Steve Curtis July 30th, 2026
Since Brent Venables arrived at Oklahoma in November 2021, the Sooners have become one of the nation’s premier programs for developing linebackers.
Danny Stutsman quickly emerged as the face of that transformation. After recording 38 tackles as a true freshman in 2021, he developed into one of the nation’s best linebackers, posting more than 100 tackles in each of his final three seasons and finishing his career as a Butkus Award finalist.
Stutsman’s rise became part of a much larger trend.
In the four seasons since his arrival, Venables has consistently developed contributors at linebacker, from inherited veterans DaShaun White and David Ugwoegbu to homegrown standouts Kip Lewis and Owen Heinecke, while also integrating transfers such as Dasan McCullough and Kendal Daniels.
Those questions surfaced again entering 2025. Stutsman’s departure left Lewis as the room’s only established linebacker, and many wondered whether Oklahoma had enough proven talent behind him.
By the end of the season, those questions had been answered as Venables delivered one of the deepest linebacker rooms in the country.
That depth, however, took a hit this offseason, as Daniels was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2026 NFL Draft, while Kobie McKinzie and Sammy Omosigho entered the transfer portal, leaving redshirt seniors Lewis and Heinecke to lead the room.
Their returns, however, were anything but guaranteed.
Lewis had built enough of a résumé to draw serious NFL interest, and it took a significant effort from the Oklahoma staff to bring him back for one last season.
Bringing Heinecke back required a different kind of effort, as he battled the NCAA for one final year of eligibility. After months of legal proceedings, he prevailed and returned to Norman in preparation for the 2026 campaign.
So, with Lewis and Heinecke leading the charge and three major contributors behind them now gone, who fills out the rest of Oklahoma’s linebacker rotation?
First up is Cole Sullivan, the transfer from Michigan who saw significant playing time last year as a sophomore, recording 44 tackles, two sacks and three interceptions.
Venables made Sullivan a priority, traveling to Pittsburgh for an in-home visit that helped seal the deal.
The former Wolverine adapted quickly to Norman, spending much of spring practice as the starting middle linebacker in place of Heinecke, who was prohibited from participating in team activities while awaiting the outcome of his NCAA case.
Sullivan also saw extensive work at cheetah in place of redshirt junior Taylor Heim.
Entering his fourth season in Venables’ defensive system, Heim appeared poised for a much larger role after showing promise in limited action during 2025. At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, he projected as Daniels’ replacement in the bigger-bodied cheetah role and Oklahoma’s fourth linebacker.
However, a serious knee injury suffered during spring practice ended his 2026 season before it began, further thinning the room.
That makes redshirt sophomore James Nesta even more important to Oklahoma’s depth.
Nesta has totaled just six tackles over his first two seasons in Norman, but at 6-foot-3 and 233 pounds, he has all the physical tools to make an impact. Those traits showed throughout the spring, earning him the coaching staff’s confidence heading into the summer.
Beyond Nesta, however, Oklahoma’s depth becomes much less certain. The next man up is expected to be Marcus James, the redshirt freshman from Oklahoma City.
Still, while Venables has repeatedly shown he can develop young linebackers quickly, relying on a second-year player at such a critical position, particularly in one of college football’s most demanding defensive systems, is far from ideal.
And the questions don’t stop there.
Behind James is an extremely young group. Barrett Travis and Elgee Webster enter their second seasons with the program.
Behind them is a class of four true freshmen, where Dane Bathurst and Kristan Moore are expected to be available this fall, while Beau Jandreau and Jacob Curry will likely miss the 2026 season due to injury.
That leaves Oklahoma with one of its biggest defensive question marks entering the season: Can Venables do it again?
The concern is understandable. Returning only two starters while filling out the depth chart with a transfer and largely unproven players would raise questions at almost any program. But if there is one coaching staff in the country that has earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to developing linebackers, it is Oklahoma’s.
Health will ultimately determine the ceiling of this group.
As long as Lewis, Heinecke, Sullivan and Nesta remain healthy, Oklahoma’s second level should once again become one of the strengths of the defense. And while the room enters the season with more questions than it has faced in recent years, the Venables era has repeatedly shown one thing: Oklahoma’s linebackers tend to be at their best in November, when conference championships and College Football Playoff races are won.
