Owen Heinecke is Still Valuable to Oklahoma, Even as His Future Hangs in the Balance

NORMAN — Regardless of whether or not Owen Heinecke gets another year, he has continued to make an impact on the 2026 team.

Heinecke, a linebacker who began his college career as a linebacker at Ohio State, asked the NCAA for one more year of eligibility, but his appeal was rejected in February. The linebacker, though, filed an injunction against the NCAA in March, and the Cleveland County District Court will make a decision on Thursday.

Heinecke is essentially in limbo. He attended the NFL Combine in February before participating at OU’s Pro Day in March, and he’ll join the professional ranks if his injunction isn’t granted.

Heinecke, though, has stuck around Norman, holding out hope that he gets one more year under the lights at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

The linebacker’s presence — even if he hasn’t been practicing — has been valuable to the Sooners’ players who don’t have to worry about the legal process.

“It's been great having him around,” linebacker Cole Sullivan said. “Obviously he's somebody that does know the defense really well, has a lot of trust from the coaching staff and all the guys here. It's great seeing his perspective on things. He's been helping me out a lot, too. I've been glad to have him around."

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Heinecke enjoyed a breakout season in 2025. He finished the year with 74 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, three sacks and a forced fumble.

In March, OU coach Brent Venables said he didn’t want to get into “hypotheticals.” But there’s no denying how disruptive Heinecke was in 2025 and how impactful he could be in 2026.

“We know what kind of caliber of player he is,” Venables said. “He’s a great player, great leader. It kind of goes without saying.”

If Oklahoma gets Heinecke back, the Sooners’ linebacker room will be loaded. Between Heinecke, Kip Lewis and Sullivan — who transferred to Oklahoma from Michigan — the Sooners would have three players at the position with proven production.

If his injunction is denied, the position will look fairly thin. Lewis and Sullivan would almost certainly be the starters with James Nesta and Marcus James serving as backups.

Even if the court rules against Heinecke, Nesta is confident that he and other reserves at the position can be disruptive, thanks to Heinecke’s continued leadership over the last few months.

“He’s a great person to look up to and he’s always there to help me and he’s always by my side,” Nesta said. “I’m very appreciative of that.”

Whether Heinecke gets a dozen more games in crimson and cream or if he played his final college game on Dec. 19, defensive end Taylor Wein believes the linebacker’s impact will continue to be felt.

“He’s really influential and has made a name for himself,” Wein said. “He’s an example for everyone on the team — a guy that came from nothing. He’s someone guys can look up to.”