NORMAN — Amid uncertainties surrounding Oklahoma's roster at the end of last season, R Mason Thomas was at the top of the list.

The standout defensive end struggled with injuries his first two seasons, but finally stayed healthy in 2024. He was arguably the Sooners' most impactful defender, starting 11 games while ranking fifth in the SEC in sacks.

With the Sooners' disappointing 6-7 record, and Thomas' standout season, there was speculation that he could declare for the NFL Draft. That speculation went on for weeks, until he finally announced via social media on January 6 that he was returning for his senior year.

During Monday's media availability, Thomas explained the thought process that led to his return.

"I sat down with my coach," Thomas said. "We went through all the film, just wanted to see what I could work on. It was a lot of things I could work on. Not a complete player. And then we were looking at the edge rushers in the draft, and I ultimately just talked to God and decided to come back."

Thomas put plenty of elite moments on tape last season, as he finished with 23 tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery while leading the team in tackles for loss (12.5), sacks (9.0). He was particularly disruptive in the fourth quarter against Tulane, which included three sacks and a strip sack. He also had two sacks against Auburn and generated the pressure that led to Kip Lewis' game-winning pick-six. He also recorded a sack and two tackles for loss in the win over Arkansas.

Most importantly he stayed healthy, logging the fourth-most snaps on the defense (529). As a pure pass rusher, he was one of the most elite in the SEC — his pass-rush grade (87.2) ranked 18th nationally among players who logged at least 200 snaps.

But heading into his senior year, Thomas knows there's other areas where he can improve.

"I wanted to focus on my run game, so with that I needed to add weight, power, lean muscles," Thomas said. "So I got with the nutrition and strength staff to get me right... I went from like 240 (pounds) to 249.

""Just gotta stay with the routine. It's hard to, because it's my third spring, my fourth year, so the consistency is just find the routine and stick with it."

The new offensive analyst — and former OU offensive coordinator — was on the field working primarily with the offensive line during the Sooners' practice on Monday. His coaching career began with focusing on the offensive line, and he was the co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for three years during his first stint in Norman.

Wilson, who was hired as an offensive analyst back in January, has been a very active part of the spring.

“Very energetic," OU center Troy Everett said of Wilson. "I love him. He’s always coaching. He’s always over there. He’s always got something to work with you on. He’s very energetic. His introduction to the team got everybody fired up. Very passionate guy.”

With Caiden Woullard and Ethan Downs headed to the draft, there is real playing time up for grabs at defensive end. Thomas is obviously expected to nab one of the starting spots, and new transfer Marvin Jones Jr. has the inside track for a big role.

But don't overlook Okoye.

The second-year player spent much of last season watching the veterans ahead of him, but players and coaches raved about his development. A standout spring could go a long way towards bumping Okoye up the depth chart.

"Danny's a beast," Thomas said. "He's always been athletic, but for him to get the calls and the plays down, know what he's doing, he's gonna be an even better player."

In addition to changing from linebacker to tight end, Kanak also changed his jersey number. He wore No. 7 as a defensive player; as a tight end, he'll wear No. 12.

Kanak explained that decision on Monday.

"I did want to try and keep seven. It became not really available so I kind of looked at what numbers were available," Kanak said, "and I don’t want to make it deeper than it is, but 12 was what my late father wore in high school. So I had a list of numbers, I talked to my mom and I said, ‘Dad wore 12 in high school, didn’t he?’ That would be cool. So I picked 12 out of that reason. I think it’s pretty cool just to honor what it means to live life.

"That’s just how I live my life is maximizing the time we do have here on Earth and doing all we can and truly treating each day like it’s our last. So that’s what 12 means to me."

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