Armed With Experience, R Mason Thomas Believes the Ceiling is 'Really High' for Oklahoma's Defensive Line

Thomas led the team with nine sacks last year, which helped him land on the All-SEC preseason second team. 

Across from Thomas, Adepoju Adebawore enters his third year in the program, while redshirt freshmen Taylor Wein and Danny Okoye enter their second year. 

In the middle, Gracen Halton, Damonic Williams, Jayden Jackson and David Stone all return key experience from 2024.

Halton added five sacks, 30 total tackles and six tackles for loss last year, Williams totaled 35 tackles and Jackson earned Freshman All-American honors with 30 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks. 

"Our ceiling is high, and it all starts with our leadership coming from me, PJ (Adebawore), Dom Williams, Gracen Halton, it all comes from that,” Thomas said. “Our ceiling can be however high we want, and whatever we tolerate is what goes. Whatever we tolerate, that's what the young guys are gonna tolerate.”

Venables also made a few additions over the offseason. 

Read More Oklahoma Football

• CB Courtland Guillory 'Learns Fast', Giving Him a Shot to Make an Impact in 2025
• Brent Venables, Oklahoma Defense Receive Praise from Opposing SEC Players
• Senior Year: Assessing Brent Venables’ First Recruiting Class
• 'Athletic Freak' WR Elijah Thomas is Picking Up Oklahoma's Offense Quickly

Along with the freshmen, who reported over the winter, OU signed former Georgia and Florida State defensive end Marvin Jones Jr. 

Jones brings two years of SEC experience, as well as 41 career tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks over the past three years. 

Williams and Jackson were both essential in Oklahoma’s run defense a year ago. 

The Sooners allowed 115.1 yards per game on the ground, which ranked 24th in the country last year, and Jackson has plenty of room to improve as a sophomore. 

“Our competitive depth just gets even better,” Thomas said. “For him coming in as a starter as a freshman, that says a lot. He has to go do it again. To have competitive depth like that for our 1s and 2s, fighting for that starting job, it’s really good for our team. That competitive depth helps us elevate anybody who wants to get better.”

It’ll be hard to replace linebacker Danny Stutsman, but improvement in the trenches will only make things easier for Kip Lewis, Kobie McKinzie and Sammy Omosigo up the middle. 

Armed with experience, Thomas aims to lead the defensive line and make the most of his final season of college football.

“Experience in college football and the SEC, you already know what to expect and how to prepare,” Thomas said. “You know what to take away, you know what to give a little bit more into. For us, a bunch of us have known each other for more than three years. To have that level of trust, connection and interaction that’s so strong.

“… So however we can nurture and facilitate our defensive line, our ceiling can be whatever it wants to be. And I think it can be really high."