How many former Sooners will Oklahoma see on the field in 2026?

How many former Sooners will Oklahoma see on the field in 2026?

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How many former Sooners will Oklahoma see on the field in 2026?

The transfer portal is a way of life in college football. Programs will lose and add players once the season has ended, with some departures and arrivals expected, and some unexpected.

The Oklahoma Sooners are no different, as they had 28 players from the 2025 roster officially enter the portal this winter. Each of them ended up with a new school, and the vast majority of them are still playing at the Power Four level in 2026. Only KJ Daniels (UAB), Josiah Martin (North Texas), Jakeb Snyder (Central Missouri), and Siolaa Lolohea (Appalachian State) will compete in non-Power Four leagues this fall, with Snyder as OU's only sub-FBS outgoing transfer.

In fact, OU is set to face off against a number of former players this season. Today, we'll take a look at each of the former Sooners that Oklahoma is set to face on their 2026 schedule. Most of these players were in Norman a year ago, but a few played at OU less recently at that. Here are some familiar faces that Oklahoma is set to meet on the field this fall.

at Michigan (September 12th)

Aug 30, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Taylor Tatum (8) scores a touchdown during the second half against the Temple Owls at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Former OU running back Taylor Tatum transferred to Michigan this winter after two seasons in Norman. However, he'll start out playing defensive back for the Wolverines, where he'll look to make an impact on the other side of the ball. Tatum really never caught on at RB for the Sooners, getting passed up by other names on the depth chart during his time with the Sooners.

at Georgia (September 26th)

Sep 17, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Gentry Williams (24) against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Former OU defensive back Gentry Williams transferred to Georgia after a long stint at Oklahoma. He was a starter at cornerback when healthy over the past few seasons, but he was rarely off of the injury report during his time with the Sooners. If he can stay healthy with the Bulldogs, he'll give OU fits in Athens.

vs. Texas (October 10th)

Oct 4, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers (3) runs with the ball during the first half of the game against Campbell Fighting Camels at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

No players from last year's OU squad have transferred to rival Texas, but running back Daylan "Hollywood" Smothers plays for the Longhorns, getting to Austin by way of NC State. Smothers played for the Sooners in 2023, but he didn't see the field much in a crowded RB room in Norman. He became a star at NC State, and he has now transferred to Texas, showing back up on OU's radar with the opposition.

vs. Kentucky (October 17th)

Oct 15, 2022; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Jovantae Barnes (2) scores a touchdown during the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Both running back Jovantae Barnes and wide receiver Nic Anderson will be suiting up for Kentucky this year, and both will return to Norman in October. Barnes spent four years at OU, but he essentially took a redshirt after the first four games of last year, and he ended up with the Wildcats. Anderson spent three years at OU, before transferring to LSU for last season. After his 2024 season at OU and his 2025 season at LSU didn't go as planned, he'll try to resurrect his career at Kentucky in 2026.

at Mississippi State (October 24th)

Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Kendel Dolby (15) celebrates after an OU fumble recovery during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Tennessee Volunteers at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.

Wide receiver Zion Ragins, offensive lineman Isaiah Dent, and defensive back Kendel Dolby are all at Mississippi State this year. Head coach Jeff Lebby certainly helped himself to former Sooners in the portal. Ragins is a class of 2024 recruit who couldn't quite catch on in Norman. Dent was buried on Oklahoma's OL depth chart during his OU career. Dolby was once the starter at cheetah in Brent Venables' defense, serving as a havoc-wrecker in 2023. However, a season-ending injury in 2024 derailed his time as a Sooner, and he essentially redshirted down the stretch of last season. As Lebby looks to build his culture in Starkville, he's bringing in a lot of Norman transplants to help do it.

vs. South Carolina (October 31st)

Oklahoma's Jayden Gibson (1) catches the ball for a touchdown over Arkansas State's Leon Jones (2) during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Arkansas State Red Wolves at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. Oklahoma won 73-0.

Former OU wide receiver Jayden Gibson will look to get on the field for the first time since the 2023 season at South Carolina. After a major injury in 2024 and a setback in 2025, he left the Sooners last October, winding up with the Gamecocks. He'll return to Norman on Halloween with his new squad in 2026.

vs. Ole Miss (November 14th)

Oklahoma's John Mateer (10) celebrates his touchdown with Troy Everett (52) in the first half of the college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Illinois State Redbirds at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.

Former OU offensive lineman Troy Everett will finish out his career at Ole Miss, after serving as a captain for the Sooners last year. Everett struggled to stay healthy during his time in Norman, but was sound at the center position when he was on the field. He'll return to Oklahoma with a new CFP contender in November.

at Missouri (November 28th)

Oklahoma's Cayden Green (70) prepares to block in the first half of the college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the University of Central Florida Knights at Gaylord Family Oklahoma-Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Oct., 21, 2023.

While no players from OU's 2025 roster play for Missouri, there are a couple of blasts from the past that are on the Tigers. Quarterback Nick Evers spent his true freshman season in 2022 with the Sooners, and he's been all over the college football world since. He's landed with the Tigers to provide depth in the QB room. Offensive lineman Cayden Green became a starter as a true freshman for the Sooners in 2023, then surprisingly went to Columbia after just one year as a Sooner. Oklahoma will close out the regular season against the old Big 12 foe on Thanksgiving weekend.

Players from OU's 2025 roster that entered the transfer portal

  • QB Michael Hawkins Jr. (to West Virginia)
  • RB Jovantae Barnes (to Kentucky)
  • RB Taylor Tatum (to Michigan) (switched positions to DB)
  • WR KJ Daniels (to UAB)
  • WR Javonnie Gibson (to Cincinnati)
  • WR Jayden Gibson (to South Carolina)
  • WR Zion Kearney (to Wisconsin)
  • WR Josiah Martin (to North Texas)
  • WR Zion Ragins (to Mississippi State)
  • WR Jakeb Snyder (to Central Missouri)
  • TE Kaden Helms (to Minnesota)
  • TE Carson Kent (to Pittsburgh)
  • OL Luke Baklenko (to Arizona State)
  • OL Isaiah Dent (to Mississippi State)
  • OL Troy Everett (to Ole Miss)
  • OL Logan Howland (to Virginia Tech)
  • OL Jacob Sexton (to Oklahoma State)
  • OL Jake Taylor (to Iowa State)
  • DL Siolaa Lolohea (to Appalachian State)
  • DL Markus Strong (to Clemson)
  • LB Kobie McKinzie (to Northwestern)
  • LB Sammy Omosigho (to UCLA)
  • DB Kendel Dolby (to Mississippi State)
  • DB Jaydan Hardy (to Colorado)
  • DB Maliek Hawkins (to West Virginia)
  • DB Devon Jordan (to Baylor)
  • DB Gentry Williams (to Georgia)
  • DB Marcus Wimberly (to Utah)

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: How many former Sooners will Oklahoma see on the field in 2026?

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