Oklahoma DL Da'Jon Terry announces decision to return to Sooners in 2024

Oklahoma defensive lineman Da’Jon Terry is returning to the Sooners in 2024, he announced via social media. He was a key part of the Sooners’ defense down the stretch.

Terry took to X and posted a graphic with “run it back” featured prominently. He had a big year with Oklahoma after transferring in from Tennessee.

Terry appeared in 12 games for the Sooners in 2023, totaling 13 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack in that span. He was perhaps their best interior defensive lineman toward the end of the season, and he’ll now run it back for one final season.

Da’Jon Terry started his career at Kansas for two years, but entered the transfer portal after the 2020 season and made his way to Tennessee. He then spent two years on Rocky Top before heading to Oklahoma in 2023, and he’ll now spend one more season in Norman.

Oklahoma is coming off a 10-2 regular season this year to lock up a spot in the Alamo Bowl against Arizona. The Sooners will showcase a different look, though, as Dillon Gabriel entered the portal and headed to Oregon. That means it will be Jackson Arnold’s show in Norman after getting some reps behind Gabriel as a true freshman.

The excitement appears to be growing, according to Sooner Scoop’s George Stoia III.

“People are very excited,” Stoia said on Andy Staples On3 earlier this month. “Let me put it this way — last year, all offseason, all we heard was ‘When is Jackson Arnold going to start? He’s definitely going to beat out Dillon Gabriel halfway through the season.’ Now that it is finally his time to take over, I think people are super pumped.”

Oklahoma hoped to make a New Year’s Six bowl with its 10-2 record, but found itself in the Alamo Bowl. Stoia said that didn’t necessarily excite Sooners fans, but things started to change once they found out Arnold would get the start.

“I think OU fans were super disappointed to not get into a New Year’s Six bowl… I think they look at the matchup and think ‘Arizona? What kind of matchup is that?’ You’re playing in the Alamo Bowl, which isn’t as big of a stage.

“I think as soon as we found out Dillon Gabriel was leaving and that Jackson is likely going to start the bowl game, I think people got a lot more excited.”

Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.