The NCAA’s new eligibility rule is set to reshape roster planning, and Oklahoma has a handful of players who stand to gain from it.
The Division I Cabinet approved a change that gives student-athletes five years of eligibility if they enroll in college no later than the academic year after their 19th birthday. In practice, that wipes away the old redshirt concern that used to hang over playing time.
Football players could previously appear in four games and the postseason without burning a redshirt, but that limitation is now gone across the board. The rule will apply to rising seniors and grants an extra year to players who have not already redshirted.
For the Sooners, that could mean more runway for several key pieces.
Adepoju Adebawore is one of the biggest beneficiaries. The former 5-star recruit played in 13 games as a true freshman and logged 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss.
His sophomore season was slowed by injury, but he bounced back as a junior with 2.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss and 17 total tackles. Adebawore entered his senior year with urgency, but if he keeps building on that junior-year production, he could have the option to spend an extra season developing with Miguel Chavis at defensive end and decide between the NFL Draft and another year in Norman in 2027.
Jacobe Johnson is in a similar spot, though for a different reason. He played so much as a freshman on special teams that a redshirt was never in play.
Since then, he has been a steady part of Oklahoma’s cornerback rotation over the past two seasons. Under the new rule, Johnson could return for another year after the 2026 season, giving him the kind of bonus year that used to be out of reach for players who contributed early on special teams.
Xavier Robinson’s path to this point was shaped by circumstance. If Oklahoma’s running back room had been healthier in 2024, he probably would have kept his redshirt and still had two years left after 2026.
Instead, he came on late and chose to burn it to help the team down the stretch. That decision made sense then, and under the new rules, it would not have been necessary.
Robinson also played through injuries as a sophomore, and new running backs coach Deland McCullough is hoping to get him back to full strength in 2026.
Michael Boganowski also used his freshman year to contribute on special teams and in the secondary, and he kept that momentum going. He closed 2024 with eight total tackles, then followed with 31 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack as a sophomore.
He is projected to start at safety next to Peyton Bowen, who could also get an extra year. Boganowski has the measurables NFL scouts will like, but if he needs more time to grow into the safety spot, the new eligibility setup gives him that chance in 2028.
Elijah Thomas rounds out the group. He did not crack the receiver rotation as a freshman, but he still picked up valuable game-day experience on special teams.
In 2025, he caught one pass and made eight tackles in 13 games. If Thomas can carve out a bigger role in 2026, the new rule means he could still give Oklahoma four seasons of production in the passing game.
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Sandells honor fits the standard he set in 2025, when he was one of the most trusted kickers in the country, and Stones recognition reflects how much his production stood out on a young defensive line. For Oklahoma, the bigger picture is encouraging: two players at very different positions are already being viewed nationally as difference-makers, and both are expected to be central to the Sooners push next fall. [Read more 🡒]