The Oklahoma Sooners said goodbye to a lot more than 2025 on New Year's Eve.
On Wednesday, between multiple announcements and reports, 11 OU players unveiled plans of entering the Transfer Portal once it officially opens on Friday. Before the sudden mass exodus, the Sooners had 10 players total expected to transfer and few needs themselves to get from the portal.
Sooners say goodbye to 11 players in Transfer Portal surge
The first goodbye on Wednesday was sophomore cornerback Devon Jordan, who was a reserve in the secondary this season. Then, the Sooners lost both Hawkins brothers in backup quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. and cornerback Maliek Hawkins.
Gentry Williams then gave a massive blow to the Sooners' depth at corner with his rare veteran presence. Although OU should return both starting corners, depth at the position is now a concern after three cornerbacks revealed transfer plans on Wednesday, as well as Kendel Dolby, whose decision was announced before.
Wednesday also brought three more portal exits along the offensive line, bringing the total to six offensive linemen expected to transfer from OU this cycle. The most recent departures included Luke Baklenko, Logan Howland and Jake Taylor.
The Sooners are expected to return four of five solidified starting offensive linemen from this season, but what's behind them has emerged as OU's most glaring concern. Freshmen Michael Fasusi and Ryan Fodje took over both tackle spots and should be back, but they're now the only offensive tackles left on the roster.
OU also had multiple future departures at wide receiver on the day in KJ Daniels and Josiah Martin. Neither ever recorded a stat as a Sooner. Tight end Carson Kent is also expected to leave the passing game, further solidifying the Sooners will need to completely reload that position.
Lastly, Markus Strong is expected to transfer ahead of a season he was likely going to be a valuable depth piece at defensive tackle.
Of the 11 expected transfers on Wednesday, none were consistent starters in 2025. In fact, the Sooners haven't lost a solidified starter yet to the portal (knock on wood). However, in a grueling SEC for a program that injuries seem to consistently be an issue, these missing depth pieces could be just as important for OU general manager Jim Nagy to fill once he actually can starting Friday. And before Wednesday, Nagy didn't really have much on his shopping list.