Football is back on the preseason calendar this week, and for Oklahoma fans, the first real checkpoint for a new crop of rookies is about to arrive.
The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals open things up Thursday in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, before the rest of the league gets rolling next week. For a handful of former Sooners, this is just another preseason tune-up. For nearly a dozen members of OU’s 2025 squad, it’s the first chance to start carving out a place in the NFL.
Seven Sooners were picked in the 2026 NFL Draft: edge rusher R Mason Thomas, offensive lineman Febechi Nwaiwu, defensive lineman Gracen Halton, linebacker Kendal Daniels, safety Robert Spears-Jennings, tight end Jaren Kanak and wide receiver Deion Burks.
Thomas went first among them, landing with the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 40 overall in the second round. That kind of investment usually comes with a pretty clear message: the team expects you to help now. Kansas City’s defensive end group has Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Khyiris Tong working with the first team in camp, but the Chiefs clearly didn’t spend that pick unless they believed Thomas could become part of the rotation quickly.
Nwaiwu also looks positioned for a real shot at making a Week 1 roster. Houston’s offensive line was one of the league’s weakest last season, and the former Sooner brings some needed interior experience. ESPN currently lists him as the Texans’ second-string right guard.
Halton should be in decent shape to stick, too, even if he’s dealing with a knee issue that has kept him out of several recent practices. The San Francisco 49ers took him in the fourth round after what was described as his best college season in 2025.
Absences at 49ers practice:OT Vederian Lowe (high ankle sprain)WR Christian Kirk (calf strain)DT Gracen Halton (knee bone bruise)DL Andrew Farmer II (back)Lowe was signed to be the swing tackle. High ankle will sideline him for a bit.
Daniels, who spent one season at Oklahoma, was also a fourth-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons. He’s already working through an injury concern of his own after revealing earlier this week that he has calf tendonitis.
Falcons rookie LB Kendal Daniels said he's battled a calf injury since college, referred it to tendonitis, and said his body will likely never be what it was in high school.So, all told? He's the same health-wise as he was when the Falcons drafted him.
The seventh-rounders face a steeper climb. Spears-Jennings, Kanak and Burks all have longer odds to secure their 53-man spots, but each has at least something to hang onto heading into camp.
Spears-Jennings has reportedly made an early impression with the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to Steelers reporter Alex Kozora, he worked with the first team during the 11-on-11 portion of Thursday’s practice.
Kanak is trying to break into a crowded Tennessee Titans tight end room, where Gunnar Helm and Daniel Bellinger are expected to be the top two options and veteran Kylen Granson is also on the roster.
Burks has a better-looking path in Indianapolis, where the Colts’ receiver group is not especially deep. Alec Pierce and Josh Downs are already established, but beyond them there’s plenty of youth in the room, which gives Burks a real opening to win a roster spot and possibly get on the field early.
OU also has four undrafted rookies in the mix: defensive end Marvin Jones Jr., defensive tackle Damonic Williams, wide receiver Keontez Lewis and running back Jaydn Ott. They signed as undrafted free agents and are now battling through camp.
Williams is the only Oklahoma rookie set to play in the Hall of Fame Game. The Cardinals signed him after he went undrafted, and that matchup should give him the first chance among the Sooners’ first-year players to show he belongs, with both teams usually using the game to work deep into the roster.
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Oklahoma Just Got A Huge New Roster Question This Offseason
A federal judges latest ruling could create an unexpected layer of uncertainty around Oklahomas offseason roster, opening the door for some players to pursue a fifth college season even after exhausting four years of eligibility. The decision applies to athletes from the 2022 recruiting class and arrives despite the NCAAs planned five-in-five rule, which was not supposed to take effect until the 2027 recruiting class, giving programs across the country another potential round of roster movement to monitor.
For the Sooners, the issue is especially notable because several players on the 2025 roster could fall into that window and suddenly have a choice to make after the 2026 NFL Draft. If any of those players decide college is still the better move, Oklahoma could be dealing with a fresh wave of roster decisions well after the usual offseason business is supposed to be settled. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Enters Camp With One Huge Question Up Front
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What comes next is the real test, because the Sooners need that group to hold up after losing so much experience. Oklahoma has blended in transfers and freshmen to help fill the gaps, and the early weeks of camp will go a long way toward showing whether the new-look interior line can match the standard the program expects, or whether this becomes the kind of spot that takes time to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas 2026 Offense Hinges On One Long Awaited Change
Fall camp has arrived in Norman, and with it comes a familiar offseason priority for the Sooners: making the run game and offensive line sturdier before the 2026 season gets underway. Oklahoma has spent the buildup adding experience on both fronts, bringing in offensive lineman EMarion Harris and running backs coach Deland McCullough as part of a broader push to add physicality and depth. The goal is clear enough, even if the work is just getting started, with the opener against UTEP serving as the first chance to see whether the changes are showing up where they matter most.
For Oklahoma, this is about more than just shoring up one phase of the offense. The Sooners have returning players mixed with new additions, and the challenge now is turning that blend into a line and backfield that can hold up over a full season. The identity they are chasing is a more dependable, more physical attack, and fall camp will reveal how close they are to getting it before the spotlight tightens in September. [Read more 🡒]