Oklahoma’s tight end room looks completely different heading into 2026, and that overhaul comes at a good time for the Sooners. Last season, the position was one of the offense’s trouble spots, even though converted linebacker Jaren Kanak turned into an All-SEC performer there. That success said a lot about Kanak, but it also underscored how thin the rest of the group was.
This offseason, Oklahoma didn’t just patch the hole. It rebuilt the whole thing.
The Sooners moved on from assistant coach Joe Jon Finley and brought in future Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten. They also reshaped the roster with three transfers - Hayden Hansen from Florida, Rocky Beers from Colorado State and Jack Van Dorselaer from Tennessee - plus a pair of true freshmen. Kade McIntyre and Trynae Washington are still around as lesser-used returners, giving the room a few familiar faces amid all the change.
After a productive spring in Norman, the expectation is that tight end will look like a strength rather than a liability. Hansen is projected to be the top option, and his arrival could help clear up some of the offensive issues that popped up in Year 1 under Ben Arbuckle.
With Oklahoma heading into 2026, it’s a good time to size up the tight ends the Sooners will run into this fall. This isn’t an exact science, especially with a little more than nine weeks left before the regular season kicks off, but the rankings are based on the best read of who should be each team’s top tight end.
In Other News...
Oklahomas Linebacker Room Suddenly Looks Like A Real Strength Again
The Sooners linebacker room went from a question mark to a much sturdier part of the roster for 2026, thanks to a mix of retention, transfer help and a little legal relief. Kip Lewis is back, Cole Sullivan arrives from the portal, and the overall group now looks deeper and more seasoned than it did when the offseason began.
That matters in a room that had to absorb some real turnover, with Kobie McKinzie, Sammy Omosigho and Kendal Daniels all moving on. Even before spring practice fully sorts out the pecking order, Oklahoma can at least feel better about the numbers and the experience level, which is a welcome change for a defense trying to re-establish itself at the second level. [Read more 🡒]
National Praise Just Put Oklahoma's Defensive Identity Under The Spotlight
Oklahomas 2025 defense did enough to change the conversation around the program, and the turnaround was hard to miss. With Brent Venables back calling the unit, the Sooners looked more aggressive and more disciplined, finishing among the nations best in several defensive categories and helping push the team into the College Football Playoff.
The praise has only raised the next question, though, because doing it once and doing it through an entire SEC schedule are very different tasks. Analyst David Pollack has been bullish on what Oklahoma has built, but the real test now is whether that same swarming identity can hold up when the weekly grind gets heavier and the margin for error gets thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Title Hopes May Still Hinge On One Familiar Fear
Oklahomas offense looked like a different unit after John Mateer was hurt last season, and the dip came at the wrong time for a team trying to stay in the national-title conversation. Even so, the Sooners still found a way into the College Football Playoff, which is part of why the conversation around this group has not gone away with the calendar turned to a new season.
Now the focus is less on what Oklahoma already survived and more on what it can withstand if it wants to push higher. Analysts around the program see Mateers health as the swing factor in whether the Sooners can truly contend for a championship, because the margin between a good season and a special one may come down to how much of their offense he can keep on the field. [Read more 🡒]