Oklahoma Sooners GM gives important Owen Heinecke update

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The Oklahoma Sooners have experienced their fair share of roster churn during the month of January. However, one of the dominoes for one of the final major pieces of the roster puzzle fell on Thursday night, and OU fans got an update from someone who is very in the know.

Oklahoma general manager Jim Nagy took to X (formerly Twitter) to update Sooner Nation about the status of star linebacker Owen Heinecke, who has been petitioning the NCAA for one more year of eligibility so that he can play college football in 2026. Nagy delivered some news that OU fans won’t like to hear.

“NCAA has denied Owen Heinecke’s petition for another year at OU,” Nagy wrote in the post. “When other players are being granted 7th and 8th years of football, CFB governing body has ruled Owen won’t get a 4th year. Evidently, this walk-on’s three games of lacrosse at Ohio State in 2021 couldn’t be reconciled. There will be an appeal. If that appeal is denied, one lucky NFL team is going to get a stud two-contract player and an even better human being. Love everything you’re about, Owen. You stand for everything that is pure and great about college football.”

The impending appeal from OU could get the NCAA to reverse their decision and let Heinecke suit up for the Sooners in 2026, but as of right now, they’ve decided to deny him the opportunity to play one more year of college football. Heinecke has been participating in practices for the Panini Senior Bowl this week, but the linebacker was still hoping to return to school next season.

Heinecke was a redshirt junior for the Sooners in 2025, which was his fourth season in the program. He did not play at all in 2022, and he played in all 13 games in 2023 and 2024, mainly on special teams. Despite just three seasons of college football action, the NCAA is counting three games of lacrosse at Ohio State in 2021, totaling about 15 minutes of playing time, against Heinecke’s eligibility. They’ve decided (for now) that he’s exhausted his collegiate eligibility.

The 2025 season was a breakout one for Heinecke, as he totaled 74 tackles, four passes defended, three sacks, and one forced fumble in his first significant college football action. He became a starter at inside linebacker during OU’s “Red November” run to the College Football Playoff, and he never looked back. He was a big piece of Oklahoma’s defensive success.

If the NCAA denies the appeal, Heinecke will enter the NFL Draft, and has a good chance to hear his name called in April, despite just one collegiate season of significant playing time. He would be the fourth linebacker that the Sooners would lose this offseason, joining Kendal Daniels (exhausted eligibility), Sammy Omosigho (transfer to UCLA), and Kobie McKinzie (transfer to Northwestern).

If Heinecke is unable to come back, it is highly likely that the starters at inside linebacker will be Kip Lewis and Cole Sullivan. Lewis announced a return to OU for his final season, where he’ll be the leader of head coach Brent Venables’ defense. Sullivan is a transfer portal addition from Michigan who can help cushion the blow of the linebacker exits, and slide into a starting role. Still, the Sooners would need other names to step up without Heinecke in tow.

However, if the NCAA changes course, Heinecke would return and provide a massive boost for the linebacker unit and for OU’s defense overall. As of right now, that isn’t happening, but clearly Nagy and the Sooners are going to take every avenue to fight the NCAA and to try to get Heinecke one more year of football in Norman.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: OU linebacker Owen Heinecke receives ruling from NCAA

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