Can Oklahoma Unlock Transfer CB Dakoda Fields’ Full Potential?

Dakoda Fields never reached — or even approached — his ceiling at Oregon.

Fields, a former 4-star cornerback recruit, spent two seasons in Eugene, though he only appeared in four games. The defensive back departed from the program in November 2025 before officially entering the transfer portal in December and ultimately signing with Oklahoma.

Fields enrolled at Oregon with high expectations.

A native of Gardena, CA, Fields was the No. 90 overall player in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the Class of 2024. He signed with the Ducks after originally committing to USC.

Fields turned heads early into his time in Eugene, logging an interception in the Ducks’ 2024 spring game. During fall camp, though, Fields suffered a knee injury that forced him to redshirt and miss the entire season.

By the start of the 2025 season, Fields was finally healthy. He appeared in each of Oregon’s first three games, logging double-digit snaps in all three contests.

Fields, though, wasn’t able to maintain his role in the secondary.

“There’s also so much depth in the secondary for Oregon, so it’s hard to secure field time if you’re a younger guy trying to find your footing after a major setback,” said Ally Osborne, who covers Oregon athletics for Oregon Ducks On SI. “Fields was beaten out for the starting job by athletes like Brandon Finney Jr., Ify Obidegwu, and Sione Laulea.”

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Fields never logged another defensive snap for the Ducks after Oregon’s Week 3 win against Northwestern, though he did appear on special teams against Minnesota in Week 12. He notched only one assisted tackle in 2025.

The nature in which Fields departed from Oregon was unconventional.

In early November, UO coach Dan Lanning revealed that Fields “didn’t come to work” and that the Ducks’ coaches hadn’t heard from him.

“That statement from Lanning hints at Fields potentially ghosting the program prior to entering the portal,” Osborne said.

Though Fields’ exit from the program was sudden, it didn’t surprise Osborne that he ultimately decided to transfer.

“Fields’ move makes sense, since the starting spots at Oregon feel very much spoken for and the Ducks have dipped back into the transfer portal for additional talent,” Osborne said.

Sophomore Courtland Guillory and junior Eli Bowen will almost certainly hold down OU’s starting cornerback spots in 2026.

Guillory earned SEC All-Freshman team honors in 2025, while Bowen was a Third Team All-SEC selection.

Fields is one of two defensive backs that OU signed from the portal, along with Mississippi Valley State transfer Prince Ijioma. Those two will presumably be reserves in the secondary alongside Jacobe Johnson, Jeremiah Newcombe and Trystan Haynes.

Oklahoma is looking to build on its 2025 season in which it finished 10-3 and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019. The Sooners won four games in a row — against Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri and LSU — to end the regular season and punch their ticket to the CFP.

OU will open its 2026 campaign against UTEP on Sept. 5.