This isn’t a class with a plethora of guaranteed Day 1 starters, but this 2026 crop is sneaky deep, athletic, and loaded with upside. There’s a handful of Sunday starters, a few risers, and maybe even a future Pro Bowler in this group if 2025 goes right.
The Eagles have had a lot of success with a Sooner QB as of late and could be looking to add another player from Oklahoma to the fold in 2026.
The Players:
Offense:
QB John Mateer
A bit of a wildcard. Mateer’s arm talent is legit. He has a quick release, good zip, and throws well off-platform. He always keeps his eyes downfield. He exudes that confidence you want from the QB position. The sample size is small, but there’s intrigue here. Mateer could shoot up boards, but he may need two years to do so. He’s not yet a household name, but he possesses that gamer quality that always finds its way onto NFL fields. I think he has a Jayden Daniels-type jump ability in the draft by 2027. He has the “it” factor.
RB Jaydn Ott
The Cal transfer exudes contact balance and patience in zone schemes and is NFL-ready. He glides through holes, runs angry, and catches well out of the backfield. Ott has shown flashes of being a three-down back at the next level, a home-run hitter with vision and balance. He’s smooth through the hole and runs angry in space.
RB Javonte Barnes
Physical and decisive, Barnes runs with authority. He’s not trying to dance around you; he’s trying to run through you. There’s juice in his legs and toughness in his pads, and when he gets rolling downhill, defenders will be forced to make business decisions.
WR Deion Burks
He plays faster than he times, with elite burst in and out of breaks. If the Sooners can unlock him consistently, he’ll be a top-100 pick. He has pure speed, twitch, and is built like a slot missile. Big-play machine. He’s still developing as a complete route runner, but when the ball is in the air, Burks turns into a track star. He’s the kind of explosive weapon that changes how defenses align. If he clicks with Mateer and gets 70+ catches? He could be the 2026 NFL Draft version of Zay Flowers. A compact, electric receiver that is hard to guard in space.
G Febechi Nwaiwu
Nwaiwu is a bulldozer in the run game. His hand placement and balance can be inconsistent, but he has the frame, the punch, and the mean streak that O-line coaches covet. In terms of tone-setting interior linemen, he brings an edge every offensive line needs. Great work ethic.
OT Derek Simmons
Simmons feels like one of those under-the-radar glue guys who ends up playing a big role late in the year. He started 24 games at Western Carolina and was the type of steady presence you want up front. He is tough, reliable, and assignment-sound. He’s physical in the run game, solid in pass protection, and he will be bringing a big chip on his shoulder after taking the long road to get his opportunity. Don’t be surprised if he becomes a key piece before the season’s over. Some scouts believe he will translate well to the interior offensive line (iOL) in the NFL.
Defense:
EDGE R Mason Thomas
The twitch off the edge is evident, and he’s starting to put it together technically. A speed rusher who can bend, dip, and swipe with the best of them. The key will be refining his pass-rush plan and showing he can hold up against the run. If he does, look out. He’s only scratching the surface.
EDGE PJ Adebawore
Freakish tools. Still raw, but you can’t teach what he brings athletically.
Flashed in spurts but didn’t get full starter snaps. If he refines the pass rush package, he could rise fast. He should be a combine freak.
EDGE Marvin Jones Jr.
The former 5-star and Georgia transfer looks the part. Long, twitchy, and explosive. If he stacks consistent tape, he has a very high ceiling. He’s got the frame and traits to be an every-down edge defender. The kind who doesn’t just chase sacks but dominates the point of attack.
DL Gracen Halton
Halton is explosive off the snap and plays with real leverage. He’s not the biggest name yet, but he flashes disruptive traits, quick hands, active feet, and a motor that keeps him involved in plays longer than most. A power-packed interior defender. Not flashy but plays stout and wins leverage battles. Has an NFL body right now.
DL Damonic Williams
A plug-and-play nose tackle with rare agility for his size. The TCU transfer brings interior disruption and stout run defense. Williams wins with leverage and violent hands. He is a true space-eater who can push the pocket. He can eat double teams or collapse the pocket when left one-on-one. A tone-setter in the trenches.
LB Jaren Kanak
Kanak is twitchy, with a high football IQ. A former high school quarterback turned linebacker, Kanak diagnoses fast and explodes even faster. His 2024 tape showed improved processing and cleaner pursuit angles. Still raw in coverage, but the motor never quits. Scouts will love the athletic upside and leadership intangibles.
LB Kip Lewis
Lewis is rangy, instinctive, and just productive. His quickness to the ball and ability to finish in space scream WILL linebacker at the next level. Needs to bulk up and improve at the point of attack, but he’s a high-floor prospect who racks up tackles in bunches.
LB Kendal Daniels
Big, long, and fast! Daniels looks like he was built in a lab. He’s a hybrid defender who moves like a safety but hits like a linebacker. A defensive chess piece with high upside!
S Robert Spears-Jennings
RSJ is a downhill safety who thrives near the line of scrimmage. He hits like a linebacker and covers tight ends with ease. There’s room to grow in coverage depth and anticipation, but he’s a tone-setter with strong leadership traits and a nose for the ball, and a real thumper as a tackler.
S Peyton Bowen
Bowen has the potential to be a future star. A natural playmaker with fluid hips and elite range, he’s as comfortable in the deep third as he is triggering downhill. He’s still young, but the instincts, closing burst, and tackling form are special.
S Samuel Omosigho
A rising name in OU’s defensive backfield, Omosigho is fluid, smart, and aggressive. He reads QBs well and rarely takes false steps. He could be the next Sooner safety to rise from “under the radar” to “pro-ready” in one season. The Cheetah role at OU makes him a hybrid linebacker/safety missile. Fast, smart, instinctive.
CB Gentry Williams
A former track standout with the wheels to mirror anyone downfield. Gentry is sticky in coverage and competes at the catch point. His raw athleticism stands out on the tape. With more reps, he could become a lockdown corner. Gentry flashes shutdown traits when healthy.
CB Jacobe Johnson
A big-bodied corner with receiver ball skills, Johnson is dripping with potential. He has excellent length and athleticism and is steadily improving his technique. If he continues refining his game, he’ll be one of the more unique CB prospects in the draft class.
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