Oklahoma Sooners: 2026 roster and duplicate-number guide

The 2026 Oklahoma Sooners roster has 32 numbers assigned to two players each. A jersey number alone is therefore not enough to identify an athlete: the name and position must also be checked. The official roster is not a participation record, either; season statistics are the relevant source for determining who has actually appeared in games.

Why the same number appears twice

The official roster table assigns shared numbers to players in different position groups. No. 0, for example, belongs to wide receiver Manny Choice and defensive lineman David Stone. No. 10 identifies both linebacker Kip Lewis and quarterback John Mateer.

The pattern covers 32 numbers: 0; every number from 3 through 23; plus 25, 27, 28, 29, 33, 35, 44, 55, 65 and 80. These entries are not necessarily errors. The reliable identifier is the full combination of number, name and position abbreviation.

Position abbreviations on the roster

The table uses QB for quarterback, RB for running back, WR for wide receiver and TE for tight end. Offensive linemen are marked OL and defensive linemen DL. The defensive listings also use LB for linebacker and DB for defensive back. Among specialists, K means kicker, P means punter, LS identifies a long snapper and K/P combines two roles.

That key resolves cases such as No. 55, shared by OL Eddy Pierre-Louis and DL Danny Saili, or No. 65, assigned to OL Ace Hodges and DL Jayden Jackson. At No. 80, Bergin Kysar is listed as a DL while Eli Merck is a WR.

Class year provides another clue

The “Yr.” field distinguishes Fr. (freshman), So. (sophomore), Jr. (junior) and Sr. (senior). The list also uses 5th and 6th for fifth- and sixth-year players. This field can help when a quick search by number or surname is inconclusive.

Among the quarterbacks, Bowe Bentley is a freshman wearing No. 8; John Mateer is a fifth-year player at No. 10; Jett Niu is a sophomore at No. 15; and Whitt Newbauer is a junior at No. 16. All four appear on the roster, but that fact alone does not establish game participation.

Being listed is not the same as playing

The available 2026 cumulative statistics covered five games and showed a 3–2 record. In the passing table, Mateer had played five games and completed 90 of 135 attempts for 1,038 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions. Newbauer appeared in one game and completed one pass for six yards; Bentley also appeared in one, recording one incomplete attempt.

This illustrates the different purposes of the pages. The roster says who belongs to the squad and provides number, position and class. The GP column in a statistical category indicates how many games produced an entry for that player there. Absence from one offensive table should not be converted into a claim about availability, injury or the lineup.

The official Kentucky game primer provides another kind of historical confirmation. Its recap of the 27–24 win over Texas on October 10 describes contributions from Tate Sandell, Danny Okoye, Dakoda Fields, Lloyd Avant, Peyton Bowen, Courtland Guillory, Mateer and Isaiah Sategna III. That supports their activity in that game; it is not a complete lineup for a later contest.

Next listed game

The official 2026 schedule lists the next game with a set date and time as an away matchup against Mississippi State in Starkville on October 24 at 2:30 p.m. CT. Schedules and conditions can change, so readers should verify the official page before game day.

For later roster checks, use a simple sequence: find the name on the roster, confirm position and class, then search the relevant statistical category. That method prevents the 32 shared numbers from creating mistaken identities and avoids treating roster membership as proof of participation.