NORMAN - What started as a season teetering on the brink turned into a legitimate College Football Playoff campaign for Oklahoma. The Sooners flipped the script with four straight wins to close out the regular season, finishing 10-2 overall and 6-2 in SEC play. Now ranked No. 8 in the latest CFP rankings, OU is back in the playoff picture for the first time since 2019 - and they’ve got a handful of key players to thank for that turnaround.
Let’s dive into five Sooners who stepped up in a big way down the stretch and helped power Oklahoma into the postseason spotlight.
Isaiah Sategna: The Big-Play Machine
Oklahoma’s offense hasn’t always been a model of consistency this season, but when they’ve needed a spark, Isaiah Sategna has been the guy to deliver it.
The Arkansas transfer wideout has emerged as the Sooners’ go-to playmaker, especially in the second half of the season. Over the final six games, Sategna topped 100 receiving yards three times and found the end zone in four of those contests - three of those touchdowns went for over 50 yards. That kind of explosiveness isn’t just helpful, it’s game-changing.
His most clutch moment? That would be the game-winner against LSU - a 17-13 nail-biter where Sategna’s touchdown sealed the deal.
With 948 yards and seven touchdowns on the year, he leads Oklahoma in receiving and has become a nightmare for opposing secondaries. His elite track speed - remember, he was once ranked as the No. 5 track prospect in the country - gives the Sooners a vertical threat they’ll need to lean on heavily in the postseason.
Owen Heinecke: From Walk-On to Defensive Anchor
Every season has its breakout star, and for Oklahoma’s defense, that guy is Owen Heinecke.
The redshirt junior linebacker came into 2025 with just 11 tackles across two seasons. But this fall, he exploded onto the scene with 67 total tackles, 30 of them solo, along with 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups, and a forced fumble. Heinecke didn’t just fill a role - he became a cornerstone of the Sooners’ defense.
He was especially impactful over the final six games, logging over 30 snaps in each and consistently showing up in big moments. His best performance came in the 33-27 road win over Tennessee, where he racked up 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a strip sack that led to a defensive touchdown by R Mason Thomas.
In a linebacker room that already featured names like Kobie McKinzie, Kip Lewis, and Sammy Omosigho, Heinecke forced his way into the conversation and then some.
Tate Sandell: The Steady Foot
When the offense has sputtered, Tate Sandell has been the steady hand - or rather, the steady leg - keeping the Sooners moving forward.
The UTSA transfer has been lights out in his first season with OU and is now a Lou Groza Award finalist, given to the nation’s top placekicker. Sandell has nailed 23 of his 24 field goal attempts this year, with his only miss coming on his very first attempt as a Sooner in the season-opening win over Michigan.
Since then? Perfect.
He went 12-for-12 in the final six games of the regular season, including five makes from beyond 50 yards. That level of reliability - especially from long range - has been critical for an Oklahoma offense that’s had its ups and downs, particularly since John Mateer returned from injury.
When points have been hard to come by, Sandell has delivered. Plain and simple.
Peyton Bowen: The Closer in the Secondary
Junior safety Peyton Bowen has a knack for showing up when it matters most.
In the second half of the season, Bowen made a series of game-altering plays that helped swing momentum - and in some cases, lock down wins. Against Tennessee, he picked off a pass from Joey Aguilar and returned it 37 yards, setting up a crucial field goal.
In the 23-21 thriller over Alabama, Bowen came up with the game-sealing pass breakup on fourth down during the Crimson Tide’s final drive. And in the LSU finale, he intercepted Michael Van Buren in a first-and-goal situation, taking points off the board early.
With two interceptions, seven pass breakups, and 44 tackles on the year, Bowen has been a stabilizing force in the back end of the defense - and a closer when the Sooners have needed one.
Eddy Pierre-Louis: Holding the Line
The offensive line has been a revolving door of injuries over the past two seasons, but redshirt freshman Eddy Pierre-Louis has given the Sooners some much-needed stability at left guard.
He played over 40 snaps in each of Oklahoma’s final five regular-season games and has quietly become one of the more reliable pieces in the trenches. His pass protection has been especially strong - he posted Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grades north of 70 in each of those contests.
For a young lineman thrown into the fire, Pierre-Louis has answered the call. His development couldn’t have come at a better time for a unit that’s had to patch things together all year.
The Bottom Line
Oklahoma’s surge into the College Football Playoff conversation didn’t happen by accident. It was fueled by breakout performances, clutch plays, and players stepping up in the season’s most critical moments.
From Sategna’s deep-ball heroics to Heinecke’s defensive emergence, from Sandell’s unwavering leg to Bowen’s timely takeaways and Pierre-Louis’ growth in the trenches - these five Sooners didn’t just contribute. They helped define the second half of the season.
And now, with the postseason looming, they’ll be counted on once again to keep the momentum rolling.