Oklahoma stars waste no time naming Courtland Guillory the next big thing

Former Oklahoma players participating at this week's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis were asked about which player could be the Sooners' next star preparing for an NFL Draft one day, and there seemed to be a consensus.

Linebackers Owen Heinecke and Kendal Daniels were both asked similar questions during their press conferences, with Heinecke being asked which freshman impressed him the most in 2025 and Daniels getting a question of which freshman he'd bet his first NFL paycheck on to be getting drafted in three years. Both almost immediately answered cornerback Courtland Guillory.

NFL Draft prospects Owen Heinecke and Kendal Daniels praise Guillory at NFL Combine

A four-star 2025 signee out of Klein Oak High School in Texas, Guillory wasted no time making an impact in his first college season after starting in the Sooners' season opener against Illinois State. He finished his freshman campaign as an SEC All-Freshman Team selection and True Freshman All-American by On3. He recorded 41 tackles, one tackle for loss, seven pass breakups and a quarterback hurry while making 11 starts and playing in all 13 games.

"He just has the right mind set," Heinecke said. "He attacks practice everyday. There's a lot of guys who are crazy talented, but he handled himself as a true freshman like a fifth-year senior. He did a great job and I think he's got a bright future ahead of him."

It raises eyebrows already that Heinecke and Daniels both agreed on their answer while not even with each other, but Guillory also made that strong of an impression on the two veterans while not even playing in the same position group and lining up away from both of them.

Daniels, though, started his career in the secondary as a safety at Oklahoma State, so he knows even better how phenomenal Guillory was as a freshman. Daniels answered "Courtland Guillory" before the reporter even finished their question because he was that sure.

"He's a guy that plays with this intensity that I haven't seen a lot from a freshman," Daniels said. "He doesn't care who you are. I've seen him go out on our best wide receiver everyday and wanna be better. He gets beat sometimes in practice, but he doesn't care. He wants to go at it again and he holds himself accountable more than anybody. Anybody can yell at him, but he's more hard on himself than anybody."