Rising Oklahoma Defensive Lineman to Enter Transfer Portal, per Report

Markus Strong's snap count increased significantly for the Sooners in 2025, but he will reportedly play elsewhere in 2026.

Oklahoma defensive end R Mason Thomas, defensive tackle Markus Strong compete against Kent State. | Carson Field, Sooners on SI

After taking on a larger role at OU in 2025, defensive tackle Markus Strong is reportedly on his way out of Norman.

Strong, a redshirt sophomore, will enter the transfer portal, per a report from On3’s Pete Nakos.

NEW: Oklahoma DL Markus Strong is entering the transfer portal, his rep @CRogSuperAgent tells @PeteNakos.

The 6-foot-3, 297-pound DL has 4 career TFLs and 3 sacks. Has two years of eligibility remaining. https://t.co/Y9nNuN6HSZ pic.twitter.com/pmGZhsaIyn

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 1, 2026

He's the 10th OU player today to announce his desire to leave. Strong played 106 snaps in 2025 after appearing in just three games combined over his first two seasons in Norman.

The defensive lineman finished the year with a 66.5 Pro Football Focus (PFF) defensive grade. He was particularly useful as OU looked to contain opposing running backs, as Strong finished the year with a 69 run-defense grade.

Strong registered seven tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and a safety during the 11 games that he appeared in this year.

Strong would have likely seen an even larger role at Oklahoma in 2026, due to interior defensive linemen Gracen Halton and Damonic Williams both graduating from the program.

Injuries plagued the first two years of Strong’s career at OU. Strong made his lone appearance in the Sooners’ season opener in 2023. In 2024, he logged two sacks in OU’s opener against Temple before missing the next 11 games with an injury.

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Strong, a native of Raiford, FL, came to Oklahoma as a 3-star prospect and the No. 64 defensive lineman in the Class of 2023. He originally chose OU over offers from Georgia Tech, Houston and Maryland.

Strong is the first defensive lineman from the 2025 squad to reportedly be on his way out. Other defensive players who have revealed their transfer intentions are linebacker Kobie McKinzie and defensive backs Gentry Williams, Kendel Dolby, Maliek Hawkins and Marcus Wimberly.

Altogether, 21 players are reported to be entering the transfer portal. Six offensive linemen are a part of that group, and other transferring offensive players include tight end Kaden Helms and quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr.

The transfer portal will open on Jan. 2 and close on Jan. 16. Players are eligible to return to their original school upon entry into the portal.

Oklahoma went 10-3 in 2025 and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019. The Sooners won four SEC games in a row — against Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri and LSU — after a three-week stretch in which they went 1-2 with losses to Texas and Ole Miss.

OU will open the 2026 season against UTEP on Sept. 5.