Oklahoma Sooners are making it clear that they need a breakout season from one senior starter on the defense
The Oklahoma Sooners need a breakout season from defensive end PJ Adebawore, and they think they will get it.
The Oklahoma Sooners are heading into the 2026 season hoping several players step up on both sides of the ball. Oklahoma made the College Football Playoff last year on the backs of its defense, and while the offense figures to improve, the defensive side lost significant talent to the draft, the transfer portal, and graduation.
That makes breakout candidates all the more critical. The player Sooners fans should watch most closely is edge rusher PJ Adebawore, the right end who will sport No. 34 in his senior season. And Brent Venables knows he needs a big season from Adebawore.
“I think it’s time for him to show us he can be a pillar for us,” Venables said recently.
Adebawore has the tools to dominate
Adebawore will line up opposite Taylor Wein, next to David Stone and Jayden Jackson, and he is going to be a key piece in the run defense. At 6’4, 270 pounds, he has decent bend for his size, but make no mistake: he is a power player first. That doesn’t mean he can’t incorporate speed. He’s light on his feet and athletic, but he’ll win with power more often than anything else.
Last season, Adebawore posted 7 solo tackles, 2.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 17 total tackles despite limited playing time. He also had surgery after the season that kept him out of spring football. The numbers don’t jump off the page, but context matters. He wasn’t a full-time player, and the production he did put up showed flashes of what could come with a larger role.
Competition behind him should fuel his best season
Adebawore won’t be handed anything. Behind him sit Danny Okoye and Kenny Ozowalu, two extremely talented redshirt sophomores who will do whatever they can to get on the field. As a senior, this is Adebawore’s last chance to prove he has enough game to play in the NFL. If he doesn’t perform, one of those younger players will be ready to take his spot.
That kind of pressure can bring out the best in a player, and Adebawore has the physical profile to answer the challenge.
Oklahoma’s defense has the pieces to carry the team again
If Adebawore breaks out, the Sooners’ defense really shouldn’t have much to worry about. The cornerback room features the big three in Courtland Guillory, Jacobe Johnson, and company. The safety room returns largely intact with Peyton Bowen, who should be one of the best safeties in the country, alongside Michael Boganowski, who has progressed immensely over the past few years. The linebacker room brings back Kip Lewis and Owen Heinecke while adding Cole Sullivan, a talented addition. And the defensive line projects as one of the best in the country.
So if Adebawore can put together a breakout campaign, this team shouldn’t have any concerns about making another College Football Playoff run. The defense could carry Oklahoma again even if the offense isn’t good enough. But you’re expecting the offense to be better, because it really doesn’t get much worse than it was last year. With all the pieces the Sooners added on that side of the ball, this team could be a problem for the rest of the SEC.
A big senior year from Adebawore would help the team win, and it would do wonders for his draft stock heading into 2027.
