New Year, New Roster: Sooners Portal Turnover Hits High Gear
NORMAN — While the world celebrated the New Year, the Oklahoma Sooners continued the arduous process of roster reconstruction. The opening of the winter transfer portal window has accelerated the turnover, with significant departures confirmed over the holiday.
Tight End Room Thins Out
The latest name to hit the portal is tight end Carson Kent. After transferring to Oklahoma just last winter, Kent’s departure marks another hit to a position group that is already expected to lose Kaden Helms. The exodus at tight end makes landing a target like Florida’s Hayden Hansen absolutely critical for offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.
Trenches in Transition
The most alarming development remains the mass exodus on the offensive line. Reports confirm that Oklahoma is on track to replace as many as eight offensive linemen from the 2025 roster.
Recent confirmed/expected departures include:
- Jacob Sexton
- Troy Everett
- Jake Taylor
- Luke Baklenko
- Logan Howland
- Isaiah Autry-Dent
Rebuilding the Wall
Head Coach Brent Venables and his staff face a monumental task in the coming weeks. The priority is clear: finding veteran bodies to plug the gaps upfront. Without a successful portal haul to rebuild the line, the offense faces an uphill battle in 2026 regardless of who plays quarterback.
