Oklahoma’s defensive line is already drawing plenty of attention heading into the 2026 season, and linebacker Owen Heinecke isn’t buying the idea that the Sooners are facing a drop in quality anywhere along the front.
At defensive tackle, juniors David Stone and Jayden Jackson are set to be the starters after the pair combined for 70 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 2025 while splitting snaps with Gracen Halton and Damonic Williams. With Halton and Williams now trying to make NFL rosters, the spotlight shifts to the next wave of linemen behind them.
Heinecke says that should not be a concern.
“Last year, we had an amazing group, and Jayden Jackson and Stone were a huge part of that, and we’re excited for them to have another great year - and they will,” Heinecke said. “Behind them is no dropoff."
Heinecke’s confidence comes from experience. The former walk-on linebacker became one of OU’s biggest defensive breakout stories in 2025, piling up 74 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, three sacks and a forced fumble. Before that, he had just seven tackles over his first three seasons with the Sooners.
That kind of rise gives him a clear view of what depth development can look like. He pointed to the concerns around Oklahoma’s linebacker room before last season and said the same kind of thing can happen again up front.
“Similar to me last year, everyone was worried about the linebacker depth going into last season, and all it takes is one guy to step up,” Heinecke said.
There are several candidates to be that player for Oklahoma’s defensive tackles. The Sooners kept Nigel Smith II and Trent Wilson after the 2025 season. Smith is a junior and Wilson is a sophomore, and each has one tackle to his name in college so far.
OU also added Bishop Thomas from the transfer portal after stops at Florida State, Colorado and Georgia State. He finished with 48 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss at Georgia State in 2025. The Sooners also brought in Kenny Ozowalu from UTSA in January, and he can play both defensive tackle and defensive end.
Then there’s freshman James “Tank” Carrington, who has already earned strong praise from teammates and coaches before even playing his first season.
“All these guys are making huge strides,” Heinecke said.
That kind of progress matters for a linebacker group that includes Heinecke along with Kip Lewis, Cole Sullivan, James Nesta and Marcus James. Oklahoma needs the defensive tackles to hold up in front of them, and Heinecke believes the line will do exactly that, whether it’s Stone and Jackson or one of the reserves behind them.
“They're going to continue to get better every practice, every game,” Heinecke said. “We’re really excited for all of them, and you know, they’ve got two great leaders in Stone and Jayden who are going to pave the way for the rest of the season.”
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