The Sooners have started spring camp to already begin preparing for the 2026 college football season, but Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables still doesn't even know if he'll have one of his best defensive players or not in linebacker Owen Heinecke.
Heinecke has been in a battle with the NCAA for another year of eligibility while simultaneously preparing as a prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft. It seemed like Heinecke was headed to the NFL, but OU revealed this week that Heinecke will sue the NCAA and still has not given up on another season with the Sooners.
Brent Venables shares his side of Owen Heinecke's battle with the NCAA
Venables on Thursday was asked about Heinecke's prolonged battle.
"I'm just telling him, 'You got to let your spirit take you to whatever door that is -- if that's the NFL, if that's back to Oklahoma,'" Venables said. "Obviously, if he wants to come here, I still think even if he got the injunction, he's still got to make a decision, 'I'm going to follow through with it.' But right now, it's not an option, because he doesn't have the greenlight to be able to come back to college.
"Don't want to really put a whole lot more into it than that, but he's a great player, great leader. It kind of goes without saying."
The ultimate issue is that Heinecke started his college journey as a lacrosse player at Ohio State, where he appeared in just three games and played a total of about 15 minutes. The NCAA, though, counted that as a full year of eligibility toward football despite consistently handing out extra years for random reasons. Heinecke also missed an entire season because of an injury once at OU.
Read more: Owen Heinecke’s NCAA battle isn't over yet as legal action looms
Heinecke walked onto OU's football team and served as a reserve and on special teams before a breakout 2025 season. He was named Second-Team All-SEC and emerged as a 2026 NFL Draft prospect after recording 74 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble while breaking into the starting lineup.
Venables made a great point in that even if Heinecke gets that extra year, he still has a decision to make if he wants to return or head to the NFL. Considering he's gone through this much effort, though, it seems clear Heinecke would return to the Sooners.
Venables would gladly take Heinecke, but with spring here and the draft looming, the time is coming when Heinecke will be forced to move on, or maybe even Venables.