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New Oklahoma Tight Ends Coach Jason Witten Lands First Commit via Portal

OU's new tight ends coach got straight to work by landing his first player out of the transfer portal.
Ryan Chapman|
New Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten
New Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten has made his first addition. 

The Sooners added former Tennessee tight end Jack Van Dorselaer, per On3's Hayes Fawcett..

Van Dorselaer, a 6-foot-5, 236-pound product of Southlake, Texas, spent one year with the Volunteers and he will have three years of eligibility remaining. 

Oklahoma Sooners, Jack Van Dorselae
Tennessee tight end Jack Van Dorselaer caught his lone touchdown of the year against ETSU. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He appeared in 13 games for Tennessee, hauling in five receptions for 23 yards and one touchdown. 

Van Dorselaer’s touchdown came in Tennessee’s Week 2 victory over East Tennessee State. 

He signed with Tennessee rated as a 4-star tight end by 247Sports and On3 out of high school. 

Van Dorselaer is the third tight end the Sooners have picked up out of the transfer portal. 

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Oklahoma also added former Florida tight end Hayden Hansen and former Colorado State tight end Rocky Beers. 

OU general manager Jim Nagy had to overhaul the tight end room at the conclusion of the 2025 season. 

Jaren Kanak, who finished third on the team with 44 catches for 533 yards, departs after four years in Norman. 

The Sooners also lost Kaden Helms and Carson Kent to the transfer portal, leaving Kade McIntyre, Trynae Washington, and a pair of true freshmen in Ryder Mix and Tyler Ruxer before the portal additions. 

Van Dorselaer is the first tight end Oklahoma has landed since officially unveiling Witten as its new tight ends coach.

The legendary NFL tight end will enter his first season of collegiate coaching after excelling as the head coach of Liberty Christian School in Argyle, TX. Witten started with Liberty Christian following his retirement from the NFL at the conclusion of the 2020 season.

Witten could be inducted into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in the NFL Hall of Fame Class of 2026. The 2026 class will be announced on Feb. 5.  

After an outstanding career at Tennessee, Witten was drafted in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. 

Witten compiled 1,228 receptions for 13,046 yards and 74 touchdowns in 17 seasons. A two-time first-team All-Pro and 11-time Pro Bowler, he ranks fourth all-time in NFL receptions and 22nd in yards among all receivers (second among tight ends in both categories).

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is co-publisher at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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