A few former Oklahoma players are making a pretty clear statement early in the 2026 season: the problem wasn’t always the player.
Since leaving Ben Arbuckle’s offense, Michael Hawkins Jr., Javonnie Gibson, Zion Ragins and Jake Taylor have all found more success elsewhere, with each showing a version of himself that never really surfaced in Norman.
Gibson’s start at Cincinnati has been especially loud. He arrived at Oklahoma last year after a big jump from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, where he had been an FCS All-American. An injury pushed back the start of his season, but he still wound up starting the final six games for the Sooners.
Even with that late push, his production in crimson and cream was modest: 18 catches, 199 yards and a touchdown in nine games. He has already passed both his yardage and touchdown totals in just three games with the Bearcats, piling up 201 receiving yards and three scores. He has found the end zone in every game so far.
His best outing at Oklahoma came against LSU, when he finished with three catches for 66 yards. He has already topped that receiving output in each of his last two games.
Michael Hawkins Jr. has taken a different path, and it looks a lot better than the one he was on at Oklahoma. The Sooners’ QB situation may still be unsettled, but Hawkins wouldn’t be the same player if he were still there. Getting away from Arbuckle and out from behind John Mateer appears to have been the right move.
Rich Rodriguez has leaned into Hawkins’ burst and acceleration, while also letting him show off his arm when the moment calls for it. In a lot of ways, Rodriguez is using Hawkins the way Arbuckle has tried to use Mateer.
The result has West Virginia undefeated after a 38-27 win over No. 25 Virginia.
Through three games, Hawkins leads all Power 4 quarterbacks with 107.33 rushing yards per game and six rushing touchdowns. He has also thrown for 477 yards and five touchdowns without an interception, and he has been one of the most efficient passers in the country.
Hawkins’ style brings Kyler Murray to mind, but the twist here is obvious: Hawkins has broken out after leaving Oklahoma, not while he was there.
Zion Ragins is another former Sooner who looks far more dangerous in a new setting. After a productive freshman season at OU, he didn’t record a stat last year with Arbuckle calling plays. Now he has a Heisman contender delivering him the ball, and the deep threat Oklahoma never really got to use is showing up in a big way.
Ragins has scored in three straight games and already has 159 receiving yards. His entire Oklahoma career produced 68 yards, and all of that came during his freshman year before Arbuckle arrived in Norman.
Oklahoma will see him up close on Oct. 24 at Mississippi State, though the Sooners may not love what they find.
Jake Taylor’s case is a little different, since he’s an offensive lineman and the stat sheet doesn’t tell the full story. Still, things have clearly improved for him at Iowa State.
Just months after arriving, Taylor was named a team captain for the 2026 season. He has started all three games and could be in line for All-Big 12 recognition by the end of the Cyclones’ year.
In Other News...
Kirby Smart Just Put Oklahomas Brent Venables Defense In The Spotlight
Ahead of a matchup that already carries plenty of weight, Georgia coach Kirby Smart made sure to put Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables in the conversation for all the right reasons. Smart pointed to Venables reputation as a top-tier defensive mind and the history between the two coaches from Venables Clemson days, a reminder that this meeting is as much about elite game-planning as it is about the records each team brings in.
For Oklahoma, that kind of public praise only adds to the spotlight on Venables unit, which will be tested by one of the sports most familiar and demanding opponents. The Sooners have a chance to show that their defense can travel against a Georgia program that expects to dictate terms, and the buildup only sharpens the significance of whats coming next. [Read more 🡒]
John Mateer Heard The Boos With Georgia Up Next
John Mateer didnt need anyone to explain the frustration inside the stadium Saturday. Oklahomas quarterback said he heard the boos after two early interceptions against New Mexico, and while the Sooners still came away with a 14-6 win, the first-year signal-caller clearly knows the margin for error shrinks fast when the competition gets better. He settled in enough to finish with a 76% completion rate, 238 yards and two touchdowns, but the early mistakes were impossible to ignore.
Now the attention turns quickly to a much bigger test with No. 2 Georgia coming to town. For Oklahoma, the win over New Mexico was enough to survive, not enough to feel comfortable, and Mateers ability to clean up the giveaways will loom large against a defense that wont be nearly as forgiving. The Sooners got the result they needed, but the next one is where the conversation gets serious. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Defense Is Carrying A Problem Sooners Fans Cant Ignore
Brent Venables has done exactly what Oklahoma hired him to do on the defensive side, turning that group into a far more reliable unit and pushing the Sooners up the national rankings in points allowed. It has given Oklahoma a sturdier identity and a chance to stay in games even when things get messy, which is a major shift from the recent past.
The problem is the other side of the ball has not kept pace. Since offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby and quarterback Dillon Gabriel moved on, the Sooners have had trouble finding the same rhythm, and the imbalance is becoming harder to overlook. For a program built to contend, the question now is whether a defense this good can keep carrying the load while the offense searches for answers. [Read more 🡒]