How Oklahoma's Play Style, Intentionality led Transfer DL Kenny Ozowalu to Norman

NORMAN — Kenny Ozowalu transferred to Oklahoma from a school in the University of Texas system.

Ozowalu, a defensive lineman capable of playing both on the edge and in the interior, played two seasons at UTSA before coming to Norman. He played sparingly as a true freshman for the Roadrunners in 2024 before breaking out with 17 tackles, six tackles for loss and three sacks as a redshirt freshman in 2025.

Ozowalu is a San Antonio native and said he was “extremely happy” at UTSA. But after his stellar 2025 campaign, he garnered interest from several Power Four programs and opted to transfer out.

Texas was one of the first schools to reach out. Austin is just over an hour away from San Antonio, and Ozowalu admitted that it would have been convenient to stay close to home.

But when the Sooners reached out, they made it clear that they saw him as someone who could quickly make an impact.

“Even with (Texas) being closer to home, I felt like (OU) had more of a need for me,” Ozowalu said in March. “I just fit into their play style a little bit better here.”

Ozowalu also said that he got a strong impression about Oklahoma’s program culture during his first few conversations with the Sooners’ staff.

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As soon as he stepped foot on campus, Ozowalu found out that the program-wide brotherhood that OU’s coaches preached was real and not just lip service.

“How they get after it here is super intense,” Ozowalu said. “The culture was very noticeable from day one.”

Listed at 6-3 and 278 pounds on OU’s 2026 spring football roster, Ozowalu has positional flexibility.

And his versatility could allow him to see the field during his first season at OU.

The Sooners have great depth at both defensive tackle and defensive end. On the edge, veterans Taylor Wein, Adepoju Adebawore and Danny Okoye are all back for another season. On the interior, Jayden Jackson and David Stone are expected to be the starters, while reliable backups Nigel Smith II and Trent Wilson could also see larger roles in 2026.

Though both positions are fairly crowded, Ozowalu’s ability to do it all could make him a key backup in the fall.

“They took a lot of interest in my size but also my ability to move at my size and, with me being the way that I am, just playing inside and outside as an option,” Ozowalu said. “I'm just trying to get to that point where I can prove to the coaches that I'm a trustworthy guy and I can produce on the field.”

With so many proven producers on Oklahoma’s defensive front, Ozowalu may never start in Year 1.

Players like Stone, Jackson and Wein helped the Sooners have arguably the SEC’s best defense in 2025. OU led the conference in both scoring defense (15.2 points allowed per game), total defense (272.5 yards allowed per game) and sacks (45) last year.

Oklahoma’s recent defensive dominance is another factor that led Ozowalu to Norman — and he is confident that he can help the unit stay stingy, regardless of how high his snap count is.

“We can be the best in the country,” Ozowalu said. “Even though we’re all competing for a spot, it doesn't matter. We all just help each other out.”

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