On their way to the College Football Playoff in 2025, perhaps the strongest position group for the Oklahoma Sooners was the defensive line, specifically the defensive tackles. While that unit should be strong again in 2026, OU will need to continue to prove that they can develop talent in the trenches this fall.
The Sooners lost two of their top four defensive tackles to the NFL Draft this offseason in Damonic Williams and Gracen Halton. Both players had spent multiple seasons working under DTs coach Todd Bates and in Brent Venables’ defense, and both played pivotal roles in OU’s success up front.
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Oklahoma also lost two players to the transfer portal from the DT room. Markus Strong, the fifth player in the rotation, has transferred to Clemson, while Siolaa Lolohea, a depth piece up front, is still looking for his new home in the portal. Another depth player from last year, Ace Hodges, is still on the roster, but he has switched from defensive line to offensive line for this season.
Additionally, David Rowaiye, a former preferred walk-on who has spent the last two seasons at OU, was not listed in a social media post from the official OU Football account that tallied each of Oklahoma’s defensive linemen for the 2026 season. Rowaiye did not enter the portal, and he had not exhausted his collegiate eligibility, so whether or not his omission was an error or he really isn’t on the team anymore will be confirmed when the Sooners release a spring roster later this month. Rowaiye did not see the field during his two years at OU.
While some of the losses from last year’s DT group will hurt the Sooners, they are fortunate to be returning a couple of standouts to their interior of their defensive line. Jayden Jackson and David Stone will both be juniors in 2026, and both were integral parts of Oklahoma’s defense a season ago.
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Jackson has been a starter since his very first game as a Sooner, and he’s been even better than advertised when Oklahoma signed him. Stone took a bit longer to catch on, but his potential and athleticism were realized last year in a breakout season. Those two players will hold down the starting spots, but Oklahoma’s youth will be tested this year more than it was last year.
One player that could really pop for the Sooners this year is Nigel Smith II, who arrived in the same class as Jackson and Stone, but hasn’t seen nearly the same amount of snaps. He was a blue-chip player coming out of high school, and he could be in line for a much larger role this fall.
Georgia State transfer Bishop Thomas has a chance to play himself into significant snaps in 2026, as does Trent Wilson, a member of OU’s 2025 recruiting class. UTSA transfer Kenny Ozowalu figures to primarily play at defensive end, but he has enough versatility to slide inside and play DT if needed. Jacob Henry is a returner from last year, and he should provide depth on the interior during his second season with the program.
The Sooners also added two true freshman defensive tackles in James Carrington and Brian Harris, part of a five-man defensive line recruiting haul in the 2026 class. With some uncertainty behind Jackson and Stone, and not as many bodies in the DT group as last year, perhaps they can make waves in their first seasons.
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On the whole, Oklahoma’s DT room has a very similar feel to its inside linebacker room. Kip Lewis and Cole Sullivan are the starting duo, but the losses of stalwarts like Sammy Omosigho and Kobie McKinzie to the portal and Kendal Daniels (who started at Cheetah) and Owen Heinecke to exhausted eligibility mean that the depth and development will be tested in 2026. At both spots, the Sooners are looking for players who haven’t played much at OU to assert themselves this year.
Fortunately for the Sooners, Bates is one of the best defensive tackle developers in the business, and that reputation will be put to the test this season. Part of what made Oklahoma so good last year was that they could cycle through four DTs at all times, without seeing any drop-off. OU won’t have that at first, but there’s a lot of potential behind Jackson and Stone.
Defensive tackle has gone from a weakness to a strength in the years since Bates and Venables got to Norman, and there’s plenty of reason to believe that they’ll continue to be strong this season.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: OU’s depth at defensive tackle will have to step up in 2026
