What Areas of the Roster Must Oklahoma Address via the Transfer Portal?

After OU's season came to an end on Friday, the program must now turn its attention to how it will attack the transfer portal this offseason.

Oklahoma general manager Jim Nagy at the CFP game against Alabama. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

The college football calendar never sleeps. 

While Oklahoma’s players work to get past Friday’s 34-24 College Football Playoff defeat to Alabama, OU’s coaches and front office are gearing up for transfer portal season. 

This offseason, there will be one singular window from Jan. 2-16 for players to enter their names to find a new school. 

OU general manager Jim Nagy joined the program after last year’s winter portal window, so this will be the first real chance he has to work with Brent Venables and truly shape the roster. 

Here are the position groups the Sooners will likely have to address this offseason:

Wide Receiver 

Oklahoma wide receiver Isaiah Sategna celebrates after a touchdown against Alabama in the CFP. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

This feels like the position group where Nagy and his staff could make the most obvious impact. 

Instead of chasing down the biggest targets at receiver last year, the Sooners opted to try and find diamonds in the rough. 

Oklahoma undoubtedly hit a home run with Arkansas transfer Isaiah Sategna, who finished the season with 67 catches for 965 yards and eight scores, as well as a major role on special teams. 

Sategna has another year of eligibility left, but he could opt to try and capitalize on his fantastic year and head to the NFL. Regardless of Sategna’s decision, Deion Burks has played his final game as a Sooner, meaning Nagy will need to add more weapons around John Mateer, assuming the OU quarterback stays in Norman. 

Behind Sategna and Burks, Oklahoma got minimal production from its receivers. Keontez Lewis trailed Sategna, Burks and tight end Jaren Kanak with 243 receiving yards, and Javonnie Gibson spent the first half of the season battling back from a lower-body injury. 

Gibson can return, as can receiver Jer’Micahel Carter, so Oklahoma has a handful of experienced bodies, but adding a legitimate threat to replace Sategna as WR1 could help the Sooner offense be more explosive in 2026.

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Linebacker 

Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke (38) still does not know if the NCAA will grant him a sixth year of eligibility. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Venables and the Sooner defense could end up as victims of their own success at linebacker. 

Kip Lewis and Kobie McKinzie could both opt to head to the NFL, and if Owen Heinecke is unable to win his eligibility appeal with the NCAA, OU could be forced to replace three of its four top linebackers in the same offseason. 

Sammy Omogisho has another year left, but behind him, there are primarily special teams contributors. 

Getting at least one of Heinecke or McKinzie back would be huge, but Nagy and Venables will likely have to add multiple bodies this offseason to either start or serve as depth in the linebacker room. 

Interior Offensive Line

Oklahoma's offensive line huddles in Tuscaloosa. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Of the six guys who primarily started at various points in November, Oklahoma will only lose Febechi Nwaiwu and Derek Simmons. 

The freshman trio of Michael Fasusi, Eddy Pierre-Louis and Ryan Fodge will return plenty of starting experience next year alongside center Jake Maikkula. 

Fodje can kick back out to right tackle with the departure of Simmons, but the Sooners will need another right guard, whether that addition takes the form of a starter or of a depth piece. 

Reserves Logan Howland, Heath Ozaeta, Gunnar Alle, Daniel Akinkunmi, Luke Baklenko and Owen Hollenbeck can all return, meaning as long as Bill Bedenbaugh doesn’t see a mass exodus to the transfer portal with his unit, he’ll have depth. But the Sooners could make a statement of intent if they landed a starter-quality guard out of the transfer portal. 

Defensive Line

Oklahoma defensive end R Mason Thomas arrives at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium supporting fellow defensive end Taylor Wein. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

While the offensive line needs a starter, the defensive line could just use some extra depth for 2026.

Tackles Gracen Halton and Damonic Williams depart, as do defensive ends R Mason Thomas and Marvin Jones Jr. 

On the edge, Taylor Wein, Adepoju Adebawore and Danny Okoye all return from this year’s rotation, and David Stone, Jayden Jackson and Markus Strong will all return on the interior. 

Playing for Todd Bates and Miguel Chavis is becoming more and more appealing as the years go by in Norman, but if OU settles for adding a rotational piece or two up front to give the underclassmen enough time to develop organically, the defense will still be in great shape next season. 

Tight End

Jaren Kanak was Oklahoma's best tight end in 2025. | Carson Field, Sooners on SI

The Sooners need a difference maker at tight end just about as much as they need one on the outside at receiver. 

Jaren Kanak made the most of his only year with the OU offense, finishing third on the team in both catches (44) and receiving yards (620), but he is out of eligibility. 

Before his hand injury, Mateer showed the desire to find his tight end over the middle when plays broke down and he started to scramble, so a true SEC-quality tight end could be a major weapon for Oklahoma’s offense. 

Kaden Helms and Carson Kent can both return in 2026, but the Sooners should look for star power at tight end to upgrade their offense in offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle’s second season at the helm.