Fall camp is underway in Norman, and the Oklahoma Sooners are less than a month away from kicking off the 2026 regular season. After a 10-win season in 2025 that resulted in a trip to the College Football Playoff, the focus has been on taking the team from good to great under head coach Brent Venables.
With the offseason beginning to draw to a close, it's time to take a look at each position on OU's roster to see where things stand heading into the season. After players from last year's team left via the transfer portal or exhausted eligibility and the Sooners replenished the roster via the portal and high school recruiting, there are plenty of new faces looking to make an impact and returning names looking to take a step forward.
- Positional Preview: Quarterback
- Positional Preview: Running Back
- Positional Preview: Wide Receiver
Today, we'll
dive into the tight end position, coached by tight ends coach Jason Witten. Once again, this room has been rebuilt over the course of the offseason, and there's a new coach leading the group this time around.
The Players
- Rocky Beers: 6th-year
- Hayden Hansen: 5th-year
- John Locke Jr.: 5th-year
- Kade McIntyre: Senior
- Jack Van Dorselaer: Sophomore
- Trynae Washington: Sophomore
- Ryder Mix: Freshman
- Tyler Ruxer: Freshman
Hansen and Beers are the top two candidates to see the most snaps at tight end for the Sooners this year. Hansen is a Florida transfer who offers imposing size and an upgrade over what OU has had in years past as a blocker from the TE spot. Beers is a Colorado State transfer who is a good receiving threat in the red zone, also something the Sooners lacked in 2025.
Beyond those two veterans, the next man up is Van Dorselaer, a Tennessee transfer. He's been impressive thus far and should push for more action in his first season at Oklahoma, but he also projects as a big part of the future of the tight end position in Norman, given that he's younger than Hansen and Beers.
Witten and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle believe they can play multiple tight end sets within the game plan, which aligns with Venables' desire for the Sooners to run the football much better in 2026. Much of the rebuilding of the OU tight end room was focused on adding players who are good blockers first and foremost. That's been a weak point for Oklahoma for the last three seasons, and it's something OU is trying to avoid this season.
However, having a mismatch in the passing game at TE is also a priority, as the Sooners could benefit heavily from having a big body that can get open over the middle of the field. It can simplify a lot for an offense when you have a player like that.
Ultimately, Witten needs to find a player or a group of players that can play a lot of different roles in the OU offense. The tight end position has to be a master of many trades in this day and age of football, and Oklahoma has seen firsthand how difficult it is to be an effective offense without good tight end play.
The Sooners believe they've remedied that problem for this season, with three big portal additions in Hansen, Beers, and Van Dorselaer. Each of those players has different profiles and different things they do really well, but Oklahoma needs it to translate to Saturdays this year. If OU can get dependable, high-level play from the tight end room, it could open up so much more for an offense that needs to take another step forward this fall.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma Sooners 2026 Positional Previews: Tight End
