Through four games, Oklahoma’s transfer haul has already produced a clear top tier, a few useful pieces, and plenty of names still waiting for their turn.
The Sooners brought in 16 transfers in January, then added four more before the season after those players were granted a temporary restraining order by the Cleveland County District Court. That pushed the total to 20 new faces, and with OU sitting at 2-2 after losses to Michigan and Georgia, the first month has offered a pretty good read on who has helped right away and who hasn’t.
At the top of the list is sixth-year tight end Rocky Beers, who came over from Colorado State and has looked like one of OU’s most reliable offensive options. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound tight end has 18 catches for 255 yards and two touchdowns, and his 75.8 Pro Football Focus offensive grade is best among Sooners who have played more than 30 snaps. Considering OU’s tight ends had only one touchdown catch in 2025, Beers’ impact has been hard to miss.
Another tight end, Florida transfer Hayden Hansen, hasn’t matched Beers’ production, but he has still mattered. Hansen scored one of only two touchdowns in Oklahoma’s 14-6 win over New Mexico on Sept. 19 and has totaled 64 receiving yards.
Former Virginia receiver Trell Harris looked like he might become a breakout story after two games. He opened with 104 yards and a touchdown on six receptions, then suffered a serious injury against Michigan. A couple days later, Brent Venables said Harris would be out for “the foreseeable future.”
On the defensive side, Bishop Thomas has been the most valuable transfer addition so far. The defensive tackle, who has already played at Florida State, Colorado and Georgia State before arriving in Norman, has recorded six tackles, a tackle for loss, 0.5 sacks and a fumble recovery in OU’s first four games. He has also posted a PFF defensive grade above 60 in every game.
Running back Lloyd Avant, another Colorado State transfer, has given the Sooners real production in a backfield that has struggled as a whole. OU ranks last in the SEC in rushing, but Avant has accounted for a team-best 164 yards and a touchdown on 3.9 yards per carry. His 70.2 PFF offensive grade leads OU running backs.
There have also been some mixed results. Michigan transfer linebacker Cole Sullivan was active early, but an injury against his former team ended his run for now. He had two tackles and a pass breakup against UTEP and Michigan, though he also missed three tackles in those games.
Receiver Mackenzie Alleyne, who came from Washington State, has barely played but has flashed when given the chance. He scored OU’s only touchdown against Michigan and has three other catches this season.
A few transfers have had a tougher time settling in. Former Arkansas offensive tackle E’Marion Harris has started all four games at right tackle, but he has allowed 10 pressures and two sacks, and his offensive grade through four games is 50.
Parker Livingstone, who transferred from Texas, has also had his share of problems, finishing with 51 yards on six touchdowns through four games. He lost a fumble in the Michigan loss and was partly at fault for John Mateer’s second interception against New Mexico.
Jack Van Dorselaer, the former Tennessee tight end, hasn’t found much traction at all. He has no receptions, owns a 46.4 PFF offensive grade - the worst on the roster among players with more than 10 snaps - and has struggled as a blocker despite his 6-foot-4, 253-pound frame.
Defensive lineman Kenny Ozowalu, who started his career at UTSA, was brought in for depth, but he hasn’t made much noise yet. He has no tackles and has already missed two.
That leaves a final cluster of transfers whose roles remain mostly unclear. Offensive linemen Peyton Joseph, Caleb Nitta and Fred Hinton have all played fewer than 50 snaps, though Venables pointed to Joseph’s upside on Wednesday, calling him a “tough, athletic” player.
Cornerbacks Dakoda Fields and Prince Ijioma arrived in January to back up Courtland Guillory, Eli Bowen and Jacob Johnson, and Fields has played 17 defensive snaps while also contributing on special teams. Ijioma has not yet appeared in a game.
The four players added right before the season - Danny Saili, Braxton Fely, D’Yoni Hill and Jaydon Southard - have hardly been factors. Saili has appeared in all four games but has only 23 snaps.
Fely has played eight snaps in two games. Hill and Southard have yet to make their OU debuts.
In Other News...
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Tory Blaylock could be the piece that changes the feel of that offense. The sophomore missed time with an injury and has only had limited carries so far, but his past efficiency and speed have stood out enough to make him a real candidate for a bigger role moving forward. If Oklahoma is going to get its run game moving in the right direction, Blaylock looks like the kind of back who could help it happen. [Read more 🡒]
Brent Venables Just Picked Up More Pressure At Oklahoma
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The path ahead does not offer much relief. Oklahoma still has a brutal schedule in front of it, with multiple ranked opponents left to navigate, and the margin for error is already thin if the Sooners want to get back to bowl eligibility. They need to win at least half of their remaining games, so the next month will say plenty about whether this season becomes a rebound or another frustration point in Venables tenure. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Jackson Is Giving Oklahoma Exactly What This Defense Needed
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What makes Jacksons start even more valuable is the timing. Oklahoma has been good on that side of the ball, but the missed tackles have been hard to ignore, with 49 of them over the first four games, and that leaves plenty of room for the Sooners to tighten things up. Senior captain Kip Lewis has pointed to Jacksons consistency and leadership as part of that process, and for a defense still chasing cleaner execution, having a player in the interior who keeps showing up the same way every week matters. [Read more 🡒]