Sooners make one last addition to crucial position group that needed it most in buzzer-beater fashion
The Sooners have wrapped up their tight end room.
The Oklahoma Sooners finalized their 2026 roster with a dramatic late addition, securing transfer portal tight end Jack Van Dorselaer, formerly of the Tennessee Volunteers.
Oklahoma needed some help in the tight end room, so it acquired former Florida Gators TE Hayden Hansen early in the portal process. He’s a 6-8, 270-pound tight end who can block well but also catch the ball. Then, they went and got Rocky beers, who’s a bit of a do-it-all guy. Now, they have Van Dorselaer, who’s better than some may think.
Not to beat a dead horse, but many of you may remember him well as the tight end who dropped a wide-open first-down pass in the Vols matchup against OU this season.
That may change how OU fans feel about getting this player. However, he’s a lot better than what you saw in that game. He can be a rotational player in that room. A to Z Sports Tennessee’s Craig Smith broke down how the young TE fared in 2025.
Who is former Tennessee TE Jack Van Dorselaer?
Van Dorselaer actually saw the field more than his contribution to the Tennessee passing game would lead you to believe. He had five catches for 23 yards and a touchdown across 13 games, but he ended up seeing the third-most snaps on the team among tight ends with 184. He served primarily as a blocker, with 113 of those on run blocking plays.
However, he will be remembered by many Tennessee fans for the wrong reason. Ironically, in the Vols’ 33-27 loss to Oklahoma, Tennessee was driving late to try to cut the game to a one-score margin. On fourth-and-1, Joey Aguilar threw a pass towards Van Dorselaer near the first down line. The ball bounced off his facemask and to the turf, snuffing out any realistic chance the Vols had at a comeback. Van Dorselaer took a lot of heat from fans on social media after the game, which is unfortunate since Tennessee lost that game in a dozen ways, at least, beyond just that play.
Losing Van Dorselaer hurts for Tennessee, as it now has just three tight ends for 2026. However, the move is understandable, as a fresh start can be a good thing, and if he ends up at OU, it’ll be closer to home.
Oklahoma Sooners News
Oklahoma Sooners score first big win of the transfer portal by beating out hated SEC rivals for key playmaker at position of need
The Oklahoma Sooners reeled in their first big fish of the transfer portal by adding tight end Hayden Hansen.
