Five Oklahoma Players Whose Stock Rose in the Second Half of the Regular Season

The Sooners won five of their final six regular-season games to finish 10-2 and clinch their spot in the College Football Playoff.

Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

NORMAN — A season that once seemed to be going in the wrong direction quickly changed trajectories.

The Sooners rattled off four wins in a row to finish the regular season 10-2 overall and 6-2 in SEC play. At No. 8 in the most-recent College Football Playoff rankings, OU will appear in its first CFP since 2019.

Here are five players that were instrumental to the Sooners’ strong second half to the season:

WR Isaiah Sategna

Oklahoma wide receiver Isaiah Sategna | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Oklahoma’s offense has lacked consistency, but Arkansas transfer wideout Isaiah Sategna has been a big-play magnet for the Sooners.

Sategna surpassed 100 yards in three of OU’s final six regular-season games. He caught touchdown passes in four of the last six, three of which went for longer than 50 yards. Most recently, he caught the game-winning touchdown in the Sooners’ 17-13 win over LSU in their regular-season finale.

On the year, Sategna has 948 yards and seven touchdowns and leads Oklahoma in receiving.

With his sprinter speed — he was once the No. 5 track and field prospect in the nation — Sategna is a weapon that the Sooners must lean on during the postseason to keep up with their playoff opponents.

LB Owen Heinecke

Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Former walk-on linebacker Owen Heinecke was one of the Sooners’ most reliable defenders in the back half of the season.

Heinecke, a redshirt junior, had logged only 11 tackles in 26 games over the previous two seasons. He finished the 2025 regular season with 67 total tackles, 30 solo tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups and a forced fumble.

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Heinecke’s role has been notable throughout the year, but he was particularly valuable in the final six games, as he played more than 30 snaps in each contest. His biggest game came in OU’s 33-27 road win over Tennessee, when the linebacker registered 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and the strip sack that R Mason Thomas returned for a touchdown.

Oklahoma’s linebacker room came into the year with high expectations with Kobie McKinzie, Kip Lewis and Sammy Omosigho all returning. Heinecke has been a breakout star in that group.

K Tate Sandell

Oklahoma kicker Tate Sandell | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Tate Sandell, who transferred to OU from UTSA before the 2025 season, has been fantastic all year.

The kicker is a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding placekicker. Sandell is 23-of-24 on the year, and his lone miss came on his first-ever attempt as a Sooner in OU’s 24-13 win against Michigan.

Sandell went 12-of-12 in Oklahoma’s final six games of the regular season, making five kicks from longer than 50 yards in that stretch.

For an Oklahoma offense that has struggled since John Mateer’s return from injury, Sandell’s accuracy on both short and long kicks has been a lifeline. 

DB Peyton Bowen

Oklahoma defensive back Peyton Bowen | Carson Field, Sooners on SI

Junior safety Peyton Bowen made a handful of game-altering plays in the second half of the season.

Against Tennessee, Bowen intercepted Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar in the second quarter and returned it for 37 yards, setting up a field goal for Sandell. In the Sooners’ 23-21 win over Alabama, he made the game-sealing pass breakup on fourth down on the Crimson Tide’s final drive. And in the LSU game, Bowen intercepted Tigers quarterback Michael Van Buren on a first-and-goal situation in the first quarter.

Bowen has logged seven pass breakups and 44 tackles in addition to his two interceptions.

OL Eddy Pierre-Louis

Oklahoma offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis | Carson Field, Sooners on SI

Redshirt freshman Eddy Pierre-Louis has held down the left guard spot lately.

Pierre-Louis played more than 40 snaps in each of OU’s final five regular-season games. He has been particularly valuable in the Sooners’ passing situations, recording Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grades higher than 70 in each of those contests.

The young lineman’s improvement has been massive for a position group that has seen injury after injury over the last two seasons.