Could the College Football Playoff be Owen Heinecke’s last games for Oklahoma? The linebacker is waiting on an NCAA ruling that counts his 2021 Ohio State lacrosse season toward his eligibility. On December 14, he told the media that this decision could ultimately decide his future with the Sooners.

“They’re counting my year at Ohio State Lacrosse as a year towards overall eligibility. And I think the NCAA is kind of cracking down on six years.” Owen Heinecke said to the press. “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 this has really been my first year playing. So I would love another year to go at it.”

The situation stems from Heinecke’s unconventional path to Oklahoma. He joined the Sooners in 2022 but did not see the field until the 2023 season. Heinecke originally began his collegiate career as a lacrosse player at Ohio State in 2021 before transferring to Oklahoma and redshirting ahead of the 2022 football season. Although he has now spent four seasons in Norman playing football, the NCAA is counting his lone year as a lacrosse player toward his eligibility clock. That would mean that Heinecke would be limited to the standard five-year eligibility window.

With Oklahoma set to compete in the College Football Playoff, Heinecke understands that any game could potentially be his last. He is currently appealing to the NCAA for a fifth year of football eligibility, bringing his total to six years overall. However, a ruling may not be made before the Sooners’ first-round playoff matchup against Alabama on December 19th. This shows how the NCAA’s rules allow little leeway, even for a player who has fought his way into a key role.

Heinecke contributed primarily on special teams for most of his Oklahoma career. Across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he logged just 30 defensive snaps combined, according to Pro Football Focus. This year, however, he has emerged as a key piece of the Sooners’ defense.

He has appeared in every game, ranks seventh on the team in total snaps (425), and has been among Oklahoma’s most productive defenders with 67 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble. With the playoffs approaching, Heinecke has little time to reflect on his unlikely rise to glory. Still, Heinecke believes the uncertainty surrounding his eligibility is a motivational factor as the Sooners prepare for a potential playoff run.

“Each game after LSU could have been my last,” Heinecke said. “So, just playing with that chip on my shoulder, knowing that if this is my last year, I’ve got to impress everybody that I can and also take it all in. Because like I said, this is a dream come true. And every chance I get to run out on that field is a special one.”

That uncertainty could work against Alabama as the two teams meet in the first round of the playoffs.

Alabama could be Owen Heinecke’s last game for Oklahoma

With the NCAA eligibility questions still unresolved, Heinecke has narrowed his focus to one priority: giving everything he has in the College Football Playoff. While his long-term future remains uncertain, the postseason offers the perfect stage for him to play with nothing held back. Under head coach Brent Venables, Oklahoma has developed into one of the nation’s top defensive units.

With leaders like Kip Lewis, Robert Spears-Jennings, and Heinecke anchoring the back end, the Sooners have been consistently solid on defense. That stability helped Oklahoma navigate one of the toughest schedules in 2025, facing Michigan, Texas, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, and LSU. The Sooners dropped only two games all season, against Texas and Ole Miss.

Oklahoma already defeated its playoff opponent earlier this year, edging past Alabama 23-21 in a close game. That result could provide a psychological edge when the Sooners host the Crimson Tide again on December 19 in Norman.

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