OU football LB Owen Heinecke used NCAA court battle to grow as leader for Sooners
· Yahoo Sports
NORMAN — Owen Heinecke described the six months he spent not knowing whether he'd ever wear a Sooner jersey again with one word: weird.
The uncertainty surrounding his NCAA eligibility had the Oklahoma linebacker preparing for two vastly different futures: Going to the NFL or returning to OU.
Visit asg-reflektory.pl for more information.
After a prolonged legal battle, Heinecke is now more excited than ever to be back at his dream school, entering his final season as one of OU's leaders.
It wasn't until midway through the 2025 season when linebackers coach Nate Dreiling brought up to Heinecke that another season wasn't guaranteed.
“I didn't want to bother him with it,” Dreiling said. “But I wanted him to realize, ‘Hey, don't just assume you're going to be coming back. You need to appreciate these moments.’”
Heinecke did, while his attorneys fought to keep his college career alive.
It all began in January, when the NCAA ruled Heinecke had exhausted his eligibility by counting three lacrosse appearances – about 15 total minutes at Ohio State in 2021 – against his eligibility clock. He challenged the decision in court, arguing the COVID-19 pandemic prevented him from being recruited to play football.
As the case made its way through the legal system, Heinecke missed out on winter practices and spring ball.
“Definitely a weird six, seven months for me,” Heinecke said.
During his time away, he did what any other player out of eligibility would do: He began to train for the NFL. Heinecke attended the 2026 NFL Combine and communicated with scouts and coaches.
“I was able to kind of get the sneak peek of what all these NFL scouts think of me and what these coaches want from me going forward,” he said.
Heinecke admitted both of his options — NFL or OU — were good ones, which eased his mind. But there was no question where he wanted to be.
Born and raised in Tulsa, Heinecke developed a love for the school at a young age. It’s infectious throughout the program.
“There's not a guy on our team that loves this university more than him,” assistant linebackers coach Wes Goodwin said.
Primarily playing on special teams in his first two years, Heinecke broke out last season, earning All-SEC Second Team honors with 74 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and three sacks.
This season will be his first as OU's full-time starter. It's the role he always dreamt of earning.
“He grew up dreaming and asking and hoping for this moment,” head coach Brent Venables said. “And he's in the middle of it. He's not taking it for granted. He wants to maximize the small window.”
Heinecke’s decision to return was about more than his individual future.
“He had his goals in the NFL, but also at the same time he was trying to leave a legacy at Oklahoma,” Dreiling said. “So it's a very honorable decision by him to come back right for that latter reason, and I think he's got a chance to leave a huge mark and try to get this team back to championship.”
Even while his future remained unclear, Heinecke's commitment to leaving a legacy was evident. He mentored younger players to take over, if need be, while unable to practice himself in the spring.
“I want to always leave OU better than I found it,” Heinecke said. “So for me, that was pouring into the guys that were going to step into the role that I was able to have last year and just helping them as much as I could.”
Those qualities are why Venables believes Heinecke is invaluable to his team as they chase a championship.
“He could have been one of those guys that was going to worry about his NFL opportunity, his draft ranking, his NIL, and me, me, me, me, me,” Venables said. “He's focused with every ounce of energy, time and fiber in his body into what's best for the team, not necessarily what's best for Owen.”
Heinecke finally got clarity when a Cleveland County District Court judge granted him a preliminary injunction in April for another year of eligibility.
He is now more excited than ever to be back home, starting fall camp and embracing his new role.
“I definitely am riding the momentum of last season, and my goal is to not stay there,” Heinecke said. “It’s to keep growing, and I think a lot of that is kind of the leadership role that I am in now. I'm excited for the year. I'm excited to be a mentor.”
Amanda Avila is a sports intern for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Amanda? She can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @avilaonair. Support Amanda's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football LB Owen Heinecke used NCAA court battle to grow as leader for Sooners