For the first time in the Mark Stoops era, in 2019 every single member of the incoming freshman class took a redshirt year. The step was taken not because the players were not good enough to play. Stoops kept everyone on the sideline for all but four games to allow the young players to develop mentally and grow physically. One player was almost an exception to the rule, M.J. Devonshire.
The four-star cornerback from Aliquippa, PA regularly rotated in with the ones in preseason practice and before he received significant snaps against Eastern Michigan. He recorded two tackles and a pass break-up before the injury bug bit.