Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke has been involved in a tussle with the NCAA over his eligibility status ahead of next season. The NCAA denied Heinecke’s initial waiver for a sixth season in January, and the Sooners’ follow-up appeal was also denied, leaving only the legal route open for the linebacker.
Amid the myriad of legal cases of student-athletes seeking extra years of eligibility, headlined by Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, Heinecke’s case has not commanded much media attention.
GM Jim Nagy: Oklahoma Not Giving Up on Owen Heinecke’s Eligibility
During an interview with “OU Insider” on Monday, Oklahoma general manager Jim Nagy revealed that the Sooners were not giving up on Heinecke’s potential return to Norman next season.
“We’re still working through some of that,” Nagy said. “We’re not giving up. Owen’s just a guy you want to fight for. And we’ve got a locker room full of great young men, and Owen’s incredible. Been in a lot of close contact with he and his dad through this process and through Owen’s Senior Bowl and combine.”
“And he came back last week, and we were watching practice together, and I think it got him really juiced up about potentially maybe coming back here and being a Sooner, being around his teammates again and seeing those guys work,” he said.
Heinecke’s case is complicated by the fact that he appeared in three lacrosse games for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2021 before entering the transfer portal to join Oklahoma. The linebacker missed the 2022 season due to injury and played mainly on special teams in 2023 and 2024.
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Heinecke’s breakout came in 2025, as he emerged as a key member of the Sooners’ elite defense that earned a PFSN College Defense Ranking Impact score of 95.8, the best in the SEC and No. 3 overall in the country.
His impressive breakout season earned him invitations to both the Senior Bowl in Alabama and the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis, keeping the pro route open to the talented linebacker.
According to Nagy, the Sooners have accounted for the possibility that Heinecke may not win his eligibility battle, and coach Brent Venables added former Michigan Wolverines linebacker Cole Sullivan to the roster via the transfer portal.
“We had to account for Owen not being here, right?” Nagy said. “So we did what we did in the portal to do that. But again, if there’s any sliver of hope of getting Owen back, we’re going to do that. And it’s not hard on me, it’s the hardest thing on Owen.”
In a dominant Sooners defense, Heinecke tallied 74 total tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 4 passes defended last season.
