Surprising young defensive playmaker turning heads in spring camp, could crack deep Oklahoma rotation early
Oklahoma’s defense returns plenty of stars across the unit. From players like R Mason Thomas and Damonic Williams up front to Kip Lewis manning the middle and Eli Bowen patrolling the sidelines, the Sooners are one of the most talented teams in the country.
However, it’s another young, unheralded player turning heads so far in spring camp and making an impression. Redshirt sophomore Taylor Heim has been a standout performer so far for the Sooners. The 6’6, 221-pound defender could crack Oklahoma’s lineup this season and even contribute at the “Cheetah” position for the Sooners.
Heim was a lightly-recruited player in the 2023 class. The 77th-ranked linebacker in the class out of Yukon, Oklahoma, Heim fielded offers from small schools like Tulsa, Air Force, Louisiana Tech, Ohio, North Texas, Army, and Navy. However, the Sooners offered him late and secured him as part of a class that finished sixth in the country that year.
Heim’s recruiting background as a high schooler is intriguing, and it’s not a surprise to see why the Sooners were interested. He played offense and defense as a quarterback, receiver, and linebacker, and was productive in all three phases. Additionally, Heim also won the 4A long jump state championship as a junior and was a state champion in the 4×100 relay and 4×200 relay.
With numbers like that, it’s not entirely surprising to see Heim standing out in spring. However, the Sooners are fairly deep at Cheetah with Kendal Dolby and Kendal Daniels likely both contributing at that spot. It is encouraging to see another player step forward here though. The Sooners lost Dolby to a season-ending injury early on in 2024, and the rotation of Samuel Omosigho and Woodi Washington here never settled in and limited what the defense could do.
As Oklahoma looks to continue building an elite defense, being as deep as they can across the board is a significant positive in their efforts. If Heim is making as big of an impact as reports state, then having a third contributor at such an underrated position will be a major boon for the Sooners in 2025 and beyond.
