Oklahoma fans were blindsided when linebacker Kobie McKinzie chose to leave the Sooners and enter the Transfer Portal, but where he chose to finish his college football career was even more of a surprise.
Hayes Fawcett of On3 reported on Tuesday that McKinzie committed to Northwestern after spending the first four years of his career with the Sooners.
Kobie McKinzie leaves Sooners for Northwestern
McKinzie made 10 starts as a Sooner between this season and last. He started the first eight games this season before getting injured and losing the job to breakout star Owen Heinecke, who still may or may not return depending on what the NCAA decides. If Heinecke does end up having to move on, then the middle linebacker position probably would have been McKinzie's again in 2026. Now, the Sooners are searching in the portal for help at linebacker.
Had McKinzie stayed in Oklahoma, he likely would have been a starter on one of the best defenses in college football with the expectation to once again compete in the SEC and make it back to the College Football Playoff.
When McKinzie first entered the portal, possibilities for his next stop included other playoff contenders like Texas A&M and Texas Tech in his home state. Even USC seemed like a good fit since McKinzie originally committed to the Sooners when Lincoln Riley was still at OU before leaving for USC.
McKinzie could be the most talented player on Northwestern's roster in 2026 under third-year head coach David Braun. He immediately became the Wildcats' highest-rated portal commit so far. However, the Wildcats went 7-6 last season. They went 4-8 in 2024. So after leaving a playoff contender with a chance to join another with maybe even more money or closer to home, McKinzie went to a Big Ten bottom-dweller even further away in a puzzling portal move.