Weekend Open Post | January 23rd – 25th
Posted on: January 23, 2026
Tight End Blocking Game
– Charlie S – Posted on: January 17, 2026
As we all watched during the 2025 season, the Sooners struggled mightily when it came to blocking with their tight ends.
To start the offseason, the Sooners went out, got a new tight end coach in Jason Witten and added three new players to the position in Hayden Hansen (Florida), Rocky Beers (Colorado State) and Jack Van Dorselaer (Tennessee) to replace the four main tight ends on the Sooners roster from 2025 (Jaren Kanak, Kaden Helms, Carson Kent, and Will Huggins).
OU got bigger, more experienced, and hopefully better, in all aspects in the room with the change.
Lets take a quick look at the PFF blocking numbers and compare what was lost and what was brought in:
Incoming:
Hayden Hansen – Run Blocking: 56.7 – Pass Blocking 53.2 – 746 snaps
Rocky Beers – Run Blocking: 56.4 – Pass Blocking: 62.0 – 522 snaps
Jack Van Dorselaer – Run Blocking: 44.6 – Pass Blocking: 68.4 – 186 snaps
Outgoing:
Jaren Kanak – Run Blocking: 43.9 – 59.8 Pass Blocking – 572 snaps
Kaden Helms – Run Blocking: 45.6 – 66.7 Pass Blocking – 201 snaps
Carson Kent – Run Blocking: 54.0 – 72.7 Pass Blocking – 130 snaps
Will Huggins – Run Blocking: 38.0 – 38.4 Pass Blocking – 87 snaps
What the numbers show is that OU should get much more out of their TE room in regard to run blocking and the pass blocking, on paper, is about the same heading into the year. (Also, Carson Kent should have gotten more snaps apparently).
We will see what kind of impact Jason Witten can have on developing these new guys over the course of the spring, summer, and fall.
Sourced Note | The Kind Of Guy You Want Around – Move in Day
– Charlie S – Posted on: January 19, 2026
Spoke to a source following the move-in weekend and just wanted to pass along a real quick note that they shared with me…
“What stands out about him is how comfortable he makes everyone around him. He’ll talk to the custodian the same way he talks to the head coach, and he treats people the right way…he’s respectful, approachable, and genuinely enjoys being around people. That’s why people gravitate toward him.”
***The quote above is about Sooners freshman quarterback, Bowe Bentley, who arrived on campus and immediately made an impression on folks who were around the team this past weekend.
Sourced | Preparation Strategy for Next Season
– Super K – Posted on: January 20, 2026
I will likely expand on this more later as we talk about what this team looks like but I wanted to pass on an important source note regarding the new preparation strategy for OU.
As you know, BV is a blue-collar guy, and working the guys to the bone is part of his identity.
However, I am told that BV and co are acutely aware of the changing landscape of college football, which has led to a lack of depth across the country.
This means that keeping guys healthy through the off-season will become a massive priority to the point that there will apparently be adjustments made to how things are run.
Things will obviously remain intense, but it sounds like they will pick their spots and be more judicious than they may have previously been.
Portal Scoreboard | Comings and Goings | January 20th
– Charlie S – Posted on: January 20, 2026
The portal is officially closed, so there should be no more outgoing players from OU at this point.
Players from Indiana and Miami have five days to enter the portal at this point, should they choose to do so.
Lets take a look at who has left and who has come in for OU.
So far, the following players have announced their intentions:
Incoming Players: 16 Total Incoming Players At This Time
1* RB Lloyd Avant – Colorado State
2* RB Benjamin McCleary – UIW
3* WR Trell Harris – Virginia
4* WR Parker Livingstone – Texas
5* WR Mackenzie Alleyne – Washington State
6* TE Hayden Hansen – Florida
7* TE Rocky Beers – Colorado State
8* TE Jack Van Dorselaer – Tennessee
9* OL Caleb Nitta – Western Kentucky
10* OL E’Marion Harris – Arkansas
11* OL Peyton Joseph – Georgia Tech
12* DT Bishop Thomas – Georgia State
13* DL Kenny Ozowalu – UTSA
14* LB Cole Sullivan – Michigan
15* CB Dakoda Fields – Oregon
16* DB Prince Ijioma – Miss Valley State
Outgoing Players: 27 Total Outgoing Players At This Time (WR Ivan Carreon back to OU)
1* QB Mike Hawkins – West Virginia
2* RB Jovantae Barnes – Kentucky
3* RB Taylor Tatum – Michigan
4* WR Jayden Gibson – South Carolina
5* WR Josiah Martin – UNT
6* WR KJ Daniels – UAB
7* WR Zion Kearney – Wisconsin
8* WR Javonnie Gibson – Cincinnati
9* WR Zion Ragins – Mississippi State
10* TE Kaden Helms – Minnesota
11* TE Carson Kent – Pitt
12* OL Isaiah Autry Dent – Mississippi State
13* OL Jacob Sexton – Little brother in Stillwater
14* OL Troy Everett – Ole Miss
15* OL Luke Baklenko – Arizona State
16* OL Logan Howland – Virginia Tech
17* OT Jake Taylor – Iowa State
18* DT Markus Strong – Clemson
19* DT Siolaa Lolohea
20* LB Kobie McKinzie – Northwestern
21* LB Sammy Omosigho – UCLA
22* DB Kendel Dolby – Mississippi State
23* DB Marcus Wimberly – Utah
24* DB Maliek Hawkins – West Virginia
25* CB Devon Jordan – Baylor
26* CB Gentry Williams – Georgia
27* S Jaydan Hardy – Colorado
Remaining positions that could use attention:
Offensive line (looking for a versatile, experienced guy for depth)
Safety (looking for experience depth)
Linebacker (looking for an experienced depth guy)
Big Board | Running Backs | 2027
– Charlie S – Posted on: January 21, 2026
Continuing with rolling out the class of ’27 Big Boards.
We will move to the Running Back Board.
You can find the previous Big Boards for 2027 by clicking the links below:
The Sooners have extended 17 offers at this point at Running Back in the ’27 class:
Running Backs (17)
Keldrid Ben – Montgomery (Montgomery, TX) – 5’10 208 – Oklahoma Commit
Jaxsen Stokes – Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, CA) – 5’9 175 – Oklahoma Commit
Mason Ball – Jacksonville (Jacksonville, AR) – 6’1 185
Andrew Beard – Prince Avenue Christian School (Bogart. GA) – 5’9 197
Rayshawn Duncan Jr. – Bedford (Bedford, OH) – 5-8 195
David Gabriel Georges – Baylor School (Chattanooga, TN) – 6’0 205
Quinterrius Gipson – Kell (Marietta, GA)- 5’8 205
Terrance Grant Jr. – Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) – 6’0 200
Derrick Martin – Lewisville (Lewisville, TX) – 5’9 170* (multiple positions)
Jayden Miles – Baton Rouge Catholic (Baton Rouge, LA) – 6’2 203
Noah Roberts – Basha (Chandler, AZ) – 6’1 190
Tyson Robinson – Brandon (Brandon, MS) – 5’10 199
Wayne Shanks Jr. – The Kinkaid School (Houston, TX) – 5’10 180
Mikel Stephen – Madison Central (Madison, MS) – 5’10 185
Trey Stewart – Little Rock Central (Little Rock, AR) – 6’0 205
Landen Williams-Callis – Randle (Richmond, TX) – 5’8 190
Lathan Whisenton – Waco Midway (Waco, TX) – 5’11 194
Commits at this time: 2
Keldrid Ben
Jaxsen Stokes
Number of commits OU is looking to take out of high school: 2
Looking for two running backs, have two running backs committed…easy peasy, right?
Well, that would be the ideal scenario, and the Sooners already have two commits in Ben and Stokes, but OU was so good and so efficient at their jobs, and they were so far ahead of the curve with evaluations, particularly on Ben…well, now everyone knows about Keldrid Ben, and they are coming for him.
Ben has the best film I have seen of a running back in years. He could be a monster at the next level, and the Sooners are in a prime position to bring him in, but there will be some landmines they have to navigate as he has already taken a junior day visit and likely will take some official visits.
The Sooners are not resting even with two in the boat, though, they are staying in contact with several guys, including Andrew Beard, Trey Stewart, Derrick Martin and Terrance Grant.
OU is confident that Ben will stick, and for all intents and purposes, he is saying the right things; however, he will be one to watch, especially in this day and age of wild offers and enticements.
Sourced Team Note | Expectations at Linebacker
– Charlie S – Posted on: January 21, 2026
Just spoke to K, who passed along a note which corroborates some of my sourced notes when it comes to the linebacker position for the 2026 season…
***Source told K they expect the linebacker position to be better this upcoming season.
***The basis of that expectation is two-fold…they really like what they have in transfer backer Cole Sullivan and OU sources are very pleased with the way James Nesta has been coming along.
***Both K’s and my sources do note that depth is the one area of concern, but they believe the talent level is higher than it has been.
***With Owen Heinecke’s status still in question, the Sooners are still keeping their eyes out for some additional depth, but the expectation overall is that this year’s linebackers will be better than last year’s.
***Kip Lewis and Cole Sullivan are expected to shine and Nesta is a guy who is expected to have a breakout year. You add Heinecke to that mix…man, you would be cooking with bacon grease with both depth and talent.
Quick Hitter | JUCO Still A Thing
– Charlie S – Posted on: January 22, 2026
As the portal wraps up and the pool of players dries up, just wanted to pass along a reminder that JUCO kids are still out there and many of them do not graduate until the end of the spring semester.
Over the years, OU has had some success by dipping into the JUCO ranks and in some cases they even plucked a star or two (such as DeDe Westbrook).
I have been in contact with a couple JUCO guys, including defensive tackle Keon Webb (6’5 300), who let me know OU has made some initial contact. This doesn’t mean OU will land Webb or even fully pursue him, but it is a reminder that there are guys out there who could become targets for OU, particularly when it comes to depth.
I spoke to a source who noted that many JUCO guys will take a scholarship-only deal (no NIL) at FBS programs just to get in the door, and I expect OU (and many other programs) to explore some possibilities from those ranks.
Sourced | Tight Ends Room
– Super K – Posted on: January 22, 2026
A few notes here regarding the tight ends room. I know this has been a big concern for the Sooners and for good reason…
***First, the feeling inside the building is that the room itself is now massively upgraded. How good they’ve got it? Obviously still too early to tell. But there is no doubt they like what they added compared to what they had.
***Second, I’m told they actually spent more money on the tight ends room. It sounds like that room has been underfunded for a while.
***Lastly, in talking to folks about what they think Jason Witten will be bring to the table, I’m told, at the very least he will bring a renewed sense of credibility and confidence in the players.
That isn’t to say that Joe Jon had lost the room. There wasn’t much a room to lose. But reading between the lines, it sounds like this hire was about trying to put a stamp of credibility on that room for the sake of the players in it and to have that done immediately.
In other words, someone who any player is going to come in and immediately trust because, again, in this new era, the emphasis is on evaluation but also on being able to get as much as you can out of someone – very fast. Witten was always a players coach in the league and has been at the high school level, so he doesn’t just have the name recognition, he has experience in connecting with players at various levels.
I am told much of the above went into the decision to hire him.
Recruiting Quick Hitter | Zane Rowe
– Charlie S – Posted on: January 22, 2026
The first commit of the 2027 class was EDGE Zane Rowe (6’4 255) out of Denton, Texas (Guyer).
He committed to OU back in April of 2024 and later decommitted in January of 2025.
Rowe has been on a ton of visits, but the one constant has been OU.
Source I spoke with recently believes OU is in a very good position to re-land his verbal pledge in the near future. He currently has a top three of OU, TCU, and Oregon.
Rowe is very familiar with the entire OU staff and he has great relationships with Miguel Chavis, Todd Bates, and Brent Venables in particular.
The twist here is that source believes Rowe will eventually be a DT at the next level and the Sooners multi-pronged approach to his recruitment could end up paying off as Rowe and those around him are very comfortable with all the coaches mentioned above.
Just something to keep an eye on!
