Jim Nagy wasn’t just hunting for bodies when he helped Oklahoma line up four transfers who are pursuing eligibility through temporary restraining orders against the NCAA. He was trying to reinforce what the Sooners already are.
The four players - former Arkansas defensive tackle Danny Saili, Boise State defensive tackle Braxton Fely, Wisconsin cornerback D’Yoni Hill and Stephen F. Austin linebacker Jaydon Southard - are part of Cleveland County Courthouse cases seeking a fifth year of eligibility. Those cases followed a July ruling by a Colorado judge that all 2022 class athletes who exhausted their eligibility in four years are now eligible.
Nagy said Oklahoma had spent plenty of time vetting the group before making the move, including checking with NFL personnel who evaluated them last year. For him, the fit mattered as much as the talent.
“One thing I will say with all these guys, like, we had a lot of time to (evaluate) these guys with people in the NFL that scouted them last year, making sure they were really good culture fits,” Nagy said. “That was really important to us as well because we really like where the team's at chemistry-wise, culture-wise, leadership-wise and didn't want to do anything to disrupt that.”
The Sooners also had room for them by design. Nagy said Oklahoma intentionally kept spots open while waiting for the legal situation to develop, and no one had to be removed to make it work.
“We did everything by the book,” Nagy said. “So constant contact with the SEC, the administration.
… We weren't going to ever cut any players. I'll say that.
That was never a consideration. And just looking to upgrade the team, it's a violent sport.
… It's a long season, and we are happy about what we did.”
With a long season ahead, Oklahoma wanted more depth, and the numbers behind the additions reflect that push. Saili has 14 tackles over his previous two seasons at Arkansas.
Fely posted 67 tackles and 14 sacks in four years at Boise State. Hill started nine games for Wisconsin in 2025 and finished with 39 tackles.
Southard had 114 tackles for Stephen F. Austin last year.
Nagy singled out Saili and Fely in particular.
“Danny's played in the SEC - strong guy (and) got better over the course of last season, …” Nagy said. “(Danny’s) a big strong guy at the point of attack. … Braxton's a slippery guy - really good with his hands (and) disruptive.”
Quarterback John Mateer said he trusts the people making the decisions on personnel and believes the new additions fit what Oklahoma wants.
“I trust our front office; I just coach (Brent) Venables and all those people that are in control,” Mateer said. “They would only bring in guys that match the culture, match the system and really want to play.”
Saili has already seen some action, playing a few snaps against UTEP, but Nagy said the rest of the group will not be hurried onto the field.
“We're not going to rush them out there,” Nagy said. “They’re going to have to learn and, more than anything, be physically ready. But they’ve got a seven-day acclimation period here, during the week, so we’ll get them out there when they’re ready.”
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Oklahoma Is Counting On Late Defensive Adds Faster Than Fans Realize
Oklahomas defense picked up a late burst of experience when the program added four fifth-year transfer players in Danny Saili, Braxton Fely, DYoni Hill and Jaydon Southard. Each was granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, clearing the way for immediate eligibility this season, and Brent Venables has pointed to that group as a way to add depth and give the Sooners more options on that side of the ball.
For a team trying to build out its roster with older, proven pieces, the timing matters as much as the names. Venables sounded confident those additions can help right away, but the real test now is how quickly they fit into the defense and whether their presence can translate from added bodies on paper to meaningful snaps when the season starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]