Brent Venables has already spent plenty of time under the microscope at Oklahoma, but the 2026 season is shaping up to be a different kind of pressure test.
The Sooners’ head coach has already pushed past the kind of job-security talk that followed two losing seasons in his first three years. For now, that noise has faded. What has not gone away is the bigger question hanging over him: does Venables belong in the conversation with college football’s elite head coaches?
There’s no doubt about one part of the résumé. Venables showed last season that he remains one of the sport’s top defensive playcallers, with his defense ranking among the best in college football.
But the rest of the picture is harder to ignore. Oklahoma’s offenses have been among the least productive in the country over the past two seasons, and the postseason results have not helped his case.
Venables is 0-3 in bowl games and 0-1 in the College Football Playoff.
That playoff loss still stands out, especially because it came after Oklahoma blew a 17-point lead at home.
Michael “SEC Mike” Bratton weighed in on Venables during “That SEC Podcast,” and he said he still isn’t ready to fully place him in the top tier of coaches.
"We've got to be careful because we've bought into the hype before and we've been burnt by it," Bratton said. "...
I'm warming up to him as a good coach. I still have questions if he's an elite coach."
Bratton was pointing back to the way Venables built momentum with a 10-win season in Year 2, only for that to be followed by a 6-7 year that reopened all the old doubts.
That’s why 2026 matters so much. A strong season would do a lot to quiet the debate about Venables’ standing as more than just a defensive specialist.
If Oklahoma stalls again, or if the offense slips further, the questions that came roaring back after the 6-7 season won’t take long to return. And this time, they may be even tougher to shake.
In Other News...
Sooners Fans Still Can't Agree On These Costly Portal Misses
A recent look back at Oklahomas transfer-portal haul is a reminder that not every splashy addition turns into a difference-maker. John Mateer at least still has time to shape the verdict, but the broader review of the Sooners incoming crop has already become a mixed bag, with some arrivals giving the program real production and others leaving fans wondering what exactly was gained.
Dasan McCullough and Jaydn Ott are the names that keep coming up in that conversation, and Austin Stogners return only adds another layer to it. McCullough never quite matched the expectations attached to him, Ott fell far short of what Oklahoma needed, and Stogner came back to Norman hoping to recapture his earlier form but did not get back to that level, leaving the Sooners with a portal ledger that still feels unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Fans Still Hate How These Portal Losses Aged
Oklahomas recent portal history has a way of looking worse with every passing season, and the latest reminder comes from a group of departures that have all found clearer roles elsewhere. Dillon Gabriel settled in at Oregon, Cayden Green carved out a major spot at Missouri, Hollywood Smothers has grown into a featured back at NC State, and Brenen Thompson has turned into a big-play threat at Mississippi State. For Sooners fans, it is less about any one exit than the cumulative effect, because each move chipped away at depth and left Oklahoma trying to replace talent it had already developed.
Theo Wease Jr. is part of the same conversation, too, even if his Oklahoma run never fully matched the promise that came with his recruiting profile. The point of revisiting these names is not just nostalgia or second-guessing, but the way they underline how quickly roster construction can swing in the transfer era. Some players simply needed a fresh start, while Oklahoma was left sorting through the fallout and wondering how different the offense might have looked if even a couple of those pieces had stayed put. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Offensive Line Faces Its Biggest Test Since The 2024 Mess
Oklahomas offensive line took a real step forward in 2025 after the mess of the previous season, especially in pass protection, and that progress gives Brent Venables reason to believe the group can keep climbing. The run game was still a work in progress, but the unit showed enough improvement and continuity to make the coming season feel less like a rebuild and more like a test of how much growth it can sustain.
The challenge now is replacing Febechi Nwaiwus presence after his departure, because it is one thing to have experienced bodies and another to have the steadying voice that holds the group together. Venables has pointed to the lines leadership potential, but the real question for Oklahoma is which player steps into that role and helps a younger mix settle in when the pressure starts to build. [Read more 🡒]