Owen Heinecke is unlikely to play college football at Oklahoma in 2026. The breakout star linebacker had his petition for another year of eligibility denied by the NCAA because he played one season of college lacrosse at Ohio State.
It is yet another example of the inconsistency.
There are college football players who play as many as six or eight years at three or more different schools. Heinecke, as of this writing, will not be allowed to play four years. Well, five. Really six. Kind of.
Who is Owen Heinecke?
As a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Henicke actually committed to play lacrosse at Ohio State out of Bishop Kelley High School. He spent one full season with the Buckeyes as a midfielder.
The 6-foot-2, 198-pound midfielder spent his entire freshman year in Columbus in 2021.
And then Henicke decided to make a switch. His father played football at Tulsa. He decided to follow in his footsteps and joined the football team at the University of Oklahoma as a walk-on linebacker.
Owen Heinecke was the leading rusher and tackler at Bishop Kelley during his senior year of high school but he did not get any scholarship offers while he pursued lacrosse. The Sooners gave him a shot.
That opportunity ultimately worked out for both sides, it just took some time.
Heinecke recorded only one tackle as a redshirt in 2022. He made only 11 total tackles in 2023 and 2024.
Despite the initial lack of playing time during his first three seasons at OU, Heinecke earned a more legitimate role as a fifth-year redshirt senior in 2025. His performance against Michigan was a defining moment of his career.
An injury later thrust him into the starting lineup against Tennessee in November. It was the best game of his career.
Heinecke made 13 tackles against the Volunteers in his first-career start. He also made this big hit to set up the best scoop-and-score of the year:
The 227-pound linebacker finished the entire season with 74 total tackles (34 solo), three sacks and one forced fumble with 49 tackles over the last five games of the year. Pretty good!
Will he be allowed back at Oklahoma or forced into the NFL?
If we are to really breakdown the college athletics career of Owen Heinecke, it technically started in the spring of 2021 and concluded on Dec. 19, 2025. It was five years in total.
- 2021 — Ohio State, lacrosse
- 2022 — Oklahoma, football, redshirt, one tackle
- 2023 — Oklahoma, football, four tackles
- 2024 — Oklahoma, football, seven tackles
- 2025 — Oklahoma, football, 74 tackles
However, both he and the Sooners are trying to secure another season of eligibility. Heinecke would like to return to Norman for the 2026 college football season and filed for a waiver.
They have their set of rules and they have a rule book that they have to follow, but unfortunately for them, every case is unique. I was a guy who started off his career playing a sport, where he didn’t really have a whole lot of opportunity to play football coming out of high school. I chose the opportunity that I thought was best for my athletic and academic career. And after a year I had a change of heart. I put in all the time, all the effort that I could with lacrosse up there. But it didn’t work out. My heart was always with football. So I transferred. I took a shot on myself, a huge bet, and I fought hard, very hard. I worked really hard to make an impact on a team that I had grown up cheering for and it was a dream for me to put on a Sooner uniform.
And I would like nothing more than to have one more year to kind of cement a legacy for myself. And it’d be a shame if 15 minutes of lacrosse playing time was the reason that I didn’t have that opportunity. I understand that they have their rules, and they have to abide by what they know. But at the same time, in my case, I think it’s a little bit unique.
Just to have that extra consideration and a little bit of grace, just for one more year to go at it and to finish up my schooling. I’m in my masters of accounting. And to be able to go back to school and focus on academics and possibly get another degree while I’m there would just be a huge and very special opportunity for me. So I hope that they see my case for what it is, but I understand regardless.
— Owen Heinecke
The NCAA said no. It ruled that he has exhausted his eligibility in all sports. Four full years (in two different sports) and a redshirt season. That’s it!
Oklahoma and Heinecke do not think his freshman year with the Buckeyes should count because he played in only three games for a total of 15 minutes. They are going to appeal the NCAA decision.
In the meantime, Heinecke is preparing for the NFL Draft at the Senior Bowl.
He is turning heads!
Although Owen Heinecke would not be the first player to return to college after the Senior Bowl, it is an awkward position. The former walk-on-lacrosse-player-turned-superstar-linebacker must prepare like he is going to be drafted in April while actively hoping to be cleared for another season at Oklahoma.
There does not seem to be any logic or consistency involved with the NCAA’s decisions on eligibility. Every case is treated differently. Heinecke is just the latest example. Should he be allowed to run it back?