Oklahoma Turns Heads by Adding Bears, Chiefs Rookie Tryout Performer

Oklahoma has reportedly added linebacker Jaydon Southard, a former Stephen F. Austin player who previously attended NFL rookie camps with the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs. CBS Sports college football insider Matt Zenitz reported Southard’s transfer to Norman on Monday, noting Southard is already enrolled at OU and is participating in the area after taking part in those tryouts. The move comes amid a reshaped transfer landscape tied to a new fifth-year eligibility framework that has allowed some undrafted players—who pursued the NFL and then filed temporary restraining orders—to return through the portal. Coaches in college football have reacted differently to the approach, with OU now evaluating how Southard fits a loaded defense.