Oklahoma defensive lineman changing positions ahead of 2026 season

It looks like one of the defensive linemen for the Oklahoma Sooners will be making a position change in advance of the new season, as OU is just days away from kicking off the new year. On3 SoonerScoop.com's Parker Thune reported that a player on the defensive side of the ball was going to be switching to offense, and it looks like Oklahoma has given away who that is.

On the official roster, the Sooners now list former defensive lineman CJ Nickson at the tight end position. Nickson is a sophomore who did not play for OU in his first season with the program in 2025. A local product and one of the top players in the state of Oklahoma in the 2025 recruiting class, Nickson played on both sides of the ball at Weatherford High School. He came to OU to play defensive lineman, more specifically, defensive end.