Fall camp in Norman has turned the page to 2026, and for Oklahoma, the spotlight lands quickly on a defensive line that looks built to set the tone again. After a 10-win 2025 season and a College Football Playoff trip, the Sooners are chasing a jump from good to great under Brent Venables. The front is one of the clearest reasons that goal feels within reach.
Todd Bates and Miguel Chavis have a room that could end up as the strength of the roster. Bates oversees the tackles, Chavis handles the ends, and both coaches are working with a group that mixes proven production, new depth, and a few younger names trying to carve out real roles before the season opens less than two weeks from now.
Inside, Jackson and Stone are the clear starters at defensive tackle. They were already important pieces last season, and now the expectations climb another level.
Oklahoma is counting on both to be disruptive forces in 2026, not just steady ones. Behind them, the competition for snaps is wide open.
Smith and Wilson have stood out in spring ball and fall camp, and both could wind up with major jobs. Carrington has also made noise this fall, while Thomas, a Georgia State transfer, gives Bates another veteran option.
There is also the question of Danny Saili. Oklahoma has a commitment from the Arkansas transfer, but he is not currently listed on the roster with kickoff approaching.
His status remains unsettled amid the eligibility rulings, lawsuits and injunctions circulating in college football. If he does become available, he would add another interior body to the mix.
At defensive end, Wein looks locked into one starting spot after a breakout 2025. The other edge job likely comes down to Adebawore or Okoye, two players the Sooners need more from this season. Oklahoma’s pass rush helped drive last year’s defensive success, and that edge pressure has to show up again if this unit is going to stay among the team’s biggest strengths.
Chavis has more pieces to work with beyond the top of the depth chart. Ozowalu, a UTSA transfer, can line up inside or outside, though he figures to spend most of his time on the edge.
Oklahoma also has several younger players trying to force their way into the rotation: Gilmore, Nickson, Shieldnight, and Kreul. Each brings something different, and the Sooners need that group to help replace the depth that left during the offseason.
The challenge is clear. Oklahoma lost a lot of veteran production, and this front may not be as deep as it was a year ago. Still, there is enough talent and enough returning impact to believe the line can keep driving the defense.
Venables, Bates and Chavis have built this group into something formidable, and 2026 asks for more from nearly everyone in the room. If the defensive line can again control the line of scrimmage, Oklahoma’s defense has a chance to keep offenses from ever settling in.
In Other News...
Sooners May Have Landed A Backfield Difference Maker After All
Jonathan Hatton Jr.s recruiting path had more twists than Oklahoma usually wants to see with a highly touted backfield target, but the Sooners appear to have ended up right where they wanted. The four-star running back first committed to Oklahoma in October 2023, backed off that pledge in December 2024, then landed at Texas A&M in March 2025 before flipping back to the Sooners in November 2025, just ahead of signing day. For a program looking to keep adding difference-makers on offense, that kind of late win matters.
Brent Venables recently shared a story from Hattons recruiting process and made clear why the staff stayed engaged through all the movement. Venables praised Hattons physical tools and his mentality, and the coaching staff views him as a potential key offensive piece once he gets to Norman. After a recruitment that seemed to drift away and then back again, Oklahoma now gets to see whether the fit can finally stick where it started. [Read more 🡒]
Brent Venables Is Closing In On A Recruiting Win Nobody Expected
A surprise recruiting push is starting to take shape for Oklahoma, and it centers on Jay Schell, a 2028 four-star linebacker from Rabun Gap-Nacoochee High School in Georgia. Schell has drawn offers from Georgia, Clemson and several other major programs, but recruiting experts are now projecting the Sooners as the likely landing spot for one of the classs most closely watched defenders.
For Brent Venables and his staff, that would be a notable early win in a class that currently has just one commitment. The competition is still real, especially with Clemson and Georgia involved, and Schell has not narrowed things down publicly or made a decision, but Oklahoma appears to be gaining real traction as it looks to add more pieces to its 2028 group soon. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Freshman Back Is Giving Sooners A New Reason To Watch This Battle
Jonathan Hatton Jr. is starting to look like more than just another freshman name in Oklahomas preseason running back mix. The early returns from practice have centered on how quickly he is picking up protections and learning to read defensive fronts, two of the less glamorous but most important parts of earning trust from a coaching staff. In a backfield where playing time is open to competition, that kind of progress matters just as much as what a runner does with the ball in his hands.
John Mateer has noticed the work Hatton is putting in, especially the way he handles blocking assignments. For a young back trying to carve out a role, that reliability can separate him from the pack, particularly with some uncertainty hanging over the health of other runners in the group. The battle is still ongoing, but Hatton has already given the Sooners another reason to keep a close eye on this position. [Read more 🡒]