Oklahoma's Pair of Edge Rushers Made Stronger Through Competitive Back-And-Forths

NORMAN — Brent Venables hasn't said "iron sharpens iron" to the press recently. No doubt, the fifth-year head coach with a penchant for inspirational phrases has that one in his back pocket when the situation calls for it.

He may want to use it with his edge rushers, specifically the duo that will be opposite of Taylor Wein in Adepoju Adebwaore and Danny Okoye.

Both players came on strong when their names were called late in 2025. Now, both hope that a Fall Camp of my-turn-your-turn leads to each playing the best ball of their careers.

"(Okoye) has work ethic. He has drive. Just a very driven, driven player, and just seeing that from a younger guy just makes me want to elevate all the time," Adebawore said on Friday following Oklahoma's third practice.

Last season, Adebawore logged 17 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks while Okoye added two sacks and two tackles for loss — his lack of production only stemming from the former NOAH Homeschool product merely scratching the surface of his college career.

Adebawore's experience within the program gives him an edge in any argument for playing time, but the physically gifted edge rusher finds inspiration in his younger teammate.

"Those young guys come in, and they do so much for me," he said. "Because I see their work ethic, and it just makes me want to go even harder to try to make sure I’m the example, with my being older. It’s very, very good for us and the team."

E'Marion Harris has to face one of, if not both of them, every day at practice. The Arkansas transfer hopes to not only bring his SEC expertise to a plug-and-play role with the Sooners, but he also hopes to make both Adebawore and Okoye better.

Oklahoma Sooners, E'Marion Harris — Oklahoma offensive lineman E'Marion Harris practices. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

"They work," Harris said. "We all push each other every day, try to get each other better and just never taking days off, plays off, always working.”

Both Harris and Adebawore have a front-row seat to Okoye's growth. Last season, Okoye only played 107 snaps in his second year. When R Mason Thomas went down last November, Okoye's number was called more consistently.

Now with an offseason of being the next in line, both Harris and Adebawore have noticed the freakish talent in Okoye begin to take shape.

"He’s a twitchy person, so he can go to speed real fast," Harris said. "I told him, like, ‘You could use that. Your speed is everything.’ That’s really the offensive tackles’ worst thing — you don’t want the D-end to beat you around the edge.”

"He’s definitely getting smarter and continues to get more violent, stronger and faster, still. He’s just growing in all areas,” Adebawore said.

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