Oklahoma DE R Mason Thomas Singles Out Two Candidates for Breakout Seasons

R Mason Thomas came out of nowhere in 2024 and became a star for the Sooners.

Thomas, a junior in 2024, had never started a game for OU until last year. And once he finally got first-team reps, Thomas became a staple in Oklahoma’s defense.

A defensive end, Thomas finished the year with 12.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 23 total tackles. He played in all 13 of OU’s games and started 11.

Now entering his senior year as an established veteran, Thomas expects several players on OU’s defense to have breakout campaigns.

But the defensive end singled out two guys who particularly stood out during spring ball: defensive ends Taylor Wein and Adepoju Adebawore.

“Those are two, for sure,” Thomas said at SEC Media Days in Atlanta on Wednesday. “They want it.”

Inconsistent play and a 2024 injury have prevented Adebawore from reaching the sky-high expectations that he arrived with.

Adebawore, from Kansas City, was a consensus 5-star and top-25 prospect in the Class of 2023. He chose the Sooners over Arkansas, Missouri and Northwestern.

Adebawore has appeared in 23 games for the Sooners but has yet to start one. He has combined for just 10 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and one pass breakup between his first two seasons.

An ankle injury forced Adebawore to miss OU’s games against Tennessee, Missouri and Alabama. He played in the Sooners’ regular-season finale against LSU and the Armed Forces Bowl against Navy but entered the spring with the injury lingering.

Thomas said Adebawore took his injury rehab very seriously throughout the spring and continued to improve.

“Get him healthy, he’s going to be a player to watch out for this upcoming year,” Thomas said.

Wein played in 12 of OU’s 13 games in 2024 after appearing in just one contest and redshirting as a true freshman. He primarily played on special teams during his redshirt freshman year, making two unassisted tackles in the Sooners’ win against Maine.

Wein came to Oklahoma as a 4-star prospect, per Rivals, and chose the Sooners over SEC foes Kentucky and Ole Miss.

Thomas believes Wein’s offseason program has been among the strongest on Oklahoma’s roster, and he said that’s the recipe for a breakout season — like the one Thomas produced in 2024.

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“Taylor Wein wants it,” Thomas said. “You can tell, so I'm not gonna be surprised when y'all are talking about him in the media and whenever he gets five sacks and it's, like, going crazy.”

Oklahoma is deeper at defensive end than most other position groups.

On the right side is Thomas, while Florida State transfer Marvin Jones Jr. will likely start on the left end. The Sooners have reliable options in Adebawore, Wein, Danny Okoye and Nigel Smith II to back up those two.

While Wein might not see as many reps as Thomas, the veteran defensive end expects Wein to be one of OU’s most impactful defenders.

“It won't be a surprise because obviously I see him every day, y'all don't, so for him to be like that, that's a recipe for success,” Thomas said.

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