Oklahoma DT Jayden Jackson Looks to Win Battle of Elite D-line Groups

The Sooners have one of college football's most experienced defensive lines, and they hope to prove that they're superior to Michigan's on Saturday.

Oklahoma defensive lineman Jayden Jackson | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NORMAN — Two of college football’s best defensive lines will square off on Saturday.

Oklahoma’s front seven, loaded with experience and talent, helped hold Illinois State to just a field goal in the Sooners’ 35-3 season-opening win. Michigan also has a veteran-laden defense with seven players who have started at least 10 games.

Sophomore defensive tackle Jayden Jackson knows that the primary goal of Saturday’s showdown with the Wolverines is to win.

But he also hopes to prove that his defensive line unit is the best of the best.

“Our whole group wants to be — needs to be, actually — the number-one (group),” Jackson said. “So that's what we're striving for.”

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As a true sophomore, Jackson is one of the Sooners’ youngest defensive linemen — but he’s also been one of their most productive on their defensive interior.

Jackson earned Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and ESPN Freshman All-American honors in 2024, finishing his first season of college football with 30 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.

Oklahoma’s biggest home game last year came against Alabama, when the Sooners beat the No. 7 Crimson Tide 24-3 to clinch bowl eligibility. Jackson was a force in that game, finishing with four tackles, one of which went for a loss.

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That game taught him much about handling high-pressure games.

“I learned that I'm going to get Bama — or whatever you say is the best game — every single week,” Jackson said. “That's how I've got to prepare myself physically and mentally; I'm getting the best out of the teams that we face every single time.”

Other experienced defensive tackles for the Sooners include Damonic Williams, Gracen Halton and David Stone. On the outside are defensive ends R Mason Thomas, Taylor Wein, Marvin Jones Jr. and Danny Okoye.

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Though Jackson tries to value all games as equal, he knows the challenge that lies ahead of him and his defensive teammates.

Michigan running back Justice Haynes went for 159 yards and three touchdowns in the Wolverines’ 34-17 win over New Mexico in Week 1. Dual-threat quarterback Bryce Underwood, a true freshman and the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2025, ran minus-five yards in Week 1, but his speed and elusiveness make him hard to contain.

“We're just going to expect that running mindset from anyone that touches the ball,” Jackson said. “Definitely be a big, big challenge.”

Michigan’s defensive front is similarly elite.

Every player on the Wolverines’ front seven is a junior or older. Defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny and linebacker Derrick Moore, both seniors, will likely be taken on the first two days of the 2026 NFL Draft.

This poses a tough matchup for OU’s offense, especially in the run game. The Sooners averaged only 3.2 yards per carry against Illinois State.

“They’re physical, they’re stout, they’re well-coached,” OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said. “They’re sound, so we have to bring our best.”

With how talented and experienced both defenses are, Saturday’s game has all the makings of a defensive battle.

And while the main goal for Jackson and his teammates is simply to win, the defensive tackle admitted that playing a more sound game than the Wolverines’ front seven would be an added bonus.

“It's definitely a factor,” Jackson said. “It puts us in a place where we need to work harder every single time.”