Oklahoma’s defensive end room enters fall camp with a different look, but not a diminished one.
The Sooners are moving into Year 5 under Brent Venables next week, and as preseason practices get rolling, the edge rushers remain one of the clearest reasons for optimism. Oklahoma lost R Mason Thomas to the NFL Draft and Marvin Jones Jr. to graduation, yet the unit still has the kind of depth and talent that suggests this is a reload, not a rebuild.
Taylor Wein is the name at the front of the line. The redshirt junior is the only returning starter listed for the group, and after breaking out as one of the SEC’s top performers last season, he now becomes the anchor of the room. Oklahoma also brings back Adepoju Adebawore, Danny Okoye and others who give the Sooners a strong supporting cast around him.
The departures matter. Thomas was an All-American, and Jones was a starter.
But Miguel Chavis’ position group has earned the benefit of the doubt after helping power one of the best defensive lines in college football a year ago. That production was a major part of why Oklahoma could lean on its front so heavily.
The incoming class adds more options, too. Kenny Ozowalu arrives as a redshirt sophomore transfer from UTSA, while four-star freshmen Jake Kreul and Matthew Nelson and three-star freshman Daniel Norman join the mix.
For Oklahoma, the bigger picture is simple: the edge rushers still look capable of helping bookend one of the nation’s better defensive lines. Chavis has done the kind of recruiting and development that keeps the room stocked, and Venables has built a defense that can absorb losses without losing its edge.
In Other News...
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
Fall camp is about to open for Oklahoma, and with Brent Venables heading into his fifth year, the Sooners still have a familiar source of intrigue up front. The defensive tackle room has been reshaped by NFL departures, graduation and transfers, but Jayden Jackson and David Stone are back as the anchors, giving Todd Bates at least a proven starting point in a unit that was among the better-regarded parts of the defense a year ago.
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 🡒]