Ranking the most important Oklahoma transfer portal additions that Brent Venables and the Sooners signed this offseason
How do the Oklahoma Sooners transfer portal additions rank in terms of importance heading into the 2026 CFB season?
The Oklahoma Sooners were active in the transfer portal, bringing in (so far) 16 transfers on both sides of the ball to fill out their starting lineup and address some of their most pressing needs heading into the offseason.
The Sooners have upgraded what was already a College Football Playoff roster, and head into the 2026 season with plenty of momentum behind them on what should be one of their most talented rosters in recent memory.
I decided to rank the most important players that Brent Venables and general manager Jim Nagy added to Oklahoma this offseason. I tied in best alongside most important for their meaning to the roster to formulate the rankings.
1. WR Trell Harris (Virginia)
I think, come the end of the 2026 season, Trell Harris is the Sooners’ unquestioned WR1 of the roster. He’s everything the Sooners missed opposite of Deion Burks this season with his tremendous blend of size, speed, and route-running ability. Teams would shift coverage to Burks, and far too often, the rest of Oklahoma’s receivers could not consistently get open.
Burks is gone, but Harris can step right into that vacant role as the leader of the room, and he brings size and contested catch ability that Burks simply didn’t have. He’s the kind of receiver that the entire passing game can be built around, and one that should be John Mateer’s favorite target in 2026.
2. LB Cole Sullivan (Michigan)
The Sooners received fortunate news when linebacker Kip Lewis returned for the 2026 season, but the rest of their linebacker room had plenty of question marks. Owen Heinecke is unlikely to receive another year of eligibility, and Oklahoma processed out Sammy Omosigho and Kobie McKinzie (two guys who simply weren’t good enough consistently to maintain the Sooners’ defensive dominance).
Cole Sullivan is a tremendous playmaker at linebacker who will bring the athleticism and production Oklahoma simply didn’t have beyond Lewis and Heinecke. He is a three-down linebacker and can slide right in as a starter from Day One.
3. WR Parker Livingstone (Texas)
I mentioned earlier that Oklahoma had a problem last year with their receivers struggling to get open consistently, and it appears the Sooners were tired of that with the additions of Harris and Livingstone. Livingstone can be the deep threat Oklahoma needs alongside Harris to free up Sategna as an after-the-catch option out of the slot.
Getting to take a strong playmaker away from the Longhorns is always a plus.
4. TE Hayden Hansen (Florida)
Oklahoma’s tight end room last year, quite frankly, stunk, and they fired coach Joe Jon Finley as a result. They have completely remade the room in the offseason, and their best addition came from former Florida Gators tight end Hayden Hansen. Hansen is a complete tight end, something the Sooners haven’t had since perhaps Brayden Willis, in that he’s a strong blocker and capable receiver.
The Sooners had enough of their tight ends getting pushed back into rushing lanes constantly, and added an elite blocker to fix that.
5. DL Kenny Ozowalu (UTSA)
What a find from Jim Nagy and company. Ozowalu wasn’t a highly-ranked transfer addition by any of the major sites and he didn’t make any headlines, but I think he can be key complement to David Stone as their three-technique on defense. Ozowalu has mentioned that the staff views him as a player that can align all over the defensive line, and the film backs that up, with his quickness, length, and motor. In many ways, he feels fairly similar to Charles Tapper.
6. TE Rocky Beers (Colorado State)
Beers vs Hansen will be an interesting positional battle, but if anything, I would be encouraged that the Sooners have two tight ends that have a strong case to see the field. Beers is more of a receiving type than complete tight end like Hansen is, which makes me give the edge to Hansen, but he can allow Oklahoma to rotate this room and get into heavier personnel without becoming a liability.
I don’t think he’s going to win a Mackey Award or anything like that, but he can be productive, and I’d like to see OU use him in the backfield and inline, similar to how they used to use players like Carson Meier and Jeremiah Hall.
7. CB Dakoda Fields (Oregon)
Dakoda Fields won’t be starting in 2026, barring some unforeseen accident to one of Oklahoma’s starting three corners, but he has the opportunity in front of him to be a solid part of the rotation in 2026 and could work his way into the lineup in 2027. I love the upside he brings, with his 6-2, 175-pound frame and a 74″ wingspan. Fields posted some intriguing numbers as a track star. He posted personal records of 22.10 seconds in the 200-meter and hit a 22′ in the long jump in high school, speaking to his explosiveness.
Oklahoma needed to add building blocks in the secondary, and Fields could develop into a good one under Venables.
8. DT Bishop Thomas (Georgia State)
The Sooners had to restock their defensive tackle room with the departures of Damonic Williams, Gracen Halton, and Markus Strong, and mainly had to fill out the depth of the room. Thomas won’t start, given David Stone’s presence, but he was a productive pass rusher for Georgia State this season, and could rotate in on passing downs.
9. C Caleb Nitta (Western Kentucky)
Depending on the status of Jake Maikkula, Nitta could be much more important than I’m initially ranking him. Assuming Maikkula will make a full recovery from a nasty infection that forced him to miss the last two games, Nitta will likely be just depth at the pivot spot this season. Oklahoma needed it after the last two seasons, especially last season, when right guard Febechi Nwaiwu spent the last two games over at center out of desperation.
10. TE Jack Van Dorselaer (Tennessee)
I’m not sure how much of a role Van Dorselaer will have in 2026, but beyond that? I think there’s a chance he could be the starting tight end in 2027. He’s a good mover and plenty physical, but he simply needs more time in the S&C room before he’s ready to play a large role on offense in the SEC.
11. RB Lloyd Avant (Colorado State)
Oklahoma has their returning starters in Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock. Elite 2026 recruit Jonathan Hatton also figures to fit into the rotation as well, leaving little open in the room. However, offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle wanted someone with some receiving chops who could provide a little bit of a different skill set, and that’s where Avant comes into play. With his third down ability and success as a returner, Avant could be an Alex Ross type of player for the Sooners.
12. OT E’Marion Harris (Arkansas)
The Sooners added Harris as depth at right tackle (although he could be depth anywhere) to push Ryan Fodje, who will return as the starter next season. Swing tackle depth was a necessity with Logan Howland, Luke Baklenko, Jake Taylor, and Jacob Sexton all hitting the portal. Harris has played everywhere but center in his career, He is a solid run blocker, but the less said about his pass protection, the better.
There’s a reason he was a depth addition.
13. OL Peyton Joseph (Georgia Tech)
It’s tough to say what Joseph is as a player, given that he played just four snaps on offense this season for the Yellow Jackets. However, he brings good size at 6-3, 310 pounds and has the play strength and power to be a mauler in the run game. While he played tackle for Georgia Tech, there’s speculation he might also be able to play on the inside. Regardless, either spot is a position of need for Oklahoma.
14. CB Prince Ijioma (Mississippi Valley State)
There’s a bit of a vacuum behind Oklahoma’s starting corner trio that I can’t imagine the Sooners are altogether comfortable with. Devon Jordan, Kendel Dolby, Maliek Hawkins, and Gentry Williams were all effectively processed off the team, opening up a vacuum of snaps available. While the Sooners are still high on youngsters like Jeremiah Newcombe and Trystan Haynes as well as incoming freshman Derrick Johnson II and Oregon transfer Dakoda Fields, that’s not a lot of proven experience or production behind their starting group.
Ijioma is a physical, productive player with over 30 games of experience in the SWAC. Ignore the logo on the helmet and think of his role.
15. WR Mackenzie Alleyne (Washington State)
With most of the bottom of the wide receiver room cleared out this offseason, the Sooners were after players with multiple years of eligibility. Arbuckle recruited Alleyne at Washington State, so it makes sense he would be interested in a reunion here.
16. RB Benjamin McCreary (Incarnate Word)
Look, he hasn’t played a snap in two seasons. He’s likely been brought in to help lock down the recruitment of his brother, 2027 four-star CB Mikhail McCreary.
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