How Oklahoma DE Danny Okoye has Approached Offseason After Quiet First Year

Danny Okoye has yet to record a stat, but his coaches and teammates believe his potential is as high as anyone’s on the roster.

Okoye, a defensive end, played in just two games in 2024, redshirting his first season in Norman.

Listed at 6-3 and 245 pounds, Okoye brings athleticism that will stand out on the Sooners’ line in 2025, per OU coach Brent Venables.

“Pound for pound, maybe our best athlete on the football team,” Venables said at Thursday’s OU Football Coaches Luncheon.

Okoye came to Oklahoma with lofty expectations.

The defensive end was a consensus 4-star prospect in the Class of 2024, ranked No. 78 overall in On3’s rankings. He chose the Sooners instead of offers from Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, Texas and several other major programs.

Okoye didn’t see much action in his first year with the program, appearing only in OU’s games against Temple and Maine. 

His limited snap count was mainly the product of excellent play from Ethan Downs — now on the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars — and breakout star R Mason Thomas, who opted to put his NFL future on hold and play another season in Norman.

Thomas doesn’t expect Okoye’s role to be limited again in 2025, as Okoye now has a better grasp of OU’s defensive schemes.

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“He's always been athletic, but for him to get the calls and the plays down, know what he's doing, he's gonna be an even better player,” Thomas said.

Downs has now graduated, but Florida State transfer Marvin Jones Jr. will likely take over his starting reps at left defensive end. Jones is a former 5-star prospect, who played two seasons at Georgia before transferring to FSU.

Joining Okoye in the reserve group are Taylor Wein and Adepoju Adebawore. Wein, from Tennessee, played in 12 of OU’s 13 games in 2024, though he primarily played on special teams. Adebawore is a former 5-star prospect who has yet to start a game for the Sooners in his first two seasons on campus.

Between the athleticism and returning experience of the defensive end group, OU players and coaches alike see it as a strength.

“My favorite players are guys that love to compete, they know how to finish, and a group of guys that allow you to push and challenge them and don’t break,” Venables said. “They’re unbreakable, they push you to challenge them, they respond.”

Thomas added, “PJ, T-Wein, then you've got Danny, Marvin Jones, it's like we've got experience altogether. So our D-line is just cold."

It’s hard to predict when Okoye will get his first start. Thomas and Jones seem to have their ends solidified, so it may not even happen in 2025.

But when he does get the call, Thomas and Venables both expect him to be ready.

“Danny has all of it,” Thomas said. “So when Danny gets this defense down and uses his skillset, it's gonna be even crazier.”

Venables said, "Everything he does is wide open.”