Oklahoma’s biggest defensive star gets much-deserved preseason recognition

R Mason Thomas was named second-team All-SEC for his breakout junior season in 2024, but he’s expected to be in the mix for even more national recognition this year. The 6-foot-2, 249-pound defensive lineman has been named to the 2025 Lombardi Award watch list, which recognizes the best lineman in college football, and the Bednarik Award watch list for the best defensive player in the country. 

Thomas is expected to lead the Oklahoma defense to elite production in a make-or-break year for Brent Venables. 

R Mason Thomas needs to be elite regardless of offensive improvement

Brent Venables is under significant pressure heading into Year 4 at Oklahoma. There are major questions about the Sooners’ offense after an abysmal showing in last year’s 6-7 campaign forced him to bring in offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer from Washington State. 

The success of OU’s revamped offense will undoubtedly determine the ceiling for the preseason No. 18 team in the country, but the defense will set the floor. With so much uncertainty, at least the longtime defensive coordinator shouldn’t have to worry about his side of the ball. 

Despite the disastrous results in Oklahoma’s first foray into the SEC, Venables’ defense was one of the best in the country, ranking eighth in adjusted EPA/play and 13th in defensive success rate. The Sooners held opponents to 21.5 points a game, and led by Thomas, the defensive line got after opposing quarterbacks, registering 35 sacks on the year. 

Thomas paced the Oklahoma defense with nine sacks and 35 quarterback pressures. His 14.3 percent pass rush win rate ranked 18th in the SEC among players with at least 100 pass-rush snaps, and his true pass set win rate of 31.1 percent ranked fourth. When Thomas could pin his ears back and get after the quarterback, he was nearly unstoppable off the edge. 

While he was productive in 2024, Thomas will need to put up even bigger numbers to take home the Lombardi or Bednarik Awards this season. If he can win either award, he would become the first Oklahoma player since 2003 to do so. 

The Sooners had two different winners in 2003 when Tommie Harris was recognized as the Lombardi Award winner and Teddy Lehman won the Bednarik Award. Lehman is the only Bednarik Award winner in program history, but Harris is one of three Lombardi Award winners, along with Tony Casillas in 1985 and Lee Roy Selmon in 1975.