The preseason hardware keeps piling up for Oklahoma, and Phil Steele’s latest All-American team gives the Sooners five more reasons to feel good about where this roster is headed.
Steele included defensive tackle David Stone, linebacker Kip Lewis and longsnapper Ben Anderson on his First Team All-American list. Kicker Tate Sandell landed on the Second Team, while receiver Isaiah Sategna checked in as a preseason Fourth Team All-American.
Stone’s rise has been one of the more notable developments for OU. After a freshman year that produced six total tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack, he took a big jump last season as a sophomore, finishing with 42 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. With Gracen Halton and Damonic Williams both gone, Stone is set to be a major presence on Todd Bates’ defensive front next to classmate Jayden Jackson.
Lewis is back, too, and that mattered plenty for Brent Venables and general manager Jim Nagy. He led Oklahoma with 76 tackles in 2025, topping his previous career high by 10, and added personal bests in tackles for loss with 10.5 and sacks with four.
His takeaway numbers shifted - one forced fumble last season after two pick-sixes in 2024 - but his impact stayed obvious. He’ll line up with Owen Heniecke to give Venables a strong core in the middle of the defense.
Sandell turned into one of Oklahoma’s breakout names last year. What started as a dependable leg became a real weapon, especially from distance. He went 8-of-9 on kicks from 50 yards or longer and finished 24-of-27 overall to win the Lou Groza Award.
Sategna made his first year in Norman count. He hauled in 67 catches for 965 yards and eight touchdowns, blowing past every previous career best. He also changed games in the return game, including a punt return sequence that helped set up Oklahoma’s first score in the road win over Alabama.
Steele had already pegged Oklahoma as one of his surprise teams last year, and Venables’ group backed that up with a return trip to the College Football Playoff. The Sooners are set to head to SEC Media Days next week before fall camp begins, with quarterback John Mateer, offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis and defensive end Taylor Wein representing the program. Oklahoma opens the 2026 season on Sept. 4 in Norman against UTEP.
In Other News...
Sooners Commit Cooper Hackett Is Suddenly At Center Of Recruiting Divide
Cooper Hacketts name is suddenly sitting at the center of a recruiting split, and for Oklahoma that makes him one of the more interesting commits in the 2027 class. Rivals kept the Fort Gibson offensive tackle in five-star territory, slotting him among the elite prospects in the country, while other services have taken a more cautious view as the offseason unfolds. For the Sooners, it is the kind of evaluation debate that can follow a high-upside lineman when the tape is still being weighed against long-term projection.
The tension around Hackett comes from how much his current standing is tied to what evaluators think he can become once he is fully healthy again. His talent and potential remain highly regarded, but the injury news has clearly influenced where he lands in the rankings conversation, and that leaves Oklahoma with a commitment whose ceiling is obvious even if the present-day picture is less settled. For a program building its future up front, the disagreement only adds to the intrigue. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas SEC Media Day Group Includes One Choice Fans Will Notice
Oklahomas trip to SEC Media Day on July 20 in Tampa will feature the kind of mix that usually tells you a little something about where a program thinks it is headed. Brent Venables will be joined by quarterback John Mateer, defensive end Taylor Wein and offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis, giving the Sooners a four-man group that blends the face of the program with a few players who have helped shape the rosters next layer.
Mateer has already been through this stage before, but Wein and Pierre-Louis are set for their first appearances, which adds a fresh angle to Oklahomas day in front of the league. The Sooners have plenty to talk about after recent performances from those players and with the new season approaching, and the media session should offer another snapshot of how Venables wants his team presented as it settles deeper into SEC life. [Read more 🡒]
Jim Nagy Is Already Shaping Big Decisions At Oklahoma
Jim Nagys arrival as Oklahomas general manager has already given the Sooners a different kind of voice in the room, one shaped by years of NFL scouting and personnel work. After 17 seasons evaluating talent for pro teams and a run as executive director of the Senior Bowl from 2018 to 2025, Nagy brings a perspective the program can lean on as players sort through the next steps in their careers.
That kind of guidance matters most when a decision is not just about the draft, but about timing, development and fit. Wide receiver Isaiah Sategna is among the players who have already benefited from those conversations, and Oklahoma appears to be getting the kind of front-office help that can influence both the roster in the short term and the programs long-term NFL pipeline. [Read more 🡒]