On Another Preseason Watch List, Can R Mason Thomas Snap Oklahoma's Defensive Drought?

Whether it’s been the process of adding muscle, evolving into a vocal leader, sharpening his teammates or just making himself a better player, Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas has walked the walk.

Now Thomas is among 54 players nominated for the Rotary Lombardi Award, which was announced Tuesday. The Lombardi goes to the best lineman or linebacker in college football.

OU has had three Lombardi winners in the past: Lee Roy Selmon (1975), Tony Casillas (1985) and Tommie Harris (2003).

On Monday, Thomas was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list, which is awarded to college football’s most outstanding defender.

🏈 @OU_Football ‘s @RMason72965021 has been named to the #BednarikAward Watch List! 🏆 #MaxwellFootball pic.twitter.com/DU9jiukPZR
— Maxwell Football (@MaxwellFootball) August 11, 2025

In all, Oklahoma players have won 15 major defensive awards since 1956, although the most recent was 22 years ago, when the 2003 Sooners cleaned up on defense with five — linebacker Teddy Lehman won the Butkus (best linebacker) and the Bednarik (best defender), noseguard Tommie Harris won the Lombardi (best lineman), and cornerback Derrick Strait won the Thorpe (best defensive back) and the Nagurski (best defender) — all in the same year.

RMT's Road to Improvement

Oklahoma defensive end R Mason Thomas (32) at practice. | Ryan Chapman / Sooners on SI

Thomas, a dynamic, explosive, 6-foot-2, 249-pound senior from Fort Lauderdale, FL, is preparing for his final collegiate season with a target on his back. He made second-team All-Southeastern Conference last year with 12.5 tackles for loss and 9 quarterback sacks, which ranked fifth in the SEC. He opens this year a preseason second-team All-SEC pick.

Thomas’ goal, however, wasn’t to receive all-conference recognition or to be name-dropped on preseason watch lists. His goal was much simpler than that.

"To improve every day,” he said, “because if I can put my head down and improve, no matter how it looks statistically, if I can go over and look at the film and see I had more pluses than minuses ... If I can look back and improve every single week and every single day, that's a good season for me because I'm not focused on a destination, I'm focused on the journey.”

For Thomas, his journey seems to have gone by quickly. He was a green tweeter when he arrived in Norman, but clearly had a jackrabbit first step and sledgehammer closing speed. But he was raw. And, well, small.

“When R Mason showed up, he was 212 pounds soaking wet,” head coach Brent Venables said. “Now he's over 250 pounds, one of the most fierce and explosive pass rushers in college football. All-SEC a year ago; nine sacks.

“All of his best days are in front of him. As explosive a pass rusher and player as there is in college football. I expect him to have his best year of football. Last year was his most consistent year. God willing, he stays healthy and has another year like that.”

Preseason Respect for OU

Oklahoma Sooners John Mateer — Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer | John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI

The Sooners currently have nine players on 13 different preseason watch lists in 2025.

In addition to Thomas' inclusion on the Bednarik Award (best defensive player), linebackers Kip Lewis and Sammy Omosigho were added to the Dick Butkus Award watch list (top linebacker), Lewis was named to the Bronko Nagurski Award watch list (defensive player of the year); and safety Robert Spears-Jennings made the Danny Wuerffel Award watch list (citizenship, community service),

On offense, running back Jaydn Ott was named to the Doak Walker Award watch list (top running back); quarterback John Mateer landed on the Walter Camp Award watch list (national player of the year); Mateer and Ott were also named to the Maxwell Award watch list (most outstanding player); and Mateer is on the Davey O'Brien Award watch list (top quarterback).

And on special teams, transfer kicker Tate Sandell was named to the Lou Groza Award watch list (top kicker), transfer punter Jacob Ulrich was named to the Ray Guy Award watch list (top punter), and long snapper Ben Anderson was named to the Patrick Mannelly Award watch list (top long snapper).