NCAA denies Owen Heinecke’s waiver for more eligibility at Oklahoma
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The NCAA denied Oklahoma veteran linebacker Owen Heinecke another season of eligibility with the Sooners with his waiver being turned down.
The news that will heavily impact Oklahoma’s defense for the 2026 season was reported by OU general manager Jim Nagy, who posted it on his social media account on Thursday night.
Heinecke is a member of the 2021 cycle, so his 5-year clock has expired. But the 6-foot-1, 227-pound Tulsa native who made a heavy impact with the powerhouse program in his home state wanted to play 1 more year. That chance is seemingly gone now, although Nagy noted in his post on Thursday night that Heinecke will appeal the NCAA’s decision, so the saga is not quite over yet.
If that appeal is denied, then Heinecke will head to the NFL to try to play on Sundays next fall.
Not surprisingly, Nagy didn’t take the NCAA’s decision well, writing in his post: “When other players are being granted 7th and 8th years of football, CFB governing body has ruled Owen won’t get a 4th year. Evidently, this walk-on’s three games of lacrosse at Ohio State in 2021 couldn’t be reconciled.”
Nagy applauded Heinecke in his post, hoping that he would win his appeal but paying homage to the player who contributed so much for the Sooners, just in case that appeal doesn’t go his way.
“If that appeal is denied, one lucky NFL team is going to get a stud two-contract player and an even better human being. Love everything you’re about, Owen. You stand for everything that is pure and great about college football,” Nagy wrote.
If the 2025 season was indeed Heinecke’s last one in college football, he certainly went out with a bang. Heinecke finished 2nd on the Sooners with 74 tackles (34 of them solo) and 12 tackles-for-loss.
He was everywhere on the field this past fall, adding 4 pass breakups, 3 sacks, 2 quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
Now, it appears Heinecke’s long collegiate journey is over, but there is still that appeal which could change everything for him in 2026.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
