The Football Brainiacs

Football Time in Oklahoma

Football Time in Oklahoma is only 38 days away. We’re counting down the days with a look at each number on the roster; today, we’ll spotlight Owen Heinecke.

Noteworthy Numbers

1998-2001 – Roy Williams

1980-1983 – Thomas Benson

1972-1975 – Jamie Thomas

1957-1959 – Prentice Gautt

Player Profile

Position: Linebacker

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 226

Class: Redshirt Senior

Seasons at OU: 4

Hometown: Tulsa, Okla.

Previous School: Ohio State University

The Path to Norman

Owen Heinecke went to school at Bishop Kelley in Tulsa. The young man starred on both the football team and lacrosse. Heinecke was player of the year for District 5A-3 in 2020 on a Bishop Kelley team that was state runner-up. However, his lacrosse skills were his first path in college; the young man joined Ohio State for his first year in college and played in three games with the lacrosse team. After one season, he walked on with the Sooners football team.

Career so Far

Heinecke did not play in 2022.

In both 2023 and 2024, Owen appeared in every game for the Sooners, mostly on special teams. He earned SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll selection in 2024.

2025 was a massive year for Heinecke, who went from a possible contributor to a main presence and partial starter. He was an All-SEC Second Team selection, a receipt of OU’s Don Key Award, and a semifinalist for the William Campbell Trophy. Heinecke was second on the team in tackles and a leader for the program.

Stats

Years: 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | Career

Games Played: 13 | 13 | 13 | 39

Tackles: 74 | 7 | 4 | 85

TFL: 12 | 0 | 0 | 12

Sacks: 3 | 0 | 0 | 3

FF: 1 | 0 | 0 | 1

Stats via Soonersports.com

Highlights

This Season

After an overly dramatic offseason from the NCAA, Heinecke is back in Norman for one more year. He won’t be under the radar this season, and will be joining Kip Lewis to make the OU linebacker room one of the best in the country.