Five Roster Decisions That Will Shape Oklahoma’s Offseason

Following the College Football Playoff, key roster decisions by draft-eligible Sooners will shape how OU attacks the transfer portal.

Oklahoma linebacker Kip Lewis | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

All eyes are on the College Football Playoff in Norman, meaning any decisions for 2026 are still weeks away from being made. 

But following Oklahoma’s haul in the Early Signing Period, a few roster decisions will shape the offseason for OU coach Brent Venables and general manager Jim Nagy. 

The development across the board on Venables’ defense means the Sooners won’t have a long list of needs in the transfer portal, but Oklahoma still has important business to attend to once the portal window opens. 

Here are five decisions that will shape OU’s strategy as it attacks the portal this offseason.

LB Kip Lewis

Oklahoma linebacker Kip Lewis | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Linebacker Kip Lewis is a redshirt junior, but he’ll have plenty of opportunities if he wants to test the NFL waters and enter the 2026 draft. 

He leads the team with 72 total tackles, and he’s posted a career-best 8.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback sacks. 

Last year, Lewis showed off his ball skills with a pair of interceptions that were returned for touchdowns against both Auburn and Alabama, and he’s been a key factor that has allowed Oklahoma to thrive in short-yardage situations since he burst onto the scene in 2023. 

One thing that will stand out to NFL scouts is his production in OU’s biggest games this year. 

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He finished with 10 tackles in OU’s 24-17 win over Auburn, and he posted 12 tackles against Ole Miss, 10 tackles against Tennessee, seven tackles against Alabama and eight tackles against Missouri. 

Lewis finished with 1.5 tackles for loss against both Ole Miss and Tennessee and two tackles for loss against the Crimson Tide, too. 

Nobody would blame Lewis if he entered the NFL Draft, but it would prompt the Sooners to take a linebacker or two in the transfer portal if they have to replace the team’s top tackler.

WR Isaiah Sategna

Oklahoma receiver Isaiah Sategna | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Another player who would take no blame for moving on to the NFL would be receiver Isaiah Sategna. 

The Arkansas transfer has quickly established himself as one of Ben Arbuckle’s most important playmakers in his first season with the Sooners. 

He leads the team with 65 catches for 948 yards and seven scores, and he’s played a key role on special teams as OU’s punt returner. 

Sategna is tied for second in the SEC in receiving yards, trailing only Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell II, and he’s proven over and over again that his top speed can shift the balance of any game. 

Even if Sategna opts to return, OU needs to get another top receiver option in the transfer portal. If he departs, the Sooners will need to land multiple difference makers to help the offense out.

S Peyton Bowen 

Oklahoma safety Peyton Bowen | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Finally healthy, safety Peyton Bowen has delivered in the Sooners’ biggest moments throughout Red November. 

He’s totaled 43 tackles in 2025, adding seven pass breakups and two interceptions. 

Bowen could technically leave school this offseason, but he would be forgoing another opportunity to play alongside his brother Eli. 

And while the Sooners have a few safeties they are excited about, namely Reggie Powers, Jaydan Hardy and Michael Boganowski, OU is already losing Robert Spears-Jennings to graduation. 

If Brandon Hall has to replace both of his experienced hands on the back end of his defense, he could potentially look to bring in one veteran to help add another leadership voice to a young and talented safety room.

LB Kobie McKinzie

Oklahoma linebacker Kobie McKinzie | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Like Lewis, Kobie McKinzie is a redshirt junior with a decision ahead of him. 

McKinzie has 32 total tackles in 2025, and he’s become one of the loudest voices on the defense. 

Like with Lewis, if McKinzie opts to chase his professional dreams after the season, OU will need to add another linebacker to its portal wish list to bolster the numbers at the heart of Oklahoma’s defense. 

Fellow linebacker Owen Heinecke is also listed as a redshirt junior on the online roster, but like Lewis and McKinzie, he went through Oklahoma’s Senior Day festivities ahead of the Sooners’ clash with LSU. 

Losing two of Lewis, McKinzie and Heinecke would undoubtedly push OU to add bodies through the portal at linebacker. 

DE Taylor Wein

Oklahoma defensive end Taylor Wein | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Redshirt sophomore Taylor Wein leaving for the NFL after the 2025 season seems like a long shot, but if he did, the Sooners would need to look for another defensive end in the transfer portal. 

R Mason Thomas and Marvin Jones Jr. will graduate out of the program following the CFP, and the Sooners have another year with Adeopoju Adebawore and Danny Okoye waiting in the wings. 

Wein, Adebawore and Okoye would form a nice, experienced rotation for defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis, but if Wein got advice to head to the NFL, the Sooners would need another experienced hand to bolster the defensive line.