Five Oklahoma Players Who Have Surprised So Far in 2025

The Sooners have seen good, bad and ugly through the first three quarters of their season, but these five players have been standouts.

Oklahoma running back Xavier Robinson | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

With just three games left in the 2025 regular season, Oklahoma is still in the mix.

The Sooners (7-2) are 3-2 in SEC play after defeating Tennessee 33-27 on Saturday. They entered the College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday at No. 12.

If they win out, they’ll almost certainly be in the CFP field. If they win two of the next three, they’ll likely need some help to reach their first playoff since 2019.

OU plays on the road against Alabama on Nov. 15 before hosting No. 22 Missouri and unranked LSU for the final two games of the regular season.

Here are five players who have exceeded expectations so far in 2025:

DE Taylor Wein

Oklahoma defensive end Taylor Wein | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Oklahoma’s coaches and defensive players regularly praised Taylor Wein throughout the offseason.

And Wein has exceeded the high expectations that were placed on him.

A redshirt sophomore edge rusher, Wein leads OU with 11 tackles for loss through nine games. The defensive end has also registered 3.5 sacks, an interception and a pass breakup.

The Sooners’ defensive end room is loaded with talent. 

R Mason Thomas came into 2025 with lofty expectations, and he has met them. The position group also consists of Marvin Jones Jr., Adepoju Adebawore and Danny Okoye.

Even so, Wein has broken out on the edge and been hard to stop in pass-rush situations.

K Tate Sandell

Oklahoma kicker Tate Sandell | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

One can’t talk about breakout Sooner stars without mentioning Tate Sandell.

The UTSA transfer kicker is 18-of-19 on field-goal attempts, and he hasn’t missed an extra point. Sandell is 6-of-6 on attempts longer than 50 yards, and he is 7-of-8 on kicks from 40 to 49 yards out. His lone miss came in his first-ever attempt at OU in the Michigan game.

Sandell has the most made field goals from longer than 50 yards in the nation. He has the best field-goal percentage in the NCAA for kickers that have missed at least one kick, and there are only five kickers with perfect percentages — and Hawai'i's Kansei Matsuzawa is the only kicker with a perfect percentage who has attempted more field goals than Sandell.

Most recently, Sandell’s 4-of-4 effort against Tennessee gave the Sooners the lift they needed to earn their 33-27 win over the Volunteers on the road.

Three big games remain on the schedule for OU, and Sandell’s right leg is something that the Sooners can lean on.

DL David Stone

Oklahoma defensive tackle David Stone | Carson Field, Sooners on SI

As a 5-star prospect in the Class of 2024, David Stone came to Norman with lofty expectations. He didn’t hit those immediately, as Stone finished his true freshman campaign with just six tackles.

Now a sophomore, Stone has made his presence known.

With three games left, Stone has registered 30 total tackles, 14 solo tackles, seven tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Stone’s Pro Football Focus (PFF) defensive grade of 77 is the fifth-best on OU’s roster for players that have played more than 100 snaps.

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With a 6-3, 310-pound frame, Stone is a force in both run-defense and pass-defense sets.

It must be exciting for Sooner fans to know there is still so much untapped potential with Stone to be a leader on OU’s defense.

LB Owen Heinecke

Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

In a deep linebacker room that features Kobie McKinzie, Kip Lewis and Sammy Omosigho, Owen Heinecke has emerged as another more-than-reliable option.

Heinecke, a redshirt junior and former walk-on, is second on the team with 46 total tackles. The linebacker — who played one season of lacrosse at Ohio State before transferring to Oklahoma — has also compiled seven tackles for loss, four pass deflections, two sacks and a forced fumble.

Against Tennessee alone, Heinecke went for 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and the forced fumble that led to Thomas’ 71-yard scoop-and-score touchdown.

Heinecke’s come-up has allowed the Sooners to find added comfortability in their linebacker rotation.

RB Xavier Robinson

Oklahoma running back Xavier Robinson | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

It’s not surprising to anyone who watched the second half of last season that Xavier Robinson has run the ball well. But after he was practically nonexistent in OU’s first five games, it was natural to question if he’d ever find a role in 2025.

Robinson’s last three outings have answered that question.

After rushing for just 50 yards on 16 carries in the first half of the season, Robinson has rushed for 282 yards and four touchdowns over the Sooners’ last three contests.

The 6-foot, 239-pound sophomore — who notably logged 107 yards against Alabama last year — has re-established himself as OU’s lead tailback with true freshman Tory Blaylock still working his way back from an injury.