Oklahoma DE R Mason Thomas Makes Watch List for Defensive Player of the Year

Oklahoma has has just one recipient of the Bednarik Award. Linebacker Teddy Lehman won the Bednarik in 2003.

The Bednarik Award is named for Chuck “Concrete Charlie” Bednarik, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the Philadelphia Eagles and College Football Hall of Fame end at Penn University.

A Defense On the Rise

Thomas is actually Oklahoma's second player nominated for national defensive player of the year acolades in 2025. OU linebacker Kip Lewis was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list previously. That award also goes to the national defensive player of the year.

Other defensive Sooners expected to have a big year include linebacker Sammy Omosigho, who along with Lewis was included on the Dick Butkus Award (best linebacker), and safety Robert Spears-Jennings, who landed on the Danny Wuerffel Trophy watch list (citizenship, leadership). And it would be a surprise if Thomas is not on the upcoming Ted Hendricks Award watch list (best defensive end).

Thomas, a 6-foot-2, 249-pound senior from Fort Lauderdale, FL, ranked fifth in the SEC last year with nine quarterback sacks in his first season as a starter. He earned second-team All-SEC recognition and was named second-team preseason All-SEC this offseason. 

Thomas also ranked 35th nationally among edge rushers with an 87.3 grade on pass rushes, according to Pro Football Focus. Thomas was slated for starting duty in 2023 but ran into a series of nagging injuries.

“R Mason was probably the most talented edge in my room going into his second year,” said defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis. “Then he gets ankle injuries. He has 'em in fall camp. He has 'em in his first game back in a home game, and he's out for a long time.  I told y'all R Mason was pretty good. 'We'll see. We'll see.' When you ain't got no ankles, it's hard to play edge. Then he starts his junior year and was the most productive guy and All-SEC, second team.” 

Other OU Nominees

In all, the Sooners now have nine players so far on 11 different preseason watch lists this season.

In addition to the defensive players, running back Jaydn Ott was named to the Doak Walker Award watch list (top running back); quarterback  John Mateer  landed on the Walter Camp Award watch list (national player of the year); Mateer and Ott were also named to the Maxwell Award watch list (national player of the year); transfer kicker Tate Sandell was named to the Lou Groza Award watch list (top kicker), transfer punter Jacob Ulrich was named to the Ray Guy Award watch list (top punter), and long snapper Ben Anderson  was named to the Patrick Mannelly Award watch list.

Oklahoma opens the 2025 season against Illinois State on Saturday, Aug. 30.