The Oklahoma Sooners kick off the 2026 college football season on Friday against the University of Texas at El Paso Miners. The Sooners are ranked inside the top-10 and have College Football Playoff expectations.
Before the season kicks off, there has been a lot of discussion about the defense. The unit ranked in the top-10 in several categories last season. Despite the Sooners being expected to have another big season, there are also some question marks they still have to address. The biggest one is replacing EDGE R Mason Thomas, who is now in the NFL.
That battle is between Adepoju Adebawore and Danny Okoye. Neither has a ton of experience, but both have a ton of talent. So much so that former Oklahoma All-American Gabe Ikard thinks Adebawore will
lead Oklahoma in sacks this season.
"I'm going to make my first bold predictions," Ikard said on 'The Oklahoma Breakdown with Ikard and Lehman.' "It feels even bolder after hearing you talk about the sack situation because you didn't even mention his name. PJ Adebawore will lead the 2026 Oklahoma Sooners in sacks."
It's certainly a bold call considering Adebawore isn't entering the season as an established star. But that's precisely what makes it worth watching. Oklahoma already knows what it has in several of its defensive veterans. The bigger question is which young players can emerge and give Venables another difference-maker.
Adebawore has a chance to be one of them. And if Ikard's prediction comes true, the Sooners won't just have found a replacement for Thomas; they'll have found their pass-rush star at exactly the right time. The first few weeks of the season should tell us whether Adebawore is ready for that role, but Ikard has already put a spotlight on him before he has played a meaningful snap in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Adepoju Adebawore predicted to have breakout season by Gabe Ikard
