By Adeniyi Precious 
Oklahoma football just got a defensive player back! Mykel Patterson-McDonald, a defensive back for the Sooners, has pulled his name out of the transfer portal, according to Pete Nakos of On3. Patterson-McDonald made a quick appearance in the portal on January 3rd, just before the deadline. However, it turns out he never planned to leave OU. He just entered the portal to work the system and stay on the roster as a walk-on.
With roster limits set to shrink in April, some players, like Patterson-McDonald, are opting to give up their athletic scholarships and come back as walk-ons to stay with the team. To make up for the lost scholarship, OU’s NIL collective, 1Oklahoma, is stepping in to compensate the walk-ons.
Patterson-McDonald, who redshirted his first year at OU, hasn’t seen much action yet but has potential. He was a four-star recruit from Westmoore High School, ranked as the No. 2 player in Oklahoma for the 2024 class by Rivals.
This move means the Sooners have now lost 26 players to the transfer portal this winter, and the numbers should stay the same unless any other players decide to leave. Only grad transfers can still enter the portal at this point.