The Oklahoma Sooners leaned on a dominant defense to punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff in 2025, but if they’re going to take the next step in 2026, it’s the offense that needs to rise to the occasion. With Brent Venables continuing to anchor the defensive side, the spotlight now shifts to Year 2 under offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle - and there’s plenty of reason to believe this unit is ready to explode.
Let’s start with the returning core. Quarterback John Mateer is back to lead the charge, joined by his top target Isaiah Sategna III, a dynamic receiver who carved up secondaries with his speed and elusiveness.
Four of five starting offensive linemen return, giving the Sooners rare continuity up front - a major plus for any offense looking to take a leap. And in the backfield, the one-two punch of Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson gives Oklahoma a versatile ground game that can keep defenses honest.
But as promising as the returning talent is, it’s the new faces from the Transfer Portal that could be the difference between a solid offense and a special one.
The Tight End Room Gets a Major Makeover
One of the more intriguing developments is the overhaul at tight end - a position that flashed potential in 2025 but never quite became a consistent weapon. Jaren Kanak, a converted linebacker, showed promise with 44 catches for 533 yards, but he didn’t find the end zone and was undersized at 6-foot-2.
Enter Rocky Beers, a 6-foot-5 tight end from Colorado State who brings both size and production. Beers set a program record for tight ends last season with seven touchdowns, adding 31 receptions for 388 yards. He’s the kind of red-zone threat Oklahoma simply didn’t have last year - and with Jason Witten now coaching the tight ends, there’s real potential for this group to take off.
Beers isn’t just a big body; he’s a polished route-runner who can hold his own as a blocker. That dual-threat ability makes him an ideal fit in Arbuckle’s system, which values versatility and balance. If Mateer builds chemistry with Beers early, don’t be surprised if he becomes a go-to target when the Sooners get inside the 20.
Speed, Speed, and More Speed at Wide Receiver
Oklahoma already had one burner in Isaiah Sategna III, but now they’ve added another in Trell Harris, a transfer from Virginia who earned Third-Team All-ACC honors in 2025. Harris put up 59 catches for 847 yards and five touchdowns, and he did a lot of that damage after the catch - racking up 363 YAC and averaging 14.4 yards per reception.
Where Sategna thrives on turning short routes into big gains, Harris is more of a vertical threat - the kind of receiver who can take the top off a defense. His ability to stretch the field will force safeties to stay honest, opening up space underneath for Sategna, the tight ends, and the backs. Together, Sategna and Harris form a lethal combo of speed and agility that will test even the most disciplined secondaries.
And there’s a real case to be made that Harris might be even more explosive than Sategna - a scary thought for Big 12 defensive coordinators.
Parker Livingstone Brings the Size - and the Skill
If there’s been one consistent gripe from Sooners fans in recent years, it’s been the lack of size at wide receiver. That changes with the addition of Parker Livingstone, a 6-foot-4 transfer from Texas who combines length with legitimate speed. In his redshirt freshman season with the Longhorns, Livingstone caught 29 passes for 516 yards and six touchdowns - numbers that hint at a breakout waiting to happen.
What makes Livingstone such an exciting piece is that he brings both size and speed, something Oklahoma hasn’t had in one package in quite some time. He’s a matchup nightmare - too big for corners, too fast for linebackers or safeties. And with three years of eligibility left, he’s not just a short-term fix; he’s a long-term weapon.
If he continues to develop, there’s a very real chance Livingstone becomes Mateer’s top target by season’s end.
The Bottom Line
The Sooners already had a playoff-caliber defense. Now, they’ve got the pieces in place to build an offense that can match it - and maybe even surpass it. With Mateer at the helm, a stable offensive line, and a mix of returning stars and high-upside transfers, Oklahoma’s offense is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing units in the country heading into 2026.
If Arbuckle can unlock the full potential of this group - particularly the new additions at tight end and wide receiver - the Sooners won’t just be looking to return to the playoff. They’ll be aiming to win the whole thing.