The Oklahoma Sooners were very productive in the lone NCAA transfer portal window this past winter, and after a run to the College Football Playoff last year, they feel good about the ways they were able to improve their roster via the portal.
In new transfer portal class rankings for ESPN, writer Craig Haubert had OU's class ranked as the 23rd-best in the nation, highlighting some key additions on the offensive side of the ball.
"Oklahoma's portal class is on the smaller side relative to other SEC peers, but it's clear the Sooners prioritized finding John Mateer some help. Their six highest-graded additions are all on offense. That includes doubling up at receiver, tight end and along the offensive line. Arkansas offensive lineman E'Marion Harris started 24 games between guard and tackle over the past two seasons. He's a sound pass blocker with a huge 6-foot-7, 313-pound frame. Oklahoma also added guard Peyton Joseph from Georgia Tech, though he's a bit more of a long-term project with four years of eligibility remaining. The Sooners brought both Trell Harris (Virginia) and Parker Livingstone (Texas) into the fold at receiver. Harris is smaller, quicker and a nightmare to reel in after the catch. Livingstone has a bigger frame at 6-foot-4 and his departure was a bit of a surprise given his chemistry with Arch Manning. They also added several tight ends including a pair with complementary skill sets: Hayden Hansen (Florida) is a more experienced, traditional in-line option while Jack Van Dorselaer (Tennessee) has some upside as a pass catcher." - Craig Haubert, ESPN.
After an offense in 2025 that was far too Mateer-centric with OU's struggles running the ball, help was needed for Oklahoma's returning starting quarterback, who played with a broken hand for the majority of last year. In the passing game, which was essentially just the duo of Mateer and Isaiah Sategna III (who also returns in 2026) by the end of the season, two projected starters in Harris and Livingstone should make that part of the attack more balanced and more effective.
With a mandate this offseason from Brent Venables that the Sooners needed to get better at running the ball, adding Harris to likely beef up the o-line, and Hansen to likely give OU a good blocking tight end, were key moves to try and accomplish that goal.
On defense, the Sooners have leaned more on developing the homegrown players to replace the players who left, but the addition of Cole Sullivan from Michigan will be a pivotal move for the linebacker room. With Owen Heinecke back to be the field general, and Kip Lewis serving as the emotional leader of the defense, Sullivan will also see plenty of playing time, giving OU a three-headed monster at inside LB, and suddenly one of the best rooms in the country.
With a defense that is now expected to be strong each year under Venables' watch, and an offense that should benefit from the new pieces that have joined the team this offseason, the Sooners are looking to build on the success they had last year, get back to the CFP, and make a deeper run in the playoff in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Where does Oklahoma rank in ESPN's new transfer portal class list?