Weekend Open Post | August 7th – 9th
Posted on: August 7, 2026
Fall Camp Position Battles
– Charlie S – Posted on: August 3, 2026
With fall camp starting this week, lets take a look at the position battles in every room.
Spoiler alert: There are not many battles for front line positions…and for OU, thats a good thing.
QB: No battle here, John Mateer is your QB. The intrigue will be if Bowe Bentley can supplant Whitt Newbauer as QB2.
RB: Wide open battle. I would lean toward a healthy Xavier Robinson getting the start, but Tory Blaylock, Lloyd Avant, Jonathan Hatton and Dezephen Walker will all have a say. Probably the least settled room right now.
WR: I think the starters are pretty solidly established in Isaiah Sategna, Parker Livingstone and Trell Harris so long as they are healthy. After that, you are looking for guys like Manny Choice, Elijah Thomas and Jayden Petit, among others, to force their way onto the field.
TE: New coach, new players, feels good. Hayden Hansen is widely talked about as the likely starter, and Rocky Beers will have a large role. But do not sleep on Jack Van Dorselaer to make a push.
OL: Going into camp, the starting five are pretty clearly LT Mike Fasusi, LG EPL, C Jake Maikkula, RG Ryan Fodje, RT E’Marion Harris. Heath Ozaeta is the 6th man and he will push Fodje/Harris at right guard and there is always the possibility that Fodje and Harris will see some time at both the spots on the right side just to make sure of the best combination. No real battles here, but some intrigue still.
DT: Stone and Jackson are permanently tattooed as the starters. Beyond that, you will have Nigel Smith, Trent Wilson, Bishop Thomas, Kenny Ozowalu, Tank Carrington and a few others trying to get into the rotation.
DE: Taylor Wein will hold down one side and there is a real battle to be named the nominal starter opposite him between Danny Okoye and PJ Adebawore. After that you have a lot of bodies trying to carve out a role in guys like Wyatt Gilmore, Kenny Ozowalu on occasion, Jake Kreul and CJ Nickson among others.
LB: You have a trio of guys who can and will play both ILB spots in Kip Lewis, Owen Heinecke, and Cole Sullivan. Sullivan and Heinecke (still being told that) will also get looks at Cheetah. Behind the big three, you have a hard-charging James Nesta who will have a role and after that you have a bunch of guys searching for their roles.
Cheetah: Reggie powers is viewed as the leader in the clubhouse as the starter, but he will get a lot of competition from Sullivan and Jeremiah Newcombe for snaps. Still expect Powers to be a mainstay at the position, but I also expect him to get some reps at traditional safety as well.
CB: You have Courtland Guillory and Eli Bowen as your established starters and Jacobe Johnson heads into camp solidly as CB3. After that, you have guys like Newcombe, Trystan Haynes, Dakoda Fields and Derrick Johnson all vying for some snaps.
S: Its the Peyton Bowen and Mike Boganowski show at the top and a side of Omarrion Robinson as safety3. After that, it’s quite thin, but Markel Ford had a great summer according to sources and Niko Jandreau got a lot of reps in the spring. I would NOT be surprised to hear of some of the CBs, along with Powers and Johnson getting some looks there as depth and insurance.
Special Teams: One battle here for the punting spot as Jacob Ulrich will look to unseat Grayson Miller (and I expect Ulrich to win). Tate Sandell is your kicker. Outside of that, Sategna will be the punt returner and I’m pitching the idea of a new TFB community member every week to be the kick returner to the boys in the Switzer center…cause, I mean, OU kick returners generally just stand there and watch the ball go by.
So, I think the RB competition will be one to watch and then after that, we will pretty much be looking to see if anyone forces their way into the top 2 on the depth chart.
What are you looking for?
Team Notes | Sourced Quick-Hitters
– Super K – Posted on: August 4, 2026
A few things here…
***As you know, the Sooners will officially begin fall camp tomorrow (August 5th).
***It does sound the Sooners got a jump on things. Was told they were in the indoor yesterday going through drills and whatnot.
***I’m told today they’ll do weigh-ins. I think they’re going to be doing that WWE style fun weigh-in that BV and co started a while back.
***A lot of excitement inside the building. Some just to finally get things going as we countdown to the season that’s just around the corner. But some of it is because they’ve got high high hopes for this team.
***Was told the big thing to watch is the WR room. Again, it’s a room as we’ve been told over and over with a lot of upside but not a lot that is proven just yet. It’s been a while since the Sooners have had a truly dangerous WR group – at least one inside guy and one outside guy on the field at the same time. There are a number of guys that sources feel could emerge like the transfers but also guys like Elijah Thomas, Manny Choice, etc.
***Get pumped, ladies and gents!
Sourced Team Notes | Sooners Ready To Get Started
– Charlie S – Posted on: August 5, 2026
***As community members know, throughout the winter, spring and summer, WR Manny Choice has gotten the lions share of buzz from our sources when it comes to a pair of second year pass catchers. One of the reasons Choice has generated more buzz than Elijah Thomas heading into Fall Camp comes down to two things that coaches value as much as talent: availability and consistency.
Multiple sources indicate that Choice has consistently stacked productive practices throughout the offseason while remaining available every step of the way. That reliability has allowed him to build trust within Ben Arbuckle’s offense and continue climbing the depth chart as a true wide receiver.
That is not to say Thomas lacks ability. In fact, several sources continue to rave about his physical tools, with one noting he has “all the talent in the world.” Those traits are a major reason Thomas has already established himself as one of Oklahoma’s most impactful special teams players. His size, explosiveness, and willingness to play physically make him an ideal fit in that phase of the game.
However, playing wide receiver requires more than flashes of athleticism. Timing, route precision, chemistry with the quarterback, and earning the staff’s confidence through day-to-day consistency all matter. Right now, sources say Choice has been the more dependable option in those areas, giving him the edge at receiver heading into Fall Camp.
The expectation inside the program remains that Thomas has the ceiling to become a major contributor offensively if he can consistently stay on the field and string together productive practices. But entering camp, Choice’s combination of availability and steady performance has him carrying more momentum in the race for snaps at wide receiver.
***If you’ve followed our coverage over the winter, spring, and summer, none of what was said about Cole Sullivan during Tuesday’s Media Day came as a surprise.
We’ve consistently reported that sources inside the program have been extremely high on the Michigan transfer, citing his rare movement skills, coverage ability, and athleticism for a player of his size. On Tuesday, those internal evaluations became public as multiple coaches went out of their way to mention Sullivan when discussing the defense.
Linebackers coach Nate Dreiling was especially complimentary, calling Sullivan one of the best athletes on Oklahoma’s roster. Dreiling pointed to Sullivan’s nearly 40-inch vertical jump as just one example of the unique physical traits he brings to the linebacker room.
The expectation inside the program has not changed. Sullivan is expected to carve out a major role for himself this season, with his versatility giving Brent Venables and Dreiling flexibility to deploy him in multiple spots. Sources continue to believe he will see meaningful snaps both at Cheetah and at inside linebacker, where his combination of size, range, and coverage ability creates favorable matchup opportunities.
Simply put, Tuesday’s comments from the coaching staff served as further validation of what we’ve been hearing for months. The buzz surrounding Sullivan has been building internally since he arrived in Norman, and all indications are that he’s on track to become one of the defense’s most impactful additions in 2026.
***Lastly, as Oklahoma enters Fall Camp, it is fair to say the wide receiver room is one of the biggest “prove it” position groups on the roster.
There are valid questions surrounding the room, and while the talent level appears to be improved on paper, production has to follow. This is no longer about what the group looks like in workouts or what is being said internally. It is about translating that potential into consistent play on Saturdays.
The additions of Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone should elevate the room, while Manny Choice appears poised to take another step after a strong offseason. Elijah Thomas remains one of the most gifted athletes on the roster, and if he can consistently stay on the field, he has the ability to become a difference-maker. Freshmen Jayden Petit and Jahsiear Rogers also raise the overall talent ceiling of the room and give Emmett Jones additional options as the season progresses.
That said, there are still reasons for cautious optimism rather than outright confidence.
Harris has yet to fully participate since arriving in Norman, making his progression through Fall Camp one of the more important storylines to monitor. Likewise, Thomas’ availability has been the biggest obstacle to unlocking his immense potential. If Oklahoma is going to maximize this room, those two players becoming consistent contributors would go a long way toward accomplishing that goal.
Simply put, this feels much more like a “show me” group than a “tell me what happened in practice” group. The physical tools are there. The competition is there. The depth is better than it was a year ago.
Now it becomes about translating that into production.
Sources continue to point to this room as the one with the biggest question marks on the offensive side of the ball. Emmett Jones has the horses in the barn. Fall Camp and the early part of the season will determine just how fast they get out of the gate once the opportunity arrives.
Sourced Notes | First Day Of Fall Camp
– Charlie S – Posted on: August 6, 2026
Real quick first sourced notes from fall camp…
***Team was indoors, no pads, everyone was accounted for (physically being present)
***OL was the only real question I wanted answered today and it was as you would expect it to be:
LT Fasusi LG EPL C Maikkula RG Fodje RT Harris
However, the 2nd unit was a bit different as Caleb Nitta found his way into the mix
LT Joseph LG Best C Nitta RG Ozeata RT Schmitt
***Source tells me they expect Best/Nitta to actually be a battle throughout fall camp and in sources opinion, they believe Best takes that role.
***Only thing I will mention about the play on the field was that Parker Livingstone apparently made what was described as a ‘circus’ catch.
***We will start putting together more notes as the days go by and things start to accumulate, but just wanted to give ya that taste.
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