Oklahoma’s defense has gone from a rebuild project to a unit people are now openly talking about as the best in college football.
That’s a pretty sharp turn from where things stood when Brent Venables took over. The Sooners were coming off a stretch in which defense was a problem, and Venables inherited a group that needed major work. The climb has been gradual, then sudden: Oklahoma moved from No. 122 nationally in total defense in Venables’ first seasons to No. 80 in 2023, then surged to No. 19 in 2024 before finishing No. 6 last season.
Now the question is whether that rise can keep going.
On3’s Kaiden Smith floated exactly that possibility on “The Hard Count,” saying Oklahoma could end up with the top defense in the country this season.
"What if they have the best defense in college football this season? I don't think it's too far-fetched," Smith said. "They gave up 15 points a game last year… I love what they have on their roster."
The reason for that confidence starts with the personnel coming back. Oklahoma has key pieces returning up front in Taylor Wein, David Stone, Jayden Jackson and Adepoju Adebawore.
At linebacker, Kip Lewis and Owen Heinecke are back. In the secondary, the Sooners return Reggie Powers, Peyton Bowen, Eli Bown and Courtland Guillory.
That kind of list matters because it gives Oklahoma answers at every level. The Sooners don’t just have starters back - they have depth, and enough of it that several reserves could start for other Power Four teams. That’s the kind of roster balance that lets Venables keep fresh bodies on the field without the defense losing its edge.
If that group keeps moving in the same direction, Oklahoma has a real shot to end the season with college football’s best defense and put itself in position for another College Football Playoff run.
In Other News...
Brent Venables Just Earned National Respect For Oklahomas Bigger Rebuild
Brent Venables keeps getting evaluated through the usual Oklahoma lens, but this latest nod points to something bigger than wins and losses. He was placed on the Dodd Trophy preseason watch list for the 2026 season, a reminder that the award is built around scholarship, leadership and integrity as much as on-field results, and that his work in Norman has been noticed well beyond the box score.
For Oklahoma, it also fits the broader rebuild Venables has been pushing since taking over, with player development and leadership at the center of the message. The Sooners have had only one head coach take home the award before, Bob Stoops in 2003, so any mention of Venables in that conversation says plenty about how his program is being viewed as he keeps trying to reshape the culture. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Is Already Facing A Huge 2028 Fall Visit Test
With Oklahomas 2027 class sitting at 27 commitments heading toward Early Signing Day, the Sooners are already shifting some attention to the next wave and trying to get ahead of the 2028 board. Quarterback Trey Tagliaferri is in place as the programs first 2028 commit, but the bigger early challenge is figuring out which blue-chip defenders and other priority prospects will be willing to make Norman a regular stop as their recruiting cycle ramps up.
That makes the fall visit calendar a meaningful early test for the staff, especially with players like Keoni Snipes already on the radar and in-state prospect Kamieon Compton-Nero drawing plenty of outside attention as well. Oklahoma has offers out to several of the top names it wants to keep close, and the Sooners will be looking to turn that early interest into real gameday traffic before the 2028 race gets crowded. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Land Another Massive Recruiting Boost From In-State Commit
Gabriel Osborne Jr. keeps adding to an already eye-catching start for Oklahomas 2027 class. The Mustang cornerback, who committed to the Sooners on June 1, has now been bumped to five-star status in the latest Rivals 300 rankings and sits at No. 21 nationally, a rise that only sharpens the profile of a class that already looks loaded with top-end talent.
For Oklahoma, the bigger picture is hard to miss. Osborne joins offensive lineman Cooper Hackett and tight end Seneca Driver as five-star headliners in a 2027 group that Rivals has at No. 6 nationally with 27 commits, and the Sooners beat out heavyweights such as Miami, Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan to land him. The only real question now is how much more the class can climb if the momentum keeps building. [Read more 🡒]