The Oklahoma Sooners enter the 2026 college football season without many question marks on the defensive side of the ball. The Sooners possess one of the best defensive units in the sport. However, the question marks the team has usually have to do with depth at certain positions. Cornerback is a position where the Sooners feel confident. Eli Bowen and Courtland Guillory are established starters and Jacobe Johnson has been a very good rotational player in his career. However, Oklahoma likes to be able to play four cornerbacks, and after losing Devon Jordan to the transfer portal, that leaves the fourth spot up for grabs. Former Sooner All-American linebacker Teddy Lehman said that he thinks former Oklahoma preps star Trystan Haynes could be the guy to take that spot and get into the rotation. "I really like Trystan Haynes," Lehman said on 'The Oklahoma Breakdown with Ikard and Lehman.' "I've seen some really good stuff from him." Haynes' emergence would give Oklahoma another young, talented option in the secondary and allow the Sooners to keep their top cornerbacks fresh throughout the season. It would also give the coaching staff more flexibility with its defensive personnel and coverage packages. The fact that Lehman is already impressed with what he's seeing from Haynes is worth monitoring as fall camp continues. He doesn't need to force his way into a starting role to make an impact. If he can prove he deserves consistent snaps, that alone would be a major development for Oklahoma. The Sooners' defense is already expected to be one of the team's biggest strengths in 2026. If Haynes can become a dependable fourth cornerback, Oklahoma could eliminate one of the few depth concerns standing in the way of that unit reaching its full potential.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on X @jaronspor. This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Former OK preps star turning heads during Oklahoma's fall camp