Reggie Powers III isn’t shy about where he thinks Oklahoma’s defense should be headed.
“We want to be number one in every single category,” Powers said.
That’s a lofty target, but it comes from a unit that already gave Oklahoma one of its best defensive seasons in 2025. The Sooners finished third nationally in rushing defense at 77.3 yards allowed per game, third in sacks with 45, sixth in total defense at 272.5 yards allowed per game and seventh in scoring defense at 15.5 points allowed per game. In each of those categories, Oklahoma led the SEC.
Powers was right in the middle of it. As a sophomore, he worked mainly at cheetah, the hybrid spot between defensive back and linebacker, and put together a solid season of his own: 31 total tackles, 19 solo tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.
Even with all that production and a defense that helped push Oklahoma to its first College Football Playoff appearance since 2019, Powers thinks the group still has another level to reach.
“We know we have the talent to do it, it's just the want-to and the preparation that is going to take us there,” Powers said. “We know we all have the want-to and the desire to do that.”
That belief makes sense when you look at the makeup of the defense. Oklahoma has experienced, home-grown talent across all three levels, and the Sooners have enough pieces to keep causing problems for offenses.
The flip side is that there’s still room to clean things up. Oklahoma didn’t force its first turnover until the fifth game of the season, and it finished with just 13 takeaways. There were also stretches where opponents like Auburn’s Cam Coleman, Texas’ Quintrevion Wisner and Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss found cracks in the tackling and coverage.
Those moments didn’t erase how good the defense was in 2025, but they did show the gap between being strong and being truly elite.
That’s where Brent Venables comes in. Widely regarded as one of college football’s top defensive minds, Venables enters his fifth year as Oklahoma’s head coach, and the defense has improved every season under him.
Powers believes that kind of leadership can keep pushing the unit forward, even if the idea of finishing first in every category is probably unrealistic.
“He wouldn't recruit us here for no reason,” Venables said. “He's got the right group of guys, so we're just trying to go out there, make him proud, make everybody around us proud, and just prove to ourselves that’s who we are.”
In Other News...
Oklahoma Just Rewarded Five Under-The-Radar Sooners Before The Opener
Oklahoma made a quiet but meaningful move ahead of the 2026 opener, rewarding five walk-on players with scholarships as the Sooners settled into the final stretch of preseason preparations. Offensive linemen Sean Hutton and Kenneth Wermy, defensive back Casen Calmus, wide receiver Trey Brown and kicker Liam Evans all earned the kind of recognition that reflects more than just depth-chart status, even if a few of them were already listed on the initial two-deep.
For a program always balancing immediate expectations with long-term roster building, these decisions matter because they speak to the culture inside the locker room as much as the lineup itself. The Sooners did not just hand out scholarships to fill space, and the timing before the opener gives the group a little extra visibility as Oklahoma moves toward the season with some of its less-heralded contributors now carrying a bigger reward along with bigger responsibilities. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Is Still Pressing For A Defensive Recruit Texas Tech Thought It Had
Gideon Gash may be committed to Texas Tech, but the recruiting picture around the four-star 2027 athlete is not nearly settled. Oklahoma has stayed involved, keeping pressure on a prospect out of Detroit Catholic Central who has drawn attention on both sides of the ball as a cornerback and receiver.
For the Sooners, the appeal is obvious: Gash is the kind of high-end athlete programs keep chasing even after a pledge is on the books. Texas Tech may have the early commitment, but Oklahomas continued push suggests this recruitment still has room to change as the cycle moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Jason Witten Is Already Changing More Than Oklahomas Tight Ends
Jason Wittens first college coaching stop has already given Oklahoma a different kind of offseason story line. After replacing Joe Jon Finley, the longtime NFL tight end has settled in as the Sooners tight ends coach, and the early reviews from offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and the players have centered as much on his experience and presence as on any technical teaching point. It has been a smooth introduction to a new level for Witten, one that has quickly become part of the programs daily rhythm.
What stands out, though, is how far his influence has reached beyond a single position room. Players around the roster have taken notice as Oklahoma readies itself for UTEP, with Wittens arrival seemingly adding something to the teams broader culture as well as to the tight ends group. For a coach making his collegiate debut, that kind of impact comes quickly, and it gives the Sooners another layer to monitor as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]