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Every year, a player breaks out and becomes the star fans have been waiting to see. R Mason Thomas did that for the Oklahoma Sooners two years ago, and Taylor Wein did that last season. The question for Oklahoma is who will be that player this upcoming season. There have been a lot of players mentioned, but the one who comes up most is defensive end Danny Okoye.
Okoye was a four-star in the 2024 recruiting class who entered college with a significant developmental upside. He brings prototypical EDGE size at 6-foot-3 and 258 pounds, along with above-average explosiveness and fram potential, but was viewed as a raw development prospect coming out of a lower-competition high school environment.
Through his first two seasons in Norman, Okoye has played a limited rotational role, totaling six tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks. He's mostly been used in pash-rush packages rather than as a consistent player.
With Thomas now off to the NFL, Oklahoma faces a vacancy in its EDGE rotation that Okoye could fill. While he hasn't been a consistent player, he has drawn attention from national analysts, including college football analyst David Pollack.
"Okoye will be a problem," Pollack said on 'See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack.'
Pollack, a former All-American EDGE defender, has repeatedly emphasized traits like first-step explosiveness and leverage, areas where Okoye projects as a high-upside developmental player rather than a finished product.
For Oklahoma, Okoye's next step will be defined less by projection and more by expanded snap count, improved consistency against the run and sustained production in SEC-level matchups.
If those areas progress, he could emerge as a key rotational EDGE with starter upside heading into 2026, but that outcome will depend on his ability to translate his elite athletic traits into consistent weekly impact.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on X @jaronspor.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: David Pollack names breakout star who will be a 'Problem' for Oklahoma
Continue reading...
Okoye was a four-star in the 2024 recruiting class who entered college with a significant developmental upside. He brings prototypical EDGE size at 6-foot-3 and 258 pounds, along with above-average explosiveness and fram potential, but was viewed as a raw development prospect coming out of a lower-competition high school environment.
Through his first two seasons in Norman, Okoye has played a limited rotational role, totaling six tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks. He's mostly been used in pash-rush packages rather than as a consistent player.
With Thomas now off to the NFL, Oklahoma faces a vacancy in its EDGE rotation that Okoye could fill. While he hasn't been a consistent player, he has drawn attention from national analysts, including college football analyst David Pollack.
"Okoye will be a problem," Pollack said on 'See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack.'
Pollack, a former All-American EDGE defender, has repeatedly emphasized traits like first-step explosiveness and leverage, areas where Okoye projects as a high-upside developmental player rather than a finished product.
For Oklahoma, Okoye's next step will be defined less by projection and more by expanded snap count, improved consistency against the run and sustained production in SEC-level matchups.
If those areas progress, he could emerge as a key rotational EDGE with starter upside heading into 2026, but that outcome will depend on his ability to translate his elite athletic traits into consistent weekly impact.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on X @jaronspor.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: David Pollack names breakout star who will be a 'Problem' for Oklahoma
Continue reading...
