Why Oklahoma LB Kobie McKinzie Expects Marvin Jones Jr. to Thrive for Sooners

After stints at Georgia and Florida State, Marvin Jones Jr. will likely start at defensive end for the Sooners in 2025.

Oklahoma defensive end Marvin Jones Jr. | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

NORMAN — Based on returners alone, the Sooners’ defense was poised to be good in 2025.

Adding a national champion could make them even better.

Defensive end Marvin Jones Jr. — who previously played at Georgia and Florida State — joined Oklahoma through the transfer portal after the 2024 season. Jones won a national title with the Bulldogs in 2022, when Georgia beat TCU 65-7 in the College Football Playoff Championship Game.

Jones played a reserve role on the championship-winning Georgia team but appeared in 13 games. He notched quarterback hurries in both of the Sooners’ CFP games.

Even if Jones wasn’t a starter for Georgia that year, the bling on his right ring finger has still caught the eye of his new teammates.

“When you see somebody like that, he obviously has a national championship ring… ‘What did those guys do when you were there? What made y’all good that year?’” linebacker Kobie McKinzie said. “It’s been nice to hear his approach on certain things, and it’s been good to know.”

Jones finished high school with offers from just about every major college football program.

The defensive end was a 5-star prospect, per Rivals and 247Sports. Rivals ranked him the No. 13 recruit in the Class of 2022, and he chose Georgia over other finalists Oklahoma, USC, Florida State and Alabama.

Jones, though, hasn’t yet reached his 5-star potential at the college level.

He logged 12 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble as a sophomore in 2023 before transferring to Florida State. In his lone season with the Seminoles, 2024, Jones started nine times, ending the year with 25 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks. Florida State went 2-10 that year, just one year removed from its 13-1 season in 2023.

Now at his third program, Jones is listed at 6-5 and 262 pounds — and OU coach Brent Venables believes that he can live up to the 5-star expectations that followed him into college.

“We love where Marvin is, as an athletic pass rusher, 6-5, 260 pounds,” Venables said at last week’s OU Football Coaches Luncheon. “He had a really good summer as well.”

McKinzie — also part of the Class of 2022 — said that he hoped that Jones would commit to Oklahoma out of high school. It took Jones a few years, but he’s officially arrived in Norman.

And despite formerly being one of the highest-ranked high school recruits, Jones hasn’t shown an ego since coming to OU, per McKinzie.

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“His leadership… I’ve been impressed with him,” McKinzie said. “He loves to compete. That'll just essentially make you better and make the person next to you better. He’s been great.”

Jones will likely start at left defensive end, opposite senior R Mason Thomas on the left side. The Sooners’ defensive line group also features Adepoju Adebawore, Taylor Wein and Danny Okoye.

Jones hasn’t yet played a snap for the Sooners. And between his former 5-star status and OU’s defensive improvement during Venables’ tenure, there will be plenty of pressure on him.

But according to Thomas and safety Robert Spears-Jennings, Jones will be an integral part of the Sooners’ defense.

“He has SEC experience and ACC experience with Florida State,” Thomas said. “We've just got guys that fit into the system for so long. This is my fourth year. PJ's third year. T-Wein's third year. Marvin's first year (at OU).”

Spears-Jennings said, “Our D-line is just cold. PJ, T-Wein, then you've got Danny, Marvin Jones, it's like we've got experience altogether.”