Former Oklahoma DL Markus Strong Commits to ACC School, per Report

Markus Strong was primed for a larger role with the Sooners in 2026, but instead, he'll play for a program that has won two national titles in the last decade.

Oklahoma defensive lineman Markus Strong | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Markus Strong is reportedly headed to the East Coast.

Strong, a defensive lineman who saw his role significantly increase for OU in 2025, committed to Clemson on Wednesday, per a report from Hayes Fawcett of On3.

BREAKING: Oklahoma transfer DL Markus Strong has Committed to Clemson, he tells @On3Sports

The 6’3 300 DL will have 2 years of eligibility left

“Once a Tiger, always a Tiger!”https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/NcXQlKY0fb

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 8, 2026

Injuries plagued Strong’s first two seasons at OU. He appeared in only one game as a true freshman in 2023 before playing only four snaps in two games in 2024.

But in 2025, Strong became a key part of the rotation.

Strong played 106 snaps for the Sooners in 2025 after appearing on just six snaps over the course of his first two seasons. The defensive lineman ended the year with a 66.5 Pro Football Focus (PFF) defensive grade. He was particularly useful in run-stopping situations, as Strong logged a 69 run-defense grade.

Oklahoma defensive tackle Markus Strong | Carson Field, Sooners on SI

As a redshirt sophomore in 2025, Strong logged seven tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and a safety. Strong’s safety came in the fourth quarter of Oklahoma’s 26-7 win over South Carolina on the road.

Strong likely would have seen an even larger role for the Sooners in 2026. Interior defensive linemen Gracen Halton and Damonic Williams are both out of eligibility, and Strong would have almost certainly been third in line in the defensive tackle rotation behind David Stone and Jayden Jackson.

Strong is set to join a Clemson program that has been one of college football’s most successful since 2010. The Tigers won national championships in 2016 and 2018, and they reached the College Football Playoff as recently as 2024.

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Clemson, of course, is where OU coach Brent Venables previously served as the defensive coordinator. Venables spent 10 seasons coaching the Tigers’ defense and won the Broyles Award — awarded to college football’s best assistant coach — in 2018.

Even without Strong, the Sooners have a strong foundation built on the interior of their defensive line. 

Stone and Jackson are among the SEC’s most disruptive defensive tackles, as those two combined for 13 tackles for loss in 2025. Barring any more late entries into the transfer portal, OU will retain depth pieces on the interior defensive line like Nigel Smith II, Trent Wilson and Alex Shieldnight. The Sooners also earned a commitment from former UTSA defensive lineman Kenny Ozowalu on Wednesday, and he played both defensive tackle and defensive end for the Roadrunners.

The transfer portal officially opened on Jan. 2, and it will close on Jan. 16. Altogether, 24 players from Oklahoma’s 2025 team have entered so far.