Oklahoma’s season may be too far gone to chase down a turnaround, but that only makes the Sooners’ next move more important: start locking in the 2027 roster now.
Around college football, programs are already striking deals with current players to keep them out of the Transfer Portal and on campus for 2027. Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor and Mizzou QB Austin Simmons are among the players who have already agreed to return. For Oklahoma, the idea is simple - remove one more offseason headache and build a foundation before the portal scramble begins.
The Sooners have several underclassmen they need to get ahead of, players whose only obvious exit is the Transfer Portal. None of them are being framed as transfer risks, and none are being discussed as NFL decisions right now. But they’re promising pieces, and Oklahoma would be smart to close the door early.
Noah Best belongs near the top of that list. The freshman offensive lineman has been the biggest surprise on the team, starting every game so far.
He has spent most of his time at guard, but he also made his debut at center and handled it well. That matters because Jake Maikkula will need to be replaced at center in 2027, and Best could save OU from having to hunt for someone else.
He’s also been the Sooners’ most dependable lineman this season, and he can play either guard spot.
Michael Fasusi is another obvious priority. The sophomore left tackle has one college season left before heading to the NFL next year, so Oklahoma needs to make sure he spends the rest of his career in crimson and cream.
Fasusi is the Sooners’ best offensive lineman and a former five-star recruit, and his value showed up fast after he missed five games with a shoulder injury. Once he came back, the offense felt his presence immediately.
After his third game back last week, he was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week.
It doesn’t really matter who the offensive coordinator is next season, or who lines up at quarterback. Fasusi will matter.
Ryan Fodje is just as important, even if he has been sidelined for the last three games. He started as a freshman next to Fasusi last season, and his value goes beyond just being a starter.
In 2027, he could be a three-year starter and could line up wherever the Sooners need him. He was expected to start at right guard this season, but instead he spent most of his time filling in for Fasusi at left tackle and also learned center.
That kind of flexibility is hard to replace, and it gives Oklahoma options it won’t find in the portal.
On the back end, Courtland Guillory looks like a future star. The sophomore cornerback was a True Freshman All-American by On3 last year and has taken another step this season, picking off two passes while shutting down elite receivers. If he isn’t already one of the best cornerbacks in college football, he’s close.
Trystan Haynes is the other corner Oklahoma needs to keep in place for 2027. The sophomore would be the natural answer opposite Guillory.
Eli Bowen still has eligibility left as a junior, but the NFL is likely to come calling. If that happens, Haynes is the one who slides in, just as he did this season when Bowen was out with an injury.
Even if Bowen stays, Haynes has already shown he’s too valuable to lose, both as a depth piece and as the eventual answer at one of the corner spots.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Suddenly Faces Game Day Uncertainty With Ole Miss Stuck Traveling
A nationwide FAA ground stop tied to a telecommunications outage has thrown a fresh layer of uncertainty onto game day, and Oklahoma is feeling the ripple effects with Ole Miss among the teams caught in the travel mess. The issue has halted departing flights across the country, with the FAA and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy confirming that planes are staying grounded until further notice.
For the Sooners, the immediate concern is simple: an opponent that is supposed to be on the road may not be able to move on schedule, and the disruption could affect everything from arrival timing to the usual pregame routine. Even after flights begin moving again, delays are expected, leaving this matchup with an unusual amount of waiting attached to it before anyone gets to kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Jason Witten Just Got A Massive Vote Of Confidence At Oklahoma
Jason Wittens move into coaching has already drawn plenty of attention, and Jon Gruden just added another layer of credibility to it. Gruden, who coached Witten with the Raiders, spoke glowingly about the former tight ends work ethic, preparation and leadership, pointing back to the habits that made Witten such a dependable player in the first place.
For Oklahoma, that kind of endorsement matters because it reinforces the idea that Wittens coaching path is built on more than name recognition. Grudens praise also underscored how smoothly Witten has carried those traits into coaching roles at the high school and college levels, giving the Sooners a familiar football voice with real respect from one of his former NFL coaches. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Just Landed A Huge In-State Recruiting Win Again
Oklahoma kept a prized in-state talent home again, landing a commitment from Kamieon Compton-Nero, the consensus No. 1 player in Oklahoma in the Class of 2028. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound safety from Owasso High School gives the Sooners another early recruiting victory in a cycle that already had plenty of national attention around his name.
Compton-Nero was rated No. 42 overall in the 247Sports composite rankings and had narrowed his list to a heavyweight group that included Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Alabama and SMU. For Oklahoma, the commitment is more than just another addition to the board - it is the kind of in-state win that can shape a class and send an early message about how the Sooners are approaching the next wave of recruiting. [Read more 🡒]