With less than one day from the Sooners
' opener against UTEP, they are trending to add another defensive lineman to their roster for the 2026 season.
The Cleveland County District Court granted Braxton Fely
- a former starting defensive tackle at Boise State - a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, allowing him to enter the transfer portal and compete in 2026.
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Per the court documents, Fely intends to play his fifth college football season at Oklahoma
.
Fely played four seasons at Boise State. According to Pete Nakos of On3
, Fely was invited to an NFL mini-camp but never signed a professional contract.
The defensive tackle made a key impact in each of his four seasons at Boise State.
In 2022, his true freshman campaign, Fely appeared in all 14 of the Broncos' games. His role expanded in 2023, as Fely started 14 games at defensive tackle and led the Mountain West with three forced fumbles.
As a junior in 2024, Fely took home All-Mountain West Second Team honors after racking up 24 total tackles, 14 solo tackles, nine tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
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Fely was an All-Mountain West Second Team pick again in 2025. He registered 24 total tackles, seven solo tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks and helped the Broncos finish 9-5.
Fely is a native of Orem, Utah. He was a 3-star recruit in the Class of 2022, per ESPN and 247Sports.
With or without Fely, Oklahoma's defensive line is expected to be one of the nation's best in 2026.
The Sooners retained stars David Stone
and Jayden Jackson
- both juniors - after the two of them
combined for 70 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 2025. Fighting for playing time behind Stone and Jackson will be Trent Wilson
, Nigel Smith II, James Carringtonand Bishop Thomas.
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Fely isn't the only fifth-year defensive lineman attempting to join OU's roster in 2026.
Danny Saili, who previously played at Arkansas
, committed to Oklahoma in August
after a Colorado judge ruled that fifth-year student-athletes were eligible to compete in 2026, thanks to the NCAA's new "five-for-five" framework. Colorado's 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, though, stayed the ruling a few weeks later, leaving Saili ineligible.
On Thursday, Cleveland County District Court judge Thad Balkmangranted Saili - and a handful of other student-athletes -a temporary restraining order, granting him the ability to play in 2026 until the injunction hearing.
Saili stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 319 pounds. He finished the 2025 season with 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahoma as Oklahoma Might get Additional Help From Transfer Portal Defensive Lineman
.
