Draft Decision Looms Large For Oklahoma Linebacker
With less than a month to go before the 2026 NFL Draft, the status surrounding Sooners linebacker Owen Heinecke remains up in the air.
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Welcome to the March 27, 2026 edition of the All Access Football Newsletter.
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Now onto today’s top stories …
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DRAFT DECISION GOES DOWN TO WIRE FOR SOONERS LB
From the Senior Bowl, to the combine, to pro day and back to spring ball? That could be the path for Owen Heinecke of Oklahoma. The Sooners linebacker has been preparing for the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, as he awaits his April 16th emergency hearing for his preliminary injunction to determine whether he will receive another year of eligibility. A two-sport athlete (lacrosse) during his time at Ohio State, Heinecke’s attorneys claim he was denied an opportunity to join the Buckeyes’ football program in the fall 2021 semester due to reasons beyond his control, citing COVID-19 related disruptions, his recovery from a hip injury suffered in high school and Ohio State deciding to not hold football walk-on tryouts until the spring of 2022. The NCAA determined Heinecke was out of eligibility because he competed in three games with Ohio State’s lacrosse program in 2021 prior to joining Oklahoma’s football program as a walk-on in 2022. Heinecke played three seasons over his four years with the Sooners. His waiver request and appeal were denied by the NCAA earlier this year. “OU fully supports Owen and his pursuit of a fair opportunity to continue playing the game he loves,” Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny said in a statement. “We’ll stand firmly beside him as he works to do just that.” Heinecke is the third high-profile player to sue the NCAA over eligibility rules this year, as Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was awarded a sixth-year of eligibility by the state court of Missouri, while Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar was denied his appeal last month. For NFL teams, they will have to wait until just days before the draft to determine whether Heinecke is in, or out of the draft pool. “We’re not giving up,” Oklahoma general manager Jim Nagy told reporters earlier this month. “Owen is just a guy you want to fight for.” (photo: Oklahoma Athletics)
STANFORD CARDINAL IMPORTS NFL STAFF
Stanford general manager Andrew Luck and new head coach Tavita Pritchard have been busy re-aligining the Cardinal front office and coaching staffs this offseason. It has come with a heavy NFL tilt. Stanford is set to name Bobby Merritt as their new director of college personnel, according to USA TODAY. Merritt brings a wealth of experience, having previously worked in the Houston Texans front office. He has also held posts at Tennessee and Texas and served as general manager for RIce. He joins Stanford after previously accepting the Nevada general manager role last month. Of course Luck and Pritchard, who previously served three seasons as the Washington Commanders quarterback coach are no stranger to the NFL and they have since landed several former pro coaches. Cardinal offensive coordinator Terry Heffernan previously worked for the Buffalo Bills. Stanford director of defense Kris Richard coached and played in the NFL, while wide receivers coach Brian Bratton and special teams coordinator Nate Kaczer also bring coaching experience at the NFL level. Stanford continues to attempt to turnaround their program after winning just 10 games over the past five seasons. Can a pro level infrastructure get them headed in the right direction? Only time will tell. (photo: Stanford Athletics)
[EDITOR’S NOTE]: The above stories were originally produced for Inside The League. For more news on the scouting and agent industry, be sure to subscribe to the ‘Friday Wrap,’ delivered each week direct to your inbox. Signup here (Free).
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