Has Oklahoma Added Enough on the Defensive Line in Transfer Portal?

With several key players departing, but plenty of talent returning, the Sooners just needed to tweak their defensive line

Then-Colorado Buffaloes defensive lineman Bishop Thomas (95) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

NORMAN — Unlike other positions — most notably tight end — Oklahoma didn’t need to completely overhaul its defensive line in the transfer portal.

Instead, the Sooners needed to shore up the depth among the group and mainly work to retain the talent it has on the roster.

Oklahoma mostly accomplished that.

While the defensive front loses four talented players whose eligibility is up in defensive ends Marvin Jones Jr. and R Mason Thomas and interior presences Gracen Halton and Damonic Williams, only one player has departed so far in the transfer portal.

Markus Strong looked like he could be a candidate for a breakout season next season after playing in 11 games last season with seven tackles and a sack. 

The biggest play of his season came against South Carolina, with a tackle in the end zone for a safety.

With Jayden Jackson and David Stone returning in  the interior of the defensive line, Strong’s ceiling — barring injury to one of the two expected starters — figured to be capped next season.

So Strong instead decided to seek expanded opportunities elsewhere, ultimately winding up at Clemson.

Like defensive tackle, the front line at defensive end next season appears to be strong before any portal additions, with Taylor Wein returning following his breakout 2025 season, and Danny Okoye and Adepoju Adebawore expected to compete to start on the opposite side.

So while they certainly wanted to upgrade the defensive line, it wasn’t imperative that they added starters at the position — unlike the last couple of seasons where they added Jones from Florida State and Williams from TCU to slide in as major contributors.

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OU has added just two defensive linemen so far in the portal, UTSA defensive end Kenny Ozowalu.

Ozowalu (6-foot-4, 270 pounds) was plenty coveted out of San Antonio after recording 17 tackles and three sacks for the Roadrunners last season, and will have time to develop as he was just a redshirt freshman.

While Ozowalu is primarily a defensive end, he also has the ability to slide into the interior as well.

One of Oklahoma’s most recent additions from the portal is defensive tackle Bishop Thomas of Georgia State.

Thomas started his career at Florida State, where he played two games in 2022 before transferring to Colorado, where he was part of Deion Sanders’ initial roster.

Thomas played in nine games for the Buffaloes, with six tackles, two for loss, and a fumble recovery, but was suspended and ultimately dismissed from the program there and transferred to Georgia State.

After playing just three games there in 2024, he had 48 tackles, a pass breakup and 1.5 sacks in 12 games with the Panthers in 2025.

Thomas has plenty of talent, but would appear to be primarily a depth piece along the front.

The Sooners did get a brief transfer scare Monday, when Adebawore briefly entered the portal before withdrawing.

Adebawore made strides as a junior, playing 283 snaps with 17 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a quarterback hurry in 13 games.