Brent Venables Reveals Key Update On R Mason Ahead of College Football Playoff

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Brent Venables Reveals Key Update On R Mason Ahead of College Football Playoff

The No. 8 seed Oklahoma Sooners (10-2) have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2025 college football season. Despite facing one of the toughest schedules in the sport and coming off a 6-7 record last year, the Sooners have had an outstanding season.

Head coach Brent Venables entered the year on the hot seat, but has seemed to quiet that noise with the strong year. The team has been led by one of the best defenses in the country. The Sooners rank No. 9 in total defense, No. 31 in passing yards allowed per game, No. 5 in rushing yards allowed per game, No. 7 in scoring defense and No. 4 in defensive efficiency.

One of the main contributors to the strong defense is EDGE rusher R Mason Thomas. The senior finished third on the team with 9.5 tackles for loss and leads the team with 6.5 sacks, even though he missed three games. Additionally, he missed part of another game due to a second-half targeting penalty and only played two drives against Tennessee before sustaining an injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season.

South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) is sacked by Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman R Mason Thomas (32) in the second half.© Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Thomas was injured on the second drive of the game when linebacker Owen Heinecke came on a blitz and strip-sacked quarterback Joey Aguilar. Thomas picked up the ball, fought off a would-be tackler, and ran 71 yards for a touchdown. However, toward the end of his run, he pulled up with what appeared to be a quad injury. As a result, he missed the next three games against the Alabama Crimson Tide, Missouri Tigers and LSU Tigers, all of which Oklahoma won.

When asked if he expects Thomas to practice this week, Venables simply replied, “I do.”

This is a significant development for Oklahoma if Thomas can participate in the College Football Playoff against the No. 9 seed, the Crimson Tide, in Norman at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN.

Although the Sooners managed to hold their ground without him, Thomas earned first-team All-SEC honors despite missing a considerable amount of time. Additionally, Venables’ remarks were validated when media members captured footage of practice on Monday. George Stoia from SoonerScoop posted a video of Thomas participating in drills.

If Thomas is able to return at anything close to full strength, it would be a massive boost for an Oklahoma defense that has carried the Sooners all season. His presence not only changes how offenses protect the quarterback, but it also allows Venables to be more aggressive with his pressure packages, something that could prove critical against an Alabama team that has shown vulnerability when forced into obvious passing situations.

With confirmation already emerging from practice footage, all signs now point toward Thomas trending in the right direction as Oklahoma prepares for one of its biggest games in years, knowing a healthy pass rush could be the difference between a playoff run continuing or coming to an end.

On Tuesday, Thomas will receive his first official designation because the CFP requires availability reports for all of its games.

Related: Higher-seeded College Football Playoff Team Predicted to Lose on Friday

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 16, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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