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The Oklahoma Sooners are expecting big things out of their defense in 2026. A year ago, it was one of the best units in football, but this season, they'll have to find players to step into bigger roles. Especially along the defensive line, where they lost R Mason Thomas, Gracen Halton, Marvin Jones Jr., and Damonic Williams to the NFL.
Taylor Wein got a head start on that with a breakout season last year. Now one of the stars of the defense, Wein was asked at SEC media days who he expects to have a big season for the Sooners' defensive line.
"I think you look up and down. Adepoju "P.J." Adebawore has played consistent ball, "Wein said. "I live with him, and I know his goals and his mindset has changed, and he's ready, attacking it better. And so we expect a lot out of P.J., and he expects even more out of himself. We're excited to see him put it together. We know he's going to do a great job for us."
Adebawore was a five-star signee in the 2023 recruiting class, Brent Venables' first full recruiting cycle as the head coach of the University of Oklahoma. Adebawore's career with the Sooners has had a rough go of it. He's battled injuries during offseasons and in-season that have limited his development but with a full offseason of work n 2026, looks primed to help replace the snaps and production lost by the departures of Thomas and Jones.
According to Pro Football Focus, Adebawore played 283 snaps in all 13 games in 2025. He played more than 20 snaps in a game seven times, including an average of 28.5 snaps per game during the four-game absence of R Mason Thomas in November. Adebawore played well in those four games, recording five total stops, three pressures, and a sack.
Adebawore has the size and the length to be incredibly disruptive off the edge as a pass rusher and run defender. With Wein's endorsement (Wein was Thomas' pick to break out last year), it seems like now's the time for Adebawore to explode onto the scene.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma's Taylor Wein predicts breakout season for former five-star
