Oklahoma is heading into 2026 with a familiar goal and a fresh round of outside belief. After getting back to the College Football Playoff for the first time in six seasons, the Sooners want last year to look like the start of something bigger, not just a one-off surge.
Their playoff stay didn’t last long. Alabama knocked them out with a 34-24 win in Norman, but Oklahoma still came away with something important: proof it could handle SEC competition after plenty of questions followed the move from the Big 12.
That didn’t solve everything, though. The Sooners still have work to do.
The early preseason numbers reflect that. ESPN’s Football Power Index placed Oklahoma at No. 12 and gave it a 28.2% chance of making the playoff again.
Brooks Austin, though, is a little higher on the Sooners. The college football analyst put Oklahoma at No. 8 in his top 25 on “The Film Guy Network,” and he made it clear the defense is the reason.
"No. 8 the Oklahoma Sooners," Austin said. "This is a defensive play for me.
David Stone, Kip Lewis and the Bowen brothers. (Owen) Heinecke comes back.
It's Brent Venables, guys."
That kind of praise lines up with the general buzz around Oklahoma entering the season. With Stone and Lewis back, plus Venables steering the defense, the Sooners have a unit that can keep them in the mix against anybody. If the offense makes the jump people expect, Austin’s top-10 slot could end up looking pretty sharp - and Oklahoma could be back in the national title conversation.
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 🡒]