Sooners LB Owen Heinecke Granted Injunction to Play In 2026 Season

During the injunction hearing, Heiencke’s legal team member, Mary Quinn Cooper, stated that the NCAA didn’t treat the OU linebacker in “good faith,” with Judge Balkman agreeing with Heinecke’s legal team. During Judge Balkman’s ruling he stated, “It was really helpful to examine how Mr. Heinecke’s case was viewed. What was submitted to the NCAA. What was considered and what was not considered, in comparison with other cases. And I believe, because of that failure to consider the totality of the circumstances, that he was not treated in good faith.”

Heiencke’s legal team also made it very clear that they were going to use precedence set with, what Heinecke’s counsel called “eerily similar cases,” when talking about a female basketball player that played the 2025-26 season even though her decision was not fully ruled upon by the NCAA. Heinecke’s counsel also noted that the case wasn’t even in the database for the NCAA. With that, Heinecke’s legal team made the case the NCAA was either unorganized or made quick judgement without fully looking to Heinecke’s case.

“We got three or four answers why [that similar case] would not be in the database. The last of which, it hadn’t really been approved yet,” Heinecke’s legal team member Mary Quinn Cooper said the to media after the injunction hearing. “And this young woman finished her season on March 7th. So how in the world six weeks later are they still waiting to approve the decision to let her play. And really those are the kinds of factors that we see in the way the NCAA treats their student-athletes that causes this inconsistency. It’s kind of willy-nilly.”

On the other side, the NCAA, and their legal team member Taylor Askew, argued that Heinecke “chose” to play lacrosse at Ohio State, with him having choices to play for the armed service academies and other divisions of football after graduation from Tulsa (OK) Bishop Kelley.

Heinecke’s legal team combated that, with him coming on late after playing behind a teammate that eventually went to Oklahoma State, along with COVID happening. According to Heinecke’s legal team, it was at that point that he was unable to be seen in-person by college coaches. All of that combined to help halt his recruiting during his senior year of high school.

Similar happened at OU, with Heinecke arriving and injuring his shoulder in the 2021-22 season, only to be denied a medical waiver. The NCAA denied the waiver saying that Heinecke and OU never submitted information on the injury. However, during the hearing, Mary Quinn Cooper showed that OU submitted 171 pages of medical records.

Those two years, between lacrosse and Heinecke not getting a medical waiver for the 2021-22 season, were part of Heinecke’s slower development. Development that Oklahoma GM Jim Nagy came up on the podium and spoke about during his time on witness stand. While on the stand, Nagy stated that Heinecke didn’t start coming onto the scene for NFL scouts until the OU at Tennessee game. Nagy went onto to state that having NFL scouts looking at Heinecke from the start of fall camp would be a big plus.

“To have a bigger runway, would huge,” Nagy said of Heinecke now having scouts very much aware of him to start the 2026 season and having a second year to impress. “The NFL tries to avoid one-year wonders. Owen’s a half year wonder right now. He has a lot to gain by coming back.”

As for the ruling itself and the Sooners LB reaction, Heinecke was overjoyed and relieved by the verdict allowing his return to OU for the 2026 season. The Sooners LB expressed that relief when he met with the media following Judge Thad Balkman’s ruling.

“My heart was racing harder than it is before games when I was up on the witness stand. Pretty crazy day. Pretty surreal to have the case taken this far,” Heinecke said to the media after being granted his eligibility for 2026. “Super grateful for it all. I am excited. Just not really over the decision yet. But I am excited.”

Heinecke had 74 tackles, 12 TFLs, 3 sacks 4 pass deflections and 1 forced fumble during the 2025 season. A season he played in 13 games, but became a much bigger presence halfway through.

Heinecke’s full legal team was led by Mary Quinn Cooper of McAfee & Taft, along with former OU chief of staff Woody Glass, Tyler Ames, Andrew Richardson, and Michael Lauderdale.

LATEST ON RIVALS100 CB GABRIEL OSBORNE JR

As noted above, Sooners’ staffers Brandon Hall and Lamar Morgan stopped by Mustang (OK) to see the five-star ranged cornerback today. A source close to the situation — on the OU side of things — told OUInsider that Oklahoma has to not only make Osborne know he is the top priority, but also make sure he’s aware that he is one of the top guys on on the Sooners’ board, with Osborne an instate target for OU. Essentially, treat him like he’s a top target from a few other big-name states.

“You have to recruit him like he’s an out-of-state target. You can’t just recruit someone like Gabe [Osborne] like he’s just another instate kid on your board that you want,” a source told OUInsider about how one has to make Osborne more than just another top instate target. “Instate kids are always the most important, but when they are a five-star and instate, you have to treat him like he’s from Florida, Texas or California. Use the same resources for him as you would an elite target from outside the Oklahoma state boarders. That means extra NIL that would use on out-of-state targets needs to be done with him and others of his talent level.”

So far, the Sooners have done just that but there seems to be more of a plan to ramp up their push for Osborne as well. Especially, with the elite OKPreps target making spring visits to Miami, Alabama, Ohio State and Ole Miss over the last few weeks, along with also making multiple stops in Norman.

“I need a break. I am tired of traveling. Not a big fan of all of that and want to focus on my team here in Mustang,” Osborne told me in the last 48 hours. “I’m not even going back to OU for their last practice because I want to take a break and get my officials down.”

As of today, sources seem to feel that Alabama and Ohio State will get officials, along with Oklahoma. Ole Miss is another that could come in and get an official visit, but not something I have a good feel for just yet.

Two other schools that could be of interest down the line would be Michigan and Georgia. Obviously, Osborne hasn’t visited either this spring, but both are trying to work in a late OV with the Rivals100 and OKPreps star ATH. Add that Osborne’s family originally hails from the Peach State and it makes the Bulldogs more of something to, potentially, watch down the line. Especially with mom being born there and grandparents and other relatives still living in GA.

As for the Sooners’ chances, I still really like them. It’s not a given, by any stretch of the imagination, that Osborne ends up a Sooner in the end. That said, what I can tell you all is that CB coach Lamar Morgan is one of the better recruiters to have pushing for Osborne. There is a relation there that makes sense. Something we can dive into after NSD, no matter how it turns out. However, what I can add to that is that the two get each other, according to Osborne himself. And in the world of recruiting that goes a long way.

The rest will be feeling on the OVs and NIL. That latter being what most people focus on, but at OU Osborne it the Sooners top target. That is very important to him. So much that Ohio State and Bama have also made Osborne feel very comfortable.

“I liked Bama a lot. Just really enjoyed getting to know the staff and the people there. That trip was really cool,” Osborne told OUInsider.

Still, you can expect the Sooners to be back by Mustang to see Osborne, again, before the spring recruiting period ends. And as Coach Morgan continues to recruit Osborne, he also has been building a strong relationship with Osborne’s mother and those around him that matter. Will that be enough when you take all of that and add the Sooners’ NIL package to it all? There is a good chance, but like I said, it’s far from a foregone conclusion.

That happens when you’re dealing with one of the top-5 CBs in 2027. Even with that being the case, I continue to feel OU wins out in the end. I do have a longstanding pick for Osborne to OU, along with others that joined me, but there are some big visits left.

We will continue to update you all as this moves along.

LATEST ON OKPREPS AND RIVALS200 LB CASE ALEXANDER

Another critical OKPreps target — for the 2027 class — is four-star and Rivals200 LB Case Alexander. The four-star LB, and Sooners’ legacy, has been an important target for Oklahoma LB coach Nate Dreiling and head coach Brent Venables for quite a while now.

The big hold up in the Alexander recruitment is something that hails from the past. That issue was the fact Oklahoma was, for all intents and purposes, late the party with Alexander’s older brother, Cooper, back in the 2024 class. However, the Sooners were far from late with Case Alexander. As a matter of fact, the Sooners were one of the first to thrown their hat on the proverbial table with the Washington (OK) four-star target.

Even with that being the case, Oklahoma is playing catchup a bit if they want to land 2027 Rivals200 LB. That’s why the Sooners made it a point to visit Alexander on the first day their staff hit the road recruiting during the spring evaluation period. Staffers Brandon Hall and Nate Dreiling, both, stopped by to see Alexander and visit with him and his dad, Stephen, who was an All-Big 12 TE at OU before playing in the NFL (2nd round draft pick and 48th overall) for nearly a decade.

So, where do things stand with OU? As noted above, I do think they are playing catchup a bit with Penn State, who was the staff at Iowa State when Case’s older brother, Cooper, committed to the Cyclones. Having said that, I also feel as if the Sooners, and Nate Dreiling, have been more than formidable in combatting the “comfortability” that the Alexander’s have with the PSU staff some.

Will it shock me if the Sooners get an official visit from Alexander? No, not all. As a matter of fact, Alexander has one set up (though never guaranteed it takes place in recruiting). Plus, I think Oklahoma has continued to be very consistent in their pursuit of Alexander. So much so that sources have made it clear that when NIL talks have come up, the Sooners have begun to really up their game in that department. A lot of that is due to Sooners head coach Brent Venables, a source told OUInsider.

“Taven Epps and Cooper Witten is a very, very good haul [for OU],” the source told OUInsider. “But if you add a Cooper Alexander to that duo it gets to be downright elite. And from everything coming out of the Switzer Center, it truly sounds like Coach [Brent] Venables wants Case [Alexander] very badly in the 2027 class.”

When something like that is said, it’s a pretty good sign of the importance of a recruit to a certain school. Particularly when it comes to the head coach being so staunch about it. And when you look at the Sooners’ roster for the 2027 season, you also realize that Owen Heinecke and Kip Lewis will be gone. That makes adding talents like Epps, Witten and, potentially, Alexander very important for the next season.

Still, I would favor the Nittany Lions over the Sooners at this time. Is there still a chance for Coach Dreiling and OU to make their mark and win this battle? Sure. But the fact OU is in this battle, and the reasons for the battle to begin with, makes it feel like there might be a bigger climb up the hill to catch PSU than some might think.

Either way, the Sooners stopped by on day one of spring evaluation period and will be back again later on this spring as well. That means there will be more chances to make their mark and gain some steam heading into OV season in late May and throughout June.

Oklahoma hosts Alexander on his OV to OU on June 12-14th.

We will keep you updated no matter what, so stay tuned to OUInsider for more as we get it.

SOME QUICK NOTES ON OTHER TARGETS OKLAHOMA WILL BE SEEING THE NEXT SEVEN TO TEN DAYS

JuJu Johnson

*** Oklahoma will be out to see a lot of the 2028 and 2029 targets at IMG Academy tomorrow (Thursday, April, 23rd). After that, sources tell OUInsider that Oklahoma hasn’t given up on five-star CB Joshua Dobson.

The 2027 Charlotte (NC) target dropped a top five of Michigan, LSU, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Auburn. The lone team was Michigan and that was long spearheaded by new OU cornerbacks coach Lamar Morgan, who recruited Dobson to Ann Arbor for several years before taking the CB job in Norman.

Dobson visited the Sooners during the season, so the visit to see Dobson makes a ton of sense when you combine his initial interest in OU (when Jay Valai was CB coach) and the close relationship that Dobson has with Coach Morgan. With that, you have to feel the Sooners are going to try and make a late push to get an OV from Dobson and see where that takes things.

We will have more on that trip to see the five-star DB over the next week, so stay tuned.

*** Oklahoma is also out seeing Rivals100 safety target Bode Sparrow tomorrow, per sources. The Sooners and safety coach Brandon Hall remain in prime position for the elite safety from Utah. So much so that most have put in RPM’s and predictions in favor of the Sooners with Sparrow.

Oklahoma is battling the likes of Utah, BYU, Michigan and Texas A&M for his services. Oklahoma will be hosting the elite safety on an OV on May 29th. That is the annual ChampU BBQ the Sooners host every spring.

We at OUInsider really like the Sooners’ chances to land Sparrow in the end. The national analysts feel the same with picks in for OU with Sparrow.

OUInsider will keep a watchful eye on things as OV season heats up and keep you all informed following Coach Hall’s visit to Utah.

*** Next week, the Sooners will be out in California to see several targets. One of those at the at the top of their board is Rivals100 CB Juju Johnson. Another target that feels very much like the Sooners to lose. Oklahoma and CB coach Lamar Morgan are battling Miami, California, UCLA and Michigan for the Rivals100 CBs services.

Johnson has a commitment date timeline of June 27th. The four-star CB is taking his OU official visit on June 12-14th.

Oklahoma’s standing with Johnson is also due to the strong, strong relationship support and recruiting staffer Stacey Ford has with the Rivals100 target.

Again, still favor the Sooners here but will keep you all updated on everything as we get more.

*** Oklahoma DT Todd Bates is supposed to be heading to Mississippi to see three-star DT commit Deven Robertson this week. Sources on the Magnolia State side of things also tell OUInsider that Coach Bates will by to see fast-rising 2028 three-star DT Geraci Carson this week as well.

Oklahoma has yet to offer Carson, but as things stand, there is a feeling that the Sooners are set to do just that in days to come — as long as things work out like they are supposed to. OU would joining the likes of LSU, Ole Miss, Miss State, Miami, Alabama, Texas A&M and several others that have already thrown their proverbial hat in the ring for Carson.

Carson is a player I saw at the National Combine in San Antonio this past January and really, really liked him. His size and twitchiness is rare. He’s a player I could see skyrocketing in the rankings as the 2028 class continues to be evaluated as well.

If the Oklahoma was to offer Carson, I also think they have a decent chance to land him. I am basing that off talking to sources that know that recruitment, along with Carson’s desire to stay within the SEC.

We will have more on Carson if the Sooners and Coach Bates do extend an offer.