Oklahoma DL R Mason Thomas Reflects on Breakout Season, Undecided on NFL

After back-to-back injury-riddled seasons to begin his career at OU, R Mason Thomas thrived for the Sooners in 2024.

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R Mason Thomas had the benefit of being healthy for the entire 2024 season, and he took advantage of the opportunity.

A junior defensive lineman for the Sooners, Thomas played in all 12 regular-season games for OU. Thomas led OU in sacks with nine in 2024 and also notched one defensive touchdown, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

“To have this season, it’s special,” Thomas said. 

Thomas’ journey to his standout 2024 season was arduous.

As a freshman, Thomas suffered a high-ankle sprain in 2022. He sprained his other ankle in 2023.

Thomas played in just 12 games between his freshman and sophomore seasons. That caused him to doubt himself entering 2024.

“You sprain both ankles, obviously you’re gonna have a setback at the time,” Thomas said. “I doubted myself a bunch, but I should give all that worry and anxiety to the Lord.”

It didn’t take long for Thomas to hit his stride in 2024.

In OU’s first three games — all of which the Sooners won — Thomas recorded seven total tackles, five solo tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one defended pass. His production continued throughout the year, as Thomas recorded 0.5 sacks or more in seven of Oklahoma’s 12 regular-season games.

His breakout year culminated in OU’s regular-season finale against LSU in Baton Rouge.

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Thomas recovered a fumble in the first quarter of the game and returned it for a touchdown, making it a 7-7 game at the time of his score. Oklahoma lost the game 37-17 to finish the regular season 6-6 (2-6 SEC), but Thomas’ presence was felt throughout the game, as the junior logged a sack, one solo tackle and one assisted tackle in addition to his scoop-and-score touchdown.

“I just saw the ball on the ground and thought, ‘This is my one opportunity,’” Thomas said. “I was like, ‘Man it’s all or nothing.’ It’s the end of the season, no tomorrow, no next week. I just went for it, and they were telling me I was high stepping to the end zone.”

Even though the season was largely disappointing for Oklahoma, defense is a key area that coach Brent Venables said his team improved upon. The Sooners finished the 2024 regular season in the top 40 of FBS in scoring defense and total defense.

Thomas is a big reason why.

“We made tremendous improvement,” Venables said. “I’m not talking like we moved up eight spots. We moved up every area of defense, 20-plus spots. That’s a lot. That’s been our focus, our vision.”

Thomas, a junior, has one year of eligibility remaining for the Sooners. But after such a strong season, will he decide to pursue an NFL career early?

At 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, Thomas will likely grade well if he decides to forego his final season of college eligibility. But the defensive lineman hasn’t thought that far ahead yet.

“I haven’t really made that decision yet because I don’t know,” Thomas said. “I haven’t spent too much time on it. Was really worried about the season, for sure.”

Oklahoma is one of 13 teams from the Southeastern Conference that hit the six-win threshold to clinch bowl eligibility. The Sooners will have their postseason fate revealed on Sunday, when the College Football Playoff field and remaining bowls are announced.