right guard, Stoops was happy about one and ecstatic about the other — while being high on sixth-year transfer Joshua Braun from Arkansas on the other inside spot at left guard.

Those three together are putting together solid reps, but one has taken his game to a different level as arguably the best player on the team.

“Jager (Burton) has done a very good job. We’re a better line with him playing at center,” Stoops said. “We’ve got (Joshua) Braun at one guard and (Jalen) Farmer at the other — Farmer is the other returning guy. Jalen has been very impressive. He is pound-for-pound one of the better players on our football team. He’s one of those guys inside and has bad intentions every snap. He’s trying to get after some people.

“I like the way that group is playing in general.”

The Farmer praise comes after Stoops previously called him  “ripped” and “super athletic” while his teammates were over the moon about his future as a Wildcat with two seasons of eligibility remaining.

“Farmer’s a freak of nature,” David Gusta said. “Nineteen percent body fat at 6-6, 330 (pounds)? That dude’s a freak.”

“He’s strong, strong as hell, and I think he grew a lot this offseason,” tight end Willie Rodriguez added. “He’s just super strong. A lot of energy; I love that. I’m a big energy guy and he has a lot of it on the field. He’s a big, physical dude. When he finishes, he brings a lot of energy to the offense.”

That’s exactly what the Big Blue Wall needs after a year to forget in 2024.