Oklahoma DE Taylor Wein Not Satisfied with Strong Start to 2025 Season

NORMAN — There’s no denying that Taylor Wein has been one of Oklahoma’s most valuable defensive players so far in 2025.

Wein, a redshirt sophomore defensive end, leads the Sooners with 8.5 tackles for loss. He is tied for second on the team in both sacks and solo tackles with 3.5 and 12, respectively.

Before the 2025 season, Wein had assisted on only two tackles during his first two years in Norman. Now, he is a centerpiece for the Sooners on the edge of their defensive line and has played on 158 defensive snaps in their first six contests of 2025.

Still, Wein doesn’t believe that he’s come close to reaching his ceiling.

“(I haven’t been) good enough,” Wein said. “Gotta get better in a lot of areas, gotta keep working, keep shoveling and keep getting better. Attention to details, fundamentals, getting lined up. I’m going to continue to work on it and get better each week.”

Wein doesn’t see personal accolades as an indicator of success. He wants to contribute to a strong team defense that allows OU to win games in the SEC.

In the Sooners’ most recent game — a 23-6 loss to Texas at the Cotton Bowl — Oklahoma’s defense lapsed several times, particularly when trying to stop the Longhorns’ run game.

While Wein has been statistically stellar throughout the season so far, he won’t consider the year successful if the Sooners don’t right the ship soon.

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“Doesn’t mean anything,” Wein said. “I have to get better. (Tackles for loss don’t) mean anything.”

Wein doesn’t want to be seen as a finished product, but OU coach Brent Venables emphasized the defensive end’s growth at his Tuesday press conference.

Throughout the 2025 offseason, Oklahoma’s players and coaches regularly praised Wein’s development and work ethic. Venables acknowledged how players who make offseason leaps don’t always produce when the regular season strikes — but Wein certainly has.

“We’ve all been there where a guy did really surprise and, for whatever reason, they lost their way,” Venables said. “He’s been fantastic. My favorite part about him is how hard he works, the consistency of how hard he works.”

With the first half of the season now in the rearview mirror, Wein has the Sooners’ third-best Pro Football Focus (PFF) pass rushing grade (75.3) for defenders that have played more than 100 snaps.

Venables admitted that Wein hasn’t been a perfect player. But the coach praised how quickly Wein has been able to learn from the mistakes that have occurred.

"He's one of those guys that is easy to coach hard because he receives it well,” Venables said. “He doesn't go in the tank. He's not soft minded or soft hearted. He's got very thick skin. The critiques go to all the right places.”

Wein hopes that Saturday’s loss to Texas is a wake-up call for the defense.

The Sooners had been stellar defensively until the loss, leading the nation in sacks, total defense and third-down defense in its first five games. But against the Longhorns, defensive end R Mason Thomas had the only sack, and the Sooners allowed Texas to convert on 10 third downs.

Individually, Wein made three tackles for loss against Texas and finished the game with four solo tackles.

Wein’s strong redshirt sophomore campaign continued in the Red River Rivalry. But until OU’s defense collectively returns to form, he won’t be satisfied.

“One loss isn’t going to defeat this team,” Wein said. “That’s not who we are. We’re going to learn from it and get better. That’s all we’re worried about right now.”