Shawn Oakman’s story is the arc of a projected top NFL Draft pick whose career was derailed by a 2016 sexual assault charge at Baylor, who was acquitted by a jury three years later, who rebuilt himself into a Grey Cup champion in the Canadian Football League, and who was suspended and released in 2025 after a separate violation of the CFL’s gender-based violence policy.
The Baylor Star Who Was Supposed to Go First Overall
Before any of it, Oakman was a 6-foot-9, 280-pound defensive end who looked like he had been built in a lab. After being dismissed from Penn State in 2012, he transferred to Baylor and, from 2013 through 2015, became one of the most dominant linemen in the Big 12. He set Baylor’s career sacks record with at least 17 and recorded 46.5 tackles for loss over three seasons.1Baylor Bears. Oakman Selected Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week2NFL.com. Baylor’s Briles: Shawn Oakman Will Be a Steal in 2016 NFL Draft
A Sports Illustrated mock draft in May 2015 projected him as the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, describing him as a “physical specimen.”3Sports Illustrated. 2016 NFL Mock Draft By his actual draft year, scouts had cooled, citing questions about consistency and technique, and most projected him as a Day Three pick. Head coach Art Briles still called him a “tremendous athlete.”2NFL.com. Baylor’s Briles: Shawn Oakman Will Be a Steal in 2016 NFL Draft
An earlier off-field incident had already surfaced. A January 2013 police report obtained by Rivals.com stated that Oakman was accused of shoving an ex-girlfriend, a Baylor student, into walls and cabinets. She declined to press charges, and it is unclear whether Baylor disciplined him. He played in all 13 games that season.4AL.com. Baylor’s Shawn Oakman Accused of Assaulting Ex-Girlfriend
The 2016 Sexual Assault Charge
Two weeks before the 2016 NFL Draft, Waco police arrested Oakman. The charge was sexual assault, and it stemmed from an incident during the early morning of April 3, 2016.5The Baylor Lariat. Oakman Arrested on Charges of Sexual Assault
According to the police affidavit, the accuser, a Baylor student, met Oakman at a bar called Scruffy Murphy’s on Speight Avenue. She said Oakman asked her to walk home with him. At his duplex in South Waco, she alleged that he forcibly removed her clothing and sexually assaulted her. She left behind personal items, sought medical treatment, and underwent a sexual assault examination.5The Baylor Lariat. Oakman Arrested on Charges of Sexual Assault Oakman told police the encounter was consensual. Officers executed search warrants for his cellphone and DNA and seized bedding from his residence.6NFL.com. Baylor’s Oakman Undraftable Now After Sexual Assault Charge
A grand jury indicted him in July 2016 on one count of sexual assault.7CNN. Baylor Sex Assault Cases Timeline He went undrafted and unsigned. No NFL team was willing to touch him.
Why the Timing Was So Damaging
Oakman’s arrest landed in the middle of one of the worst institutional scandals in college sports. An independent investigation by the law firm Pepper Hamilton found that Baylor’s response to reports of sexual violence was “inadequate” and identified a pattern of sexual violence involving football players that the athletic department failed to address.7CNN. Baylor Sex Assault Cases Timeline
President Ken Starr was fired in May 2016 and later resigned as chancellor. Art Briles was fired. Other players faced charges of their own: Tevin Elliott was convicted of two counts of sexual assault and sentenced to 20 years, and Sam Ukwuachu was convicted of sexually assaulting a student-athlete.7CNN. Baylor Sex Assault Cases Timeline In September 2023, Baylor settled a federal lawsuit brought by 15 women who alleged the school had ignored or stifled reports.8ESPN. Baylor Settles 2016 Sexual Assault Lawsuit With 15 Survivors Oakman’s case was one thread in a much broader institutional failure, and his name became tied to the scandal regardless of his eventual legal outcome.
The Trial and the Not-Guilty Verdict
Oakman rejected multiple plea offers from McLennan County prosecutors and waited almost three years for trial.9NBC DFW. After Being Acquitted of Rape, Former Baylor Player Hopes to Join NFL The case went before a jury in late February 2019 and lasted two and a half days.
Prosecutors called ten witnesses. Officer Danny Pilgrim testified that the accuser was “red-faced, crying and visibly shaking” at the hospital and that he observed injuries on her neck and arms. Forensic nurse Michele Davis documented tears, abrasions, and bruising on the accuser’s genitals and testified that the accuser reported being choked and held down.10KWTX. Police Officer Opens Testimony in Oakman Sexual Assault Trial A friend testified that the accuser came home with her shirt inside out, missing an earring, and carrying her shoes, and that the accuser was afraid to report the incident because Oakman was a football player.11KXXV. Victim Testifies in Sexual Assault Trial of Former Baylor Football Player
The accuser said she was intoxicated, could not remember the walk to Oakman’s duplex, and recalled being pushed into a bedroom and choked. On cross-examination, she acknowledged that text messages from her phone showed she had invited Oakman to the bar and had told friends it was “OK” to go home, though she said she did not remember sending them.11KXXV. Victim Testifies in Sexual Assault Trial of Former Baylor Football Player
The defense called six witnesses, including three of Oakman’s friends who were at the bar that night. They testified the accuser did not appear heavily intoxicated. Defense attorney Jessi Freud pointed to forensic evidence she argued was inconsistent with the state’s theory of forced sexual conduct. Oakman did not take the stand.12The Baylor Lariat. Oakman Found Not Guilty of Sexual Assault
On February 28, 2019, after about two hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.12The Baylor Lariat. Oakman Found Not Guilty of Sexual Assault
Trying to Rebuild a Football Career
Acquittal gave Oakman legal closure. It did not give him a career back. Three years had passed since any NFL team had considered him a prospect. He was 26, had no agent, and carried the stigma of the charge even after the verdict. He moved to Dallas and began training privately.9NBC DFW. After Being Acquitted of Rape, Former Baylor Player Hopes to Join NFL
In April 2019, he joined The Spring League, a developmental showcase in Austin. Defensive line coach Don Wnek said he had “all the tools” but was “rusty after three seasons away from the game.” No NFL contract followed.13Austin American-Statesman. Ex-Baylor Star Shawn Oakman Tries to Revive Career in Spring League
What came next was a tour of football’s outer leagues: the Triangle Torch in American Indoor Football, the Bismarck Bucks in the Indoor Football League, the West Virginia Roughriders in the American Arena League, and the Wild Aces in Fan-Controlled Football.143 Down Nation. Suspended CFL All-Star Shawn Oakman Signs in International Arena League
His most visible chance came in early 2020 with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL. Head coach Winston Moss cut him in December 2019 for going full speed in a practice when he was not supposed to, but the team re-signed him in January. He appeared in four games, made two starts, and recorded one sack and seven tackles.15Pro Football Archives. Shawn Oakman Player Profile Defensive line coach Vince Amey said Oakman had NFL size and ability but was “still learning the game.”16PhillyVoice. Shawn Oakman XFL Los Angeles Wildcats The XFL suspended operations in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grey Cup Champion in the CFL
Oakman found sustained professional football in Canada. He signed with the Toronto Argonauts in 2021 and was named a CFL All-Star in his first season with six sacks. He earned a Division All-Star nod in 2022, again with six sacks, and was part of the Argonauts team that won the 109th Grey Cup on November 20, 2022, defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 24-23 at Mosaic Stadium. He contributed one sack and two tackles in the championship game.17Toronto Argonauts. Shawn Oakman Stays in Toronto18OutKick. Shawn Oakman’s Story
Oakman called the win “a detox of life.” Over three seasons in Toronto he played 45 regular-season games and recorded 90 defensive tackles, 18 sacks, and two forced fumbles.17Toronto Argonauts. Shawn Oakman Stays in Toronto He played for the Edmonton Elks in 2024 and signed with the Montreal Alouettes in February 2025.15Pro Football Archives. Shawn Oakman Player Profile
The 2025 CFL Suspension
On October 31, 2025, the CFL suspended Oakman indefinitely for violating the league’s Gender-Based Violence and Harassment Policy. A third-party investigation, opened after the league was notified of allegations on October 30, found that following a dispute, Oakman had threatened to send sexually explicit material involving an intimate partner to that partner’s child, a minor.19CFL. Shawn Oakman Suspended Indefinitely
CFL Commissioner Stewart Johnston said the league’s “commitment to enforcing” the policy was “unwavering.” The Alouettes released Oakman the same day. General Manager Danny Maciocia said Oakman’s “actions go against our core values” and that the organization “will never accept any type of gender-based violence or harassment.”20Sportsnet. Alouettes DT Shawn Oakman Suspended Indefinitely The suspension made him ineligible for the Alouettes’ Eastern Semi-Final game. No criminal charges related to this incident have been reported.
Where Oakman Is Now
In April 2026, Oakman signed with the Pennsylvania Benjamins of the International Arena League, based in Reading, Pennsylvania. As of mid-2026, he remains on the roster of a team carrying a 3-4 record in the IAL’s U.S. Conference.143 Down Nation. Suspended CFL All-Star Shawn Oakman Signs in International Arena League It is a long way from the mock drafts that once had him going first overall, and a long way from a Grey Cup podium in Regina.