Oklahoma enters 2026 with plenty of national buzz, but Pro Football Focus only found room for one Sooner on its preseason top 50.
That lone Oklahoma name was defensive tackle David Stone, who came in at No. 31 overall. PFF pointed to a season built on disruption: Stone posted 26 pressures, third among SEC defensive tackles, and a 13.0% run-stop rate that ranked second among FBS defensive tackles.
Stone was one of the breakout players in OU’s 2025 run to the College Football Playoff. After limited action in 2024, he lived up to his 5-star label and grew into a major leader next to Jayden Jackson, giving the Sooners a strong foundation on the defensive line heading into 2026.
And Stone is hardly the only Oklahoma defender who should be in the preseason spotlight.
One of the biggest offseason victories for Brent Venables and general manager Jim Nagy was keeping linebacker Kip Lewis in Norman for his redshirt senior year. Lewis led the Sooners with 76 total tackles last season and added 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and a forced fumble.
His rise started in 2023, when he first made his mark in the Sooners’ goal-line stand against Texas. He finished that season with 66 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack after a strong second half.
As a redshirt sophomore, Lewis added 65 tackles and made his biggest imprint with a pair of interceptions. One was his “Kip Six” that sealed a comeback win in Oklahoma’s first trip to Auburn.
The other came against Alabama, when he took a pick to the house in the Yellowhammer State two-step and helped the Sooners beat the No. 7 Crimson Tide 24-3.
Lewis remains one of the emotional drivers of the defense, and he’ll be joined by Owen Heinecke, who also took a step forward last season. Heinecke is set to build on his 74-tackle year on the second line of the defense behind Stone, Jackson and Taylor Wein, who helped cover for the injury to R Mason Thomas late in 2025.
With Courtland Guillory and Eli Bowen back at corner and Peyton Bowen at safety, Oklahoma may have landed only one player on PFF’s preseason list, but the defense is still expected to be elite.
The offense, meanwhile, was left out of the top 50 entirely, which makes sense after last season’s results. Still, a few strong 2026 showings could change that quickly.
Quarterback John Mateer will have a chance to put himself squarely in the national conversation as Oklahoma works through an early schedule that includes Michigan, Georgia and Texas. If Mateer delivers, others should benefit too.
His connection with Isaiah Sategna held up through Sategna’s thumb injury, and the pair will get a bigger stage to show what they can do against those marquee opponents.
Sophomore offensive tackle Michael Fasusi is another name to watch after being thrown into the fire as a former 5-star recruit last season. Year 2 could be the one that pushes him into the national picture.
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Oklahomas Receiver Depth Looks Better But One Doubt Still Lingers
Oklahomas receiver room is in a better place heading into 2026, at least on paper. Isaiah Sategna is back, and the Sooners have added transfer help in Parker Livingstone and Trell Harris, giving the top end of the group a look that should be more dependable than it was a year ago. For a team that wants more consistency on the outside, that kind of upgrade matters, especially with a clear trio emerging as the foundation of the passing game.
The lingering question is what comes after those three. Brent Venables has talked up several reserve wideouts during spring practice, but Oklahoma has not leaned heavily on its receiver depth in the past, and it is still unclear how much trust the staff will place in the lower part of the chart once the season starts. If the Sooners are going to get where they want to go, they may need more than just the headline names to hold up when the games start to pile up. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Faces A 2026 Quarterback Gauntlet Fans Wont Ignore
The Manning Passing Academy always offers a glimpse at the next wave of quarterbacks, but for Oklahoma, this years version came with a little extra relevance. Four of the 11 passers singled out from the event are already on the Sooners 2026 schedule, which means the conversation quickly shifts from summer buzz to a real look at the kind of arms Brent Venables defense will have to chase around next fall.
Arch Manning sits near the top of that group, while LaNorris Sellers checks in at No. 7 and Bryce Underwood brings the sort of ceiling that keeps evaluators talking. Underwood was the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, and the appeal is obvious if he keeps climbing toward that level. Oklahoma also has to account for John Mateer, whose offseason transformation drew plenty of attention, adding another layer to a schedule that already looks loaded with quarterback talent. [Read more 🡒]