The Oklahoma defensive line has gone from a weakness to one of the program’s real calling cards under Brent Venables, and David Pollack thinks that progress still puts the Sooners among the sport’s best.
Pollack slotted Oklahoma as the sixth-best defensive line in college football, pointing to the way the program has built and developed talent in the trenches.
"Put Oklahoma in the five spot," Pollack said on 'See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack.'"I love their system. They seem to find guys who are going to be great players regardless of their stars."
He later corrected the ranking and bumped Miami into his top five, leaving Oklahoma as an honorable mention. Even so, Pollack still sees the Sooners as a top 10 defensive line heading into this season.
That view carries weight because Oklahoma is replacing a major chunk of last year’s production. The Sooners have to move on without R Mason Thomas, Taylor Wein, Marvin Jones Jr., Gracen Halton and Damonic Williams, all of whom played significant snaps in the rotation a year ago.
Last season, Oklahoma’s front was one of the SEC’s most productive, with impact coming from both the edge and interior. Thomas, Wein, Jones and Adepoju Adebawore gave the Sooners punch on the outside, while Halton, Williams, David Stone and Jayden Jackson anchored the middle.
The good news for Oklahoma is that the room still has plenty of upside. Miguel Chavis and Todd Bates have built a reputation as one of the more respected defensive line development tandems in college football, and that matters when the roster turns over.
Wein earned All-SEC honors in 2025, Stone is viewed by many evaluators as a future standout at defensive tackle, and Jackson flashed at an All-America level before injuries cut into his availability. The biggest spot to sort out is the one opposite Wein, where Adebawore and Danny Okoye are expected to push for bigger roles.
If those pieces come together quickly, Oklahoma has a real shot to stay in that top-10 conversation up front despite the departures.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Just Got A National Nod That Will Fire Up Sooners Fans
Pro Football Focus gave Oklahoma a preseason boost this week by slotting defensive tackle David Stone at No. 31 on its college football top 50 for 2026, a notable national nod for a Sooners defense that figures to lean on him again. Stone was the lone Oklahoma player to make the list, and the recognition fits the way he flashed in 2025 as a disruptive interior force.
PFF pointed to Stones pressure production and his ability to impact the run game, two traits that should keep him central to Oklahomas plans as the new season approaches. With other key pieces like John Mateer, Isaiah Sategna and Michael Fasusi expected to shape the offense, the Sooners have reasons to feel good about their roster balance, but Stones rise gives the defense a headline name and a reminder that the front can still set the tone. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Receiver Depth Looks Better But One Doubt Still Lingers
Oklahomas receiver room is in a better place heading into 2026, at least on paper. Isaiah Sategna is back, and the Sooners have added transfer help in Parker Livingstone and Trell Harris, giving the top end of the group a look that should be more dependable than it was a year ago. For a team that wants more consistency on the outside, that kind of upgrade matters, especially with a clear trio emerging as the foundation of the passing game.
The lingering question is what comes after those three. Brent Venables has talked up several reserve wideouts during spring practice, but Oklahoma has not leaned heavily on its receiver depth in the past, and it is still unclear how much trust the staff will place in the lower part of the chart once the season starts. If the Sooners are going to get where they want to go, they may need more than just the headline names to hold up when the games start to pile up. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Faces A 2026 Quarterback Gauntlet Fans Wont Ignore
The Manning Passing Academy always offers a glimpse at the next wave of quarterbacks, but for Oklahoma, this years version came with a little extra relevance. Four of the 11 passers singled out from the event are already on the Sooners 2026 schedule, which means the conversation quickly shifts from summer buzz to a real look at the kind of arms Brent Venables defense will have to chase around next fall.
Arch Manning sits near the top of that group, while LaNorris Sellers checks in at No. 7 and Bryce Underwood brings the sort of ceiling that keeps evaluators talking. Underwood was the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, and the appeal is obvious if he keeps climbing toward that level. Oklahoma also has to account for John Mateer, whose offseason transformation drew plenty of attention, adding another layer to a schedule that already looks loaded with quarterback talent. [Read more 🡒]