Oklahoma Sooners looking to close out transfer portal strong with former top recruit from their newest coach’s alma mater
New tight ends coach Jason Witten has already gotten active in the transfer portal and is looking to pull a talented player from another SEC school.
The Oklahoma Sooners have added plenty of talent on both sides of the ball out of the transfer portal this offseason, but still have a few loose ends to tie up at a couple of key spots. They are looking to overhaul their tight end room on offense under new tight ends coach Jason Witten, and have already brought in two transfers in Hayden Hansen and Rocky Beers.
However, they are set to add a third to that tally, this time from a fellow SEC school from Witten’s alma mater. Former Tennessee Volunteers tight end Jack Van Dorselaer is visiting the Sooners on Thursday and is poised to join the Sooners ahead of the 2026 season.
Jason Witten hits the ground running with newest addition
The Sooners pulled in Hansen and Beers before the hire of Witten was officially announced, perhaps unexpectedly proving in the process that an empty couch was a better recruiter than their previous tight ends coach. Not to be outdone, however, Witten immediately got started recruiting across the country.
He found his first big fish in Van Dorselaer, who served as a backup tight end for the Volunteers this season. A former four-star recruit from Southlake Carroll High School in Texas, Van Dorselaer was a top-20 ATH in the 2025 class. As a freshman this season in Tennessee, he played 394 snaps as a backup, totaling five receptions for 23 yards and a touchdown. He’ll have three years of eligibility left, meaning he could be a long-term investment for the Sooners.
In the span of a few short weeks, the Oklahoma Sooners have completely revitalized their tight end room. They now have three legitimate options from the portal in Hansen, Beers, and Van Dorselaer, with diverse skill sets to go along with youngsters they like in Trynae Washington, Tyler Ruxer, and Ryder Mix to give John Mateer plenty of weapons in this room next season.
Adding Jason Witten, a peerless player and successful coach in his own right, and the Sooners’ tight end room has gone from inarguably the weakest link on the roster to one of its strengths, virtually overnight. Brent Venables and Jim Nagy deserve a ton of credit for their ability to execute such a phenomenal turnaround this quickly.
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