Oklahoma true freshman defensive end Jake Kreul earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors after recording 2.5 sacks against No. 15 Kentucky, the Southeastern Conference announced Monday, Oct. 19.

Kreul's 2.5 sacks set an Oklahoma true freshman record, according to OU athletics. No OU freshman had posted that many sacks in a game since redshirt freshman linebacker Brian Bosworth recorded 3.0 against Iowa State in 1984.

The Orlando, Fla., native also posted career highs of six tackles and 3.0 tackles for loss in the Sooners' 21-13 loss to Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. He entered the game with just three tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss on the season.

His biggest play came late. On fourth-and-3 from the OU 5-yard line, Kreul sacked Kenny Minchey for an 8-yard loss, giving Oklahoma possession with 6:04 remaining, as Sooners Wire reported. The stop gave OU the ball back with about six minutes left, though the Sooners could not capitalize.

Kreul played a career-high 33 snaps against the Wildcats after seeing increased playing time over the previous five games, according to Sooners Wire. A a five-star prospect by ESPN and a four-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals, he entered the season behind veterans Adepoju Adebawore, Danny Okoye and Taylor Wein on the depth chart.

Head coach Brent Venables praised Kreul's preparation after the game.

"He's been practicing well, incredibly eager and focused," Venables said, according to Sooners Wire. "He puts a lot of work in, and (Saturday) he just had his opportunity. He made some fantastic plays and really impacted things."

Kreul's 2.5 sacks led all SEC players in Week 7, and his 3.0 tackles for loss ranked second in the conference, according to OU athletics. He now leads the Sooners with three sacks on the season and has 3.5 tackles for loss and nine total tackles through six games.

The award is OU's fourth SEC weekly honor this season. Wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III earned SEC Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 7. Senior Peyton Bowen and kicker Tate Sandell both received weekly awards on Oct. 12.

The Sooners fell to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in SEC play after four turnovers doomed the offense against Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 17. Oklahoma outgained the Wildcats 346 to 230 in total yards.

Oklahoma travels to Mississippi State (4-2, 2-2 SEC) on Saturday, Oct. 24, in Starkville, Miss. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. on SEC Network.