There’s no quarterback battle making headlines or offensive line that needs an overhaul (thankfully), but the Oklahoma Sooners’ depth chart still isn’t finalized just yet. It will need some final touches before the 2026 college football season kicks off.
The Sooners begin fall camp on Thursday to get Year 5 under Brent Venables going after he led OU back to the College Football Playoff last year and to a 10-3 record. But during fall camp before the Sooners play UTEP on Friday, Sept. 4, in Norman, Venables has a few positions on his depth chart to get settled. Here are three positions that appear undecided and who I predict to trot out there with the ones.
Breaking down and predicting Sooners' most important position battles
5th offensive lineman
The Sooners return four of five solidified starters along the offensive line from last season in left tackle Michael Fasusi, left guard Eddy Pierre-Louis, center Jake Maikkula and right tackle Ryan Fodje. All of them will be back in the starting rotation in 2026, but the fifth big guy to complete John Mateer’s wall of protection is still TBD. And who it is will also have Bill Bedenbaugh doing some shuffling up front.
Oklahoma brought in E'Marion Harris from Arkansas, where he started 24 games the past two seasons and gained valuable SEC experience. Most of his time came at right tackle, and he’s already made it known he also expects to play tackle at OU. If Harris is the fifth guy, Fodje would likely slide over to right guard as Harris fills in at right tackle.
But then there’s also Heath Ozaeta, who has 15 starts, all at left guard, in 21 games as a Sooner since signing as a four-star recruit. Like Harris, he also has experience in the SEC trenches.
Prediction to start: E'Marion Harris
Cheetah
Venables has very little to settle on his side of the ball, and even sounded like in June he already had the starting unit figured out, but cheetah seems to be the biggest question mark. It’s a hybrid position that will be rotated a lot based on situation and even opponent, but someone has to be considered the No. 1 there like Kendal Daniels was last year.
The Sooners’ biggest transfer addition to the defense over the offseason was Michigan linebacker Cole Sullivan. At the time, he seemed like an immediate starter at MIKE, but now with Owen Heinecke’s surprise return, Sullivan was moved down a notch. Considering he was such a big get with expectations to start, cheetah could be how Venables gets Sullivan in the starting lineup.
Before all that, though, safety Reggie Powers III felt like the next man up at cheetah. There’s also Jeremiah Newcombe behind him who could keep impressing throughout fall camp. And you also can’t count out Kip Lewis, the expected backup at SAM, or Taylor Heim, who has come up through the system and earned more opportunity.
Prediction to start: Cole Sullivan
Defensive end
Taylor Wein rightfully has one defensive end spot locked down, but the other side is completely up for grabs, likely between senior Adepoju “P.J.” Adebawore or redshirt sophomore Danny Okoye. Both are former blue-chip recruits who haven’t reached their potential yet, mostly because of limited opportunity at the deepest position on OU’s 2025 roster.
With that, despite all the early hype, neither has impressed enough yet to demand a bigger spotlight, so maybe that just won’t ever happen. It will likely be one of those two, but incoming freshman Jake Kreul was the headliner of the Sooners’ 2026 signing class and could be ready enough now to have a chance.
Prediction to start: P.J. Adebawore
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