What Does Oklahoma Still Need from the Transfer Portal?

The Sooners have put together an impressive transfer portal class, but there's still more that they can do to make the 2026 team even stronger.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables, general manager Jim Nagy | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

In the first two weeks of 2026, the Sooners have done plenty of work to strengthen both sides of the ball.

Oklahoma has earned commitments from 13 players in the transfer portal, ranging from wide receivers, offensive linemen, defensive linemen and others.

The transfer portal opened on Jan. 2, and it will close on Jan. 16. Players do not have to commit to a school by the closing date, but they must have entered by then.

Here are some areas that the Sooners can further solidify through the portal:

Tight end

Oklahoma’s tight end room will be completely overhauled in 2026.

The Sooners parted ways with tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley after the 2025 season and have since replaced him with Jason Witten, a future Hall of Fame tight end and former high school football coach.

As far as players, OU will be without Jaren Kanak and Will Huggins, who are both out of eligibility. The Sooners also lost tight ends Kaden Helms and Carson Kent to the transfer portal.

OU has already signed two tight ends from the portal: Hayden Hansen (Florida) and Rocky Beers (Colorado State). Hansen and Beers combined for nine touchdowns and more than 600 receiving yards at their previous schools in 2025.

Along with Hansen and Beers, Oklahoma’s tight end room will consist of Trynae Washington, Kade McIntyre, Tyler Ruxer and Ryder Mix in 2026.

If the Sooners could add one more tight end, the position group would likely be a strength in 2026. 

OU’s four returners provide strong depth, but each of them are largely inexperienced. Getting one more tight end — preferably with considerable Division I experience — would give John Mateer another big body to throw to in the red zone.

Defensive tackle

On the interior defensive line, OU will return David Stone and Jayden Jackson, both of whom will almost certainly play on Sundays one day.

Still, the Sooners would be wise to add at least one player to the defensive line rotation.

Stone and Jackson were two of the prominent four on OU’s d-line in 2025, along with Damonic Williams and Gracen Halton, both of whom played their final game for the Sooners in December.

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Markus Strong, who was poised for a larger role on the line in 2026, entered the portal after the season and committed to Clemson. He was essentially OU’s fifth man in the defensive tackle rotation in 2025, appearing on 106 snaps.

The Sooners earned a commitment from former Georgia State defensive tackle Bishop Thomas on Monday, which adds depth under Stone and Jackson. Thomas and Nigel Smith II will likely be first in line to get snaps behind OU’s star defensive tackles.

Adding another experienced defensive tackle would help fill the void that Strong leaves behind on the defensive line.

Linebacker

To a degree, Oklahoma’s linebacker room is in purgatory.

Owen Heinecke awaits the NCAA’s judgment on whether or not he will get another year of eligibility. Kip Lewis has yet to decide whether he will stay at OU or enter the NFL Draft. And the Sooners lost Sammy Omosigho and Kobie McKinzie to the transfer portal.

Even after the addition of former Michigan star Cole Sullivan, the Sooners could use another linebacker or two.

Taylor Heim, Marcus James and James Nesta will return to OU in 2026, giving the Sooners depth behind the starting rotation. 

Assuming the Sooners are able to get one of Lewis or Heinecke back, they could be in really good shape with another experienced player at the position, even if he’s from the Group of Five.