Transfer Talk: What Oklahoma is Getting in Transfer TE Carson Kent

Even on a struggling Kennesaw State team, the Sooners' new tight end was one of the Owls' most productive offensive players.

Carson Kent via X/Twitter

Oklahoma is starting over on offense in 2025, and the Sooners have some holes to plug on defense and special teams as well.

So Brent Venables and the OU staff landed another impactful haul out of the NCAA Transfer Portal for 2025 — 14 players so far, with the possibility of more still to come.

This series continues Sooners On SI’s inside look at what OU is getting out of the portal for next season. Next up: tight end Carson Kent.

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NORMAN — After Oklahoma struggled in its passing game in 2024, the Sooners are gaining another weapon at tight end.

Carson Kent, a tight end from Kennesaw State, will play for the Sooners in 2025. A 6-foot-4, 240-pound redshirt sophomore in 2024, Kent caught 18 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns for the Owls last year.

“He got reps he wouldn't have gotten if he had started at Oklahoma. His experience will be a big asset, as well as the fact that if the ball is thrown within 10 yards of him, he found a way to catch it," said John Bednarowski, sports editor for the Marietta Daily Journal, highlighting Kent's ability to make plays despite less than ideal opportunities.

Kent arrived at Kennesaw State right as the Owls retooled their offense. They switched to the pistol offense for the first time in 2023, the first year where the Owls utilized the tight end position often.

“He quickly became a trusted receiver over the middle and he is an excellent blocker,” Bednarowski said.

Kent’s numbers were modest in 2024, accumulating fewer than 300 receiving yards. Still, he was the Owls’ third-leading receiver, as KSU posted just 1,636 passing yards as a team.

With a better offense, Bednarowski believes he will be a weapon.

“He never got to scratch the surface of what he could be here,” Bednarowski said. “He could really turn out to be something big in the SEC."

Quarterback struggles weren’t the only issue the Owls faced in 2024, as they finished the year 2-10. The 2024 season was their first at the FBS level, and KSU collected wins only against Liberty and New Mexico State.

Still, Kai Millette — the sports editor of The Sentinel, KSU’s student newspaper — saw plenty of positives from Kent’s skill set.

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MORE TRANSFER TALK

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Transfer Talk: What Oklahoma is Getting in DE Marvin Jones Jr.

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“Carson's stats really don't tell the full story considering some pretty awful quarterback play he had to deal with,” Millette said. “He's a solid route runner with sure hands — not sure I've ever seen him drop a ball — and can also make a difference with his blocking.

"I'm a little surprised he got some of the high-end looks he did out of the transfer portal, and I'm not sure what the OU tight end room looks like, but I expect he'll find a contributing role as a TE2 or TE3."

The Sooners are in need of a new tight end after losing Bauer Sharp, OU’s leading receiver in 2024, to the transfer portal. Kent will compete for playing time with Davon Mitchell, Kaden Helms and Kade McIntyre at the tight end position, as well as fellow transfer Will Huggins from Pitt State via Kansas.

Overall, OU’s offense will look much different in 2024. The Sooners hired former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to the same role in December, and they picked up a portal commitment from WSU quarterback John Mateer a few weeks later.

Both Bednarowski and Millette agree that he’s been taught well to be a key piece in OU’s offense.

“He would have been a key component to help KSU take big steps in CUSA over the next couple of years,” Bednarowski said.

Millette added, “He was about the right things off the field and displayed tremendous leadership."

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