The college football transfer portal, otherwise known as the sport's annual offseason Wild Wild West Show, opened for a new season of business on Friday, and you can expect selective, active and aggressive participation by Oklahoma as head coach Brent Venables and staff look to plug holes and fill out the roster for the 2026 season.
The portal is a two-way highway, though, with players both coming and going as the process plays out, but with the end goal of building something better than before. No head coach is particularly enamored with the roster instability and NIL biding war created by the modern-day transfer portal superhighway, but it does serve as an additional recruitment tool to add both depth and experience to the roster.
Sooners once again need transfers to create 2026 roster
A year ago, the Sooners lost 34 players from the 2024 roster to the transfer portal, including QB Jackson Arnold and multiple former standout wide receivers. But OU managed to sign 21 new players out of the portal. That group included several major contributors -- QB John Mateer, WR Isaiah Sategna, DE Marvin Jones, LB Kendal Daniels and K Tate Sandell -- to the team's successful 2025 playoff run.
So far this offseason, 22 Sooner players have entered the transfer portal as of Friday. Most were backup players seeking new opportunities elsewhere. In addition to losing players to the portal, however, Oklahoma, like other major programs, is also losing key players to the NFL Draft, with DE R Mason Thomas, S Robert Spears-Jennings and WR Deion Burks being the most prominent.
As Stormin' in Norman colleague Dekota Gregory pointed out in an article this week, OU's top offseason priority may not be getting talent from the transfer portal, but keeping players out.
Although there are clearly some positions on both sides of the ball that the Sooners will be looking to the portal to get help in and add some depth, there won't be a complete picture of what those needs will be until future plans are known from several core players, such as Mateer and Sategna on offense, and LB Kip Lewis on defense, each of whom has another year of eligibility. And there could be some other surprises with the portal window officially open.
The names are already beginning to percolate on the portal recruitment list, and the debate and speculation is already underway regarding where the available players might be headed. The Sooners, like most teams, have needs across the board, whether it be replacing a starter or for depth purposes, but there are several areas of higher priority.
Offensive line
The offensive line has been a lingering problem for several seasons and started out slowly, hindered by injuries, again this season. But the group was beginning to find its footing late in the season, and four of the starters (Michael Fasusi, Ryan Fodje, Eddy Pierre-Louis and Jake Maikkula) return next season. Where OU is going to need help is replacing the depth in this position group because of the loss of six reserve offensive linemen to the transfer portal.
Linebacker
The Sooners may also be facing a critical need at linebacker. Kobie McKinzie has already announced he is entering the portal, Owen Heinecke has petitioned for an extra year of eligibility, which may or may not be granted, and there is a good chance Kip Lewis may declare for the NFL Draft. That could lead a pretty big talent void at that important defensive position.
Tight end
Were it not for Jaren Kanak converting from linebacker to play tight end this season, Oklahoma would have been without a dependable weapon at tight end in the 2025 season. Kanak played well there, but he is out of eligibility, and backup tight ends Kaden Helms and Carson Kent have elected to transfer. The Sooners have a couple of promising freshman tight ends coming in, but experience at this position is extremely thin.
Under the new NCAA rules put in place for the 2026 season, the portal window opens Jan. 2 and runs through Jan. 16. Players can officially enter their names in the transfer portal during this time frame, and afterward the nationwide player scramble begins.