Can Transfer Edge Rusher Kenny Ozowalu Make Immediate Impact at Oklahoma?

Edge rusher Kenny Ozowalu enjoyed a breakout season in 2025.

As a redshirt freshman at UTSA, Ozowalu logged 17 tackles, nine solo tackles, six tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.

Ozowalu will be an SEC newcomer in 2026, as he signed with Oklahoma in January.

A native of San Antonio, Ozowalu enrolled at UTSA in 2024. He appeared in only four games as a true freshman, meaning he was able to preserve his redshirt.

According to Greg Luca, who covers UTSA athletics for the San Antonio Express-News, said that Ozowalu bulked up from 240 to 270 pounds between the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Luca believes that Ozowalu’s work in the offseason led to his impressive 2025 season.

“He still wasn’t expected to play a huge role coming into the season, but by the third game he earned a place in the starting lineup and never gave it up,” Ozowalu said.

Ozowalu appeared on 341 defensive plays in 2025 after he registered only 30 snaps the year prior.

The edge rusher boasted an impressive 74.5 Pro Football Focus (PFF) defensive grade. He also finished the year with a 75.3 pass-rush grade and a 67.6 run-defense grade.

Luca believes that Ozowalu’s versatility allowed him to quickly become a contributor for the Roadrunners’ defense.

“He was very well suited to the defensive end role in UTSA’s three-man front, with the size and strength to hold the edge against the run, but also some athleticism and tenacity to pressure quarterbacks in pass-rushing situations,” Luca said.

While Ozowalu was a quality player at the Group of Five level, Luca believes that the defensive end will need to have another good offseason to be a notable piece on Oklahoma’s defense.

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“I imagine at the SEC level he’ll need to really develop into a faster, more twitchy athlete if he wants to create pressure as a pass-rusher,” Luca said. “If the OU staff wants him to be more of a run defender, that might require added strength and bulk, too. He might need a little time to prove he has elite skills that can produce against stronger competition. He was much better than expected at UTSA, but he didn’t deliver the type of production that makes him a no-brainer fit for an elite program.”

Ozowalu is one of two defensive linemen that signed with OU after the 2025 season, along with former Georgia State defensive tackle Bishop Thomas. The Sooners also added defensive backs Prince Ijioma (Mississippi Valley State) and Dakoda Fields (Oregon) and linebacker Cole Sullivan (Michigan) to their defense from the portal.

Out of high school, Ozowalu earned only three Division I offers, all of which came from FCS programs. He ultimately chose to enroll at UTSA as a preferred walk-on.

Per Luca, Ozowalu came to UTSA with a chip on his shoulder. The reporter said that it would be beneficial to Ozowalu’s game to keep that much-to-prove mentality.

“He showed a strong work ethic to develop the way he did and always played with a chip on his shoulder,” Luca said. “Whether he keeps that chip at Oklahoma will probably be a major factor in what he’s able to accomplish.”