Oklahoma Tight End Set to Enter Transfer Portal per Report

Oklahoma’s tight end room is about to undergo major surgery via the transfer portal.

Tight end Kaden Helms is set to enter the transfer portal, Helms’ representation told On3’s Hayes Fawcett on Monday.

BREAKING: Oklahoma TE Kaden Helms is entering the @TransferPortal, his agent tells @On3Sports

The 6’5 238 TE will have 2 years of eligibility left

He’s repped by @david_benzaken and @M_Mussell4 https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/8F0C0bknJ9
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 22, 2025

Helms is the third Sooner to indicate he’s headed toward the portal since OU’s College Football Playoff defeat to Alabama, following linebacker Kobie McKinzie and offensive lineman Isaiah Autry-Dent.

Helms’ first two years at Oklahoma were marred by injury, but he was able to play in eight games in 2024 and catch two passes fro 19 yards and a score.

That production saw a slight uptick in 2025.

Helms caught five passes for 35 yards and a score this season, and he appeared in nine games and played 201 snaps on offense, per Pro Football Focus.

Unfortunately, Helms’ entire 2023 season was lost due to an injury.

He was enjoying a productive start to fall camp in August this year, but a hand injury derailed his momentum and Jaren Kanak’s play cemented the converted linebacker as the Sooners’ top tight end in September.

The 6-foot-5, 238-pound tight end from Bellevue, NE, signed with the Sooners as a 4-star recruit, and he will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Follow Along With OU's Offseason Roster Moves

With Helms’ departure via the portal and Jaren Kanak, who finished third on the team in both receptions (44) and receiving yards (533), graduating out, the Sooners return virtually no production at tight end in 2026.

Before Oklahoma took the field in the CFP, defensive back Kendel Dolby announced he will be entering the transfer portal once the window officially opens next month.

Former OU receiver Jayden Gibson is also set to enter the portal, though Sooners coach Brent Venables announced Gibson’s departure from the program in October.

McKinzie’s intentions to transfer were reported on Sunday, and Autry-Dent announced he’s also set to enter the portal on Monday morning.

The Sooners have yet to earn a commitment out of the portal for the 2026 season.

This offseason, there will only be one transfer portal window for players to enter.

The window begins on Jan. 2, and it will run through Jan. 16.

Players just have to have their information entered into the portal by the time it closes, though they can enroll at their new schools beyond Jan. 16.