Redshirt junior linebacker Owen Heinecke has become a pivotal leader for the Sooner defense after a unique journey.
Heinecke currently ranks No. 2 in tackles on the team with 67 and also has recorded two sacks so far in 2025. His success comes as a former walk-on and an Ohio State lacrosse player before that.
“It’s an honor to play for this university; it’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was a little kid, …” Heinecke said. “To be able to play and contribute in meaningful games is something I don’t take for granted.”
Heinecke’s love for OU began not long after he was born since his uncle, Cory, played for OU in 1999-2001. He contributed to OU's two Big 12 titles and one national championship during that timespan after he started at Northeastern A&M Junior College.
“I had an uncle who played here, and from the moment I was born, I had an OU beanie that I wore every day,” Heinecke said. “We definitely have similar stories. He walked on after a year at a JUCO, and I know that he wasn't super happy there. He, like me, decided to take a risk on himself. So he bet on himself, came here and was just slotted pretty deep on the depth chart, I think, and so similar to me, he had to work for everything that he got.”
Heinecke said that, whenever he visits his uncle’s house, he is reminded of the championship and feels encouraged.
“Whenever I go over to his house, I always stop by his office to check out his rings (since) he had a super rewarding career, and we've been able to bond over that because I've been able to bounce questions off him,” Heinecke said. “(I) know what he did for motivation and how he continued to work, so he's been a huge source of inspiration and motivation for me.”
Head coach Brent Venables said in September he saw Heinecke's perseverance come alive when he was a walk-on. He would sneak into scout-team rotations and “piss him off.”
“He would really piss me off because there’s a very calculated rotation, and then he’d get in there … and would be where he’s not supposed to be and then that would make me even more mad,” Venables said on Sept. 2. “But I liked him doing that, and he kept doing it. I didn’t look at it as disrespectful. I just saw it as a guy, (who thought), ‘Man I know I can do something.’ Really, he believes in himself, and he’s made a believer out of everybody.”
Heinecke remembers those moments being frustrating at the time, but he has grown to appreciate them.
“At times, it's been a love-hate relationship with him,” Heinecke said. “Him yelling at me to get off the field when I would try and sneak on, I was not always happy with him. But he’s kept me on my toes for the four years that I've been here, and he’s never let me get comfortable. And I (credit) part of my success to that. Every day, I knew I didn’t get to make mistakes, and when I got in, I had to capitalize on each moment. So I think he’s taught me perseverance.”
Heinecke has had a huge jump in production in the last year — seven tackles in 2024 to 67 in 2025 — and has embraced living out his dream. However, he is unsure if his time as a Sooner will continue for another year due to eligibility concerns. His one year of lacrosse, if counted toward eligibility, would prevent him from playing another year.
“It's been a complicated process,” Heinecke said. “(I’m) currently in the appeal process with the NCAA and hoping to hear back somewhat soon. They're counting my year at Ohio State lacrosse as a year towards overall eligibility, and I think the NCAA is cracking down on six years. So as of right now, I don't know. If I got granted the extra year, I would heavily consider it. I love Oklahoma, and … I would love another year to go at it."
As Heinecke prepares to face Alabama in the first round of the College Football Playoffs, he has an extra edge, as it could be his last game as a Sooner.
“(I am) playing with that chip on my shoulder, knowing that if this is my last year, I got to impress everybody that I can and take it all in,” Heinecke said. “Like I said, this is a dream come true, and every chance I get to run out on that field is a special one. So if this is my last one here, I got to make it worth it.”
