Oklahoma Sooners LB denied extra year of eligibility by the NCAA
The Oklahoma Sooners have been waiting to learn if they'll have star linebacker Owen Heinecke with them for the 2026 season. He has been fighting for an extra year of eligibility, however, bad news on that front arrived Tuesday. After the NCAA denied Heinecke's petition for another year of college football, the latest update makes his plight to play again even more dire.
According to multiple reports, the NCAA has denied Heinecke's appeal of their initial decision , meaning he has not been given an additional year of eligibility. That means he cannot play collegiately in 2026. According to On3 SoonerScoop's George Stoia IIII, "it’s unclear if Heinecke will take legal action against the NCAA, with some athletes having success when going that route. He intends to participate in the NFL scouting combine this week in Indianapolis."
Though there's a small chance this isn't the end of the road for Heinecke's quest to play another year of college ball, it's reportedly unclear at this time if he wants to pursue the legal route to get an injunction or temporary restraining order against the NCAA. When Oklahoma general manager Jim Nagy announced the first denial of Heinecke's decision, he said, "NCAA has denied Owen Heinecke's petition for another year at OU ... There will be an appeal. If that appeal is denied, one lucky NFL team is going to get a stud two-contract player and an even better human being. Love everything you're about, Owen. You stand for everything that is pure and great about college football."
Heinecke was a redshirt junior for the Sooners in 2025, which was his fourth season in the program. He did not play in 2022, and he played in all 13 games in 2023 and 2024, mainly on special teams. Despite just three seasons of college football action, the NCAA is counting three games of lacrosse at Ohio State in 2021, totaling about 15 minutes of playing time, against Heinecke's eligibility. They've decided he has exhausted his collegiate eligibility. That decision stands, despite other players in college football being granted sixth, seventh, eighth and even ninth years of eligibility.
The 2025 season was a breakout one for Heinecke. He produced 74 tackles, four passes defended, three sacks and one forced fumble in his first significant college football action. He became a starter at inside linebacker during OU's "Red November" run to the College Football Playoff, and he never looked back. He was a big piece of Oklahoma's defensive success.
As it stands, the Sooners will have to replace Heinecke's production at linebacker from an excellent season last year. With the NCAA denying him more additional eligibility not once, but twice, Heinecke will need to decide how long and how strongly he wants to fight this battle, or if he'd rather get ready for his next chapter in the 2026 NFL draft, where he's likely to hear his name called to start his professional career.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: NCAA denies appeal for Sooners LB to get extra year of eligibility
