Oklahoma may be heading into its Week 2 trip to Ann Arbor with a little more help on the way.
The Sooners have landed a transfer commitment from former Wisconsin starting cornerback D’Yoni Hill, according to Matt Zenitz. It’s an unexpected move this late in the week, but one that gives Brent Venables another experienced defensive back to work with as Oklahoma prepares for Michigan.
Hill gives the Sooners something they needed: more depth at corner. Eli Bowen and Courtland Guillory are set as the starters, but adding another proven option behind them strengthens a room that had some questions. Hill also may not be the only defensive transfer Oklahoma is in line to add.
Former Wisconsin and Miami cornerback D’Yoni Hill plans to transfer to Oklahoma, sources tell me and @BrodyLusk247.
Hill, whom @GeorgeStoia had previously mentioned as a transfer possibility for OU, was a starter for Wisconsin last season. Started five games for Miami in 2024. pic.twitter.com/2ojnnDCGch
- Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) September 7, 2026
George Stoia III of SoonerScoop has also reported that Stephen F. Austin linebacker transfer Jaydon Southard is drawing strong interest from Oklahoma and Venables.
Southard is set to receive an extra season, just like Hill, after a TRO that recently came in. That has opened the door for Oklahoma to potentially add two more experienced defenders.
Hill’s résumé explains why this is appealing. At Wisconsin last season, the 6-foot, 180-pound corner started and finished 2025 with 39 total tackles. Before that, at Miami, he started five games in 2024 and recorded 33 tackles along with one pass deflection for Mario Cristobal.
Oklahoma will be Hill’s third program. He began his college career at Marshall, where he spent two seasons, then moved on to Miami and Wisconsin for one year apiece. Across four seasons, he has piled up 128 total tackles and one interception.
He’s not being brought in to carry the defense, but he does bring sure tackling and real experience to a secondary that can use both. And with Venables still working the transfer market, the Sooners could be positioned to add Southard too.
That’s part of why this feels notable. Oklahoma already looked loaded on both sides of the ball in the win over UTEP, and the idea of the defense getting even deeper is not exactly comforting for the rest of the schedule. The Sooners want to make noise in the SEC this season, with a deep College Football Playoff run among the goals for ’26.
Michigan comes next, and Hill may not arrive in time to be a factor against quarterback Bryce Underwood. But over the course of the season, the move could matter. The same goes for Southard if Oklahoma closes that one out as well.
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Red River Just Got More Personal For Oklahoma After One Transfer
The Red River rivalry has always carried enough emotion without any extra backstory, but the player movement between Oklahoma and Texas has given this years meeting a different kind of edge. Parker Livingstones move from Texas to Oklahoma adds a fresh layer to a matchup that already lives on history, bragging rights and every small detail that can tilt the week one way or the other.
Hollywood Smothers going the other direction only sharpens that feeling for Sooners fans, because these swaps turn a familiar rivalry into something more personal on both sidelines. Steve Sarkisians acknowledgment that some departures were made to create room for new transfers only underscores how modern roster building now bleeds into one of college footballs most traditional games, making the next Red River showdown feel even more charged. [Read more 🡒]
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Now comes a much more personal matchup. Sullivan is getting ready to face Michigan, the program he transferred from, and the Sooners will be watching to see how he handles a game that carries more meaning than the average nonconference date. He has been backing up at middle linebacker while fitting smoothly into Oklahomas defense, but this one gives him a chance to show how far he has come since leaving Ann Arbor. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Just Made A Big Impression In A Crucial In-State Battle
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Compton-Neros visit matters because Oklahoma has been working to stack early momentum with a recruit experts believe is trending toward the Sooners. For a program trying to keep elite local talent close to home, especially at a position like safety, making a Friday night feel significant is the kind of detail that can linger well beyond one early-season game. [Read more 🡒]