NORMAN, Okla. — Oklahoma’s unusual September roster additions are beginning to look less like a long-term insurance policy and more like players who could soon help the Sooners navigate an immediate depth test.
Defensive tackle Danny Saili has already played. The three players who arrived after him — defensive lineman Braxton Fely, cornerback D’Yoni Hill and linebacker Jaydon Southard — are now taking practice repetitions and being evaluated for possible special-teams roles.
Whether any of those three make their Oklahoma debuts Saturday against New Mexico remains undecided.
But they have moved closer.
“They’re getting reps in practice,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said Monday. “We need to continue to develop the depth of our team.”
Venables said the Sooners are working to involve a couple of the newcomers on special teams, an area in which they brought productive college tape with them. He stopped short of promising that any would play this week.
“Whether it’s this week or in the coming weeks, I’m not trying to be evasive,” Venables said. “I just don’t want to assume anything. How’s the week going to go? You’ve got to earn that trust, and you’ve got to execute what we want them to do. But they’re actually getting in there and getting reps right now.”
The distinction matters. Oklahoma did not add four experienced defenders simply to increase the number of players standing on its sideline. General manager Jim Nagy and Venables pursued them because the Sooners anticipated the attrition that comes with an SEC schedule and believed each could strengthen the roster without disrupting its chemistry.
“My job is to make this the best roster I can make it,” Nagy said last week.
Nagy described football as a violent sport with a long season and said Oklahoma intentionally preserved roster space while the court cases affecting the players’ eligibility were resolved. He also stressed that the Sooners never considered cutting current players to create room for the additions.
“We weren’t going to ever cut any players,” Nagy said. “That was never a consideration. Just looking to upgrade the team — it’s a violent sport, it’s a long season, and we are happy about what we did.”
The value of that planning became easier to see at Michigan.
Oklahoma lost starting linebacker Kip Lewis during the game. Venables subsequently said Lewis will miss time, although his update on Sooners Sports Talk was more encouraging than the initial outlook.
“I think we got maybe some good news there,” Venables said. “He’ll be back sooner than maybe we initially thought.”
There is still no announced date for Lewis’ return. Until he is available, Oklahoma must absorb the loss of one of its most experienced and versatile defenders.
The first answers will come from players who were already in the linebacker rotation. Owen Heinecke responded with 10 tackles after Lewis exited at Michigan. James Nesta and Cole Sullivan also received important snaps, and Venables said both graded as winners.
Sullivan’s development has been particularly encouraging. Venables said he improved as the Michigan game progressed, contributed at linebacker and excelled on special teams.
“He’s making big jumps fast,” Venables said.
Southard now gives Oklahoma another experienced option to develop behind that group. He recorded 114 tackles for Stephen F. Austin last season and arrived with a background that could translate quickly to special teams. That does not make him an automatic replacement for Lewis, especially in a defense that demands detailed communication and assignment discipline, but it gives the Sooners another viable body in a position room that suddenly needs one.
The possible benefit extends beyond linebacker.
Fely produced 67 tackles and 14 sacks during four seasons at Boise State. While preparing for New Mexico this week, Venables saw Fely appear on the Lobos’ film from their previous meeting with Boise State.
“There’s Braxton making plays,” Venables said.
Hill, who started nine games for Wisconsin in 2025, adds experience at cornerback. His presence could strengthen the secondary rotation while also creating more flexibility on coverage units.
Saili is providing the blueprint for how quickly a late arrival can reach the field. He joined Oklahoma before the other three, completed his acclimation process and earned snaps against UTEP and Michigan.
His progress has caught the attention of the defensive line.
“It’s impressive,” defensive tackle Jayden Jackson said Tuesday. “You guys don’t see his work.”
Jackson said Saili works with co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Todd Bates every day as he learns Oklahoma’s playbook “in and out.” Saili’s previous SEC experience has helped him recognize blocking schemes and formations, but Jackson said Venables’ defense presents a more expansive system to master.
“Danny’s been flashing here and there,” Jackson said. “A lot of guys are hungry.”
Nagy saw traits that could translate before Saili arrived, describing him as a strong interior defender who improved throughout his final season at Arkansas. Nagy called Fely disruptive and praised his hands, providing Oklahoma with two different styles of experienced defensive-line help.
The additions do not eliminate the impact of Lewis’ absence, nor do they guarantee that Oklahoma will suddenly unveil four new defensive contributors against New Mexico.
Their value is cumulative.
Southard can deepen the linebacker room and compete for special-teams snaps. Fely and Saili can help Oklahoma preserve its defensive front across a long schedule. Hill adds another experienced option in the secondary. If the newcomers take special-teams roles, they may also reduce the workload placed on established contributors who are being asked to handle larger defensive responsibilities.
That is how September roster additions can help compensate for an injury without directly replacing the injured player.
Venables’ requirement remains unchanged: knowledge of the scheme, dependable execution and earned trust. Saili has advanced far enough to play. The other three are now receiving their opportunity to show they can do the same.
For an Oklahoma defense preparing to move forward without Lewis in the short term, their timing could be important.
