Oklahoma’s offensive makeover this offseason went beyond personnel on the field. The Sooners kept plenty of firepower in place - quarterback John Mateer, four of five starting offensive linemen, star wide receiver Isaiah Sategna and their top two running backs all returned - but the staff around them changed in a meaningful way.
Running backs coach DeMarco Murray moved on to the same role with the Kansas City Chiefs, and Oklahoma also parted ways with tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley. In their place, the Sooners brought in Deland McCullough, widely viewed as one of the best running backs coaches in the country, and legendary former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten.
That new mix has impressed offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who pointed to the way McCullough, Witten and the rest of Oklahoma’s offensive staff work together.
"But as far as having the guys that I get to work with in that room and the depth of knowledge and experience that's in there, I mean, it's huge, right?" Arbuckle said."And it makes getting on the same page, you know, really that much easier because there's so much good information that's being said, that's being brought up, that's being talked about."
The bigger test is turning that shared knowledge into cleaner Saturdays. Oklahoma has already flashed what the offense can do, especially with its improved ground game against Mississippi State, but the challenge now is consistency. As SEC play continues, that cohesion inside the coaching room could be a useful edge as the Sooners keep adjusting, leaning into their strengths and trying to settle into a clearer offensive identity.
In Other News...
Oklahomas Offensive Collapse Just Raised A Bigger Brent Venables Question
Oklahomas offense never found its footing in the 42-25 loss to South Carolina, and the frustration around the program only deepened as the game wore on. The Sooners were outplayed by a Gamecocks team led by LaNorris Sellers, who carved up the defense through the air and on the ground in one of the more complete performances Oklahoma has faced this season.
Brent Venables was left to answer for the result afterward, but he declined to get into any possible coaching changes in the wake of the defeat. With the offense sputtering and the margin for error shrinking, the bigger concern now is whether this was just a bad night or a sign that Oklahomas issues run much deeper than one loss. [Read more 🡒]
Boganowski Sends Oklahoma A Blunt Message After Defensive Collapse
Michael Boganowski had a milestone moment in Oklahomas 42-25 loss to South Carolina, picking off his first pass as a defensive back, but the play was buried in a rough afternoon for the Sooners defense. The unit missed a season-high 27 tackles and gave up multiple long touchdown passes, turning a breakthrough individual moment into a footnote in a game that slipped away.
Boganowski didnt try to soften the bigger picture afterward, pointing to the defenses poor execution and the need to clean it up quickly with more games ahead. For Oklahoma, the interception offered a small bright spot, but the larger concern is whether the Sooners can turn that kind of effort into something more reliable before the next test arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Fans Turned On The Offense As Pressure Mounted Fast
The frustration inside Norman showed up early and never really let go, as Oklahomas offense spent much of the afternoon searching for answers in a 42-25 home loss to South Carolina. The Sooners were booed by their own fans as the pressure mounted, a sharp turn for a team that had hoped to steady itself at home after a rough stretch. John Mateer finished 26 of 43 for 244 yards and two touchdowns, but the production never fully matched the urgency of the moment.
South Carolinas LaNorris Sellers kept the game moving in the other direction, making plays as both a passer and runner while Oklahoma tried to keep pace. The loss marked the Sooners second straight home defeat for the first time since 2024, a troubling note for a team still trying to find its footing in front of its own crowd. The schedule does not offer much breathing room either, with Florida up next on Nov. 7. [Read more 🡒]