Oklahoma’s defense has found itself under Brent Venables. The offense, not so much.
That’s the uncomfortable split at the heart of the Sooners’ 2026 season. Over four years, Venables has turned a once-criticized defense into one of college football’s best units. But while that side of the ball has settled into a clear personality - physical, aggressive and relentless - the offense still looks like it’s searching for a map.
The numbers tell the story. Oklahoma finished 11th in the SEC in rushing in 2024 at 155 yards per game, then dropped to 13th last season at 118 yards per game. That 2025 total ranked 113th nationally, which is almost unheard of for an Oklahoma team.
After that rough offensive showing, Venables and his staff made it a point to fix the problem for 2026. They brought in veteran NFL and college running backs coach Deland McCullough, added more weapons, and returned John Mateer healthy at quarterback.
The opening signs were encouraging. In the season opener against UTEP, Oklahoma rolled up 170 yards on 39 carries and scored twice on the ground, one of its better rushing days in the last two seasons.
A week later against Michigan, the run game started with promise again. Colorado State transfer Lloyd Avant gained eight yards on the first offensive snap and averaged 6.6 yards per carry on five first-half attempts. Oklahoma got 65 of its 100 rushing yards in the first half, with most of that coming in the opening quarter.
Then the ground game mostly disappeared.
In the second half, the Sooners leaned away from the run and toward the pass, even though Mateer was dealing with repeated inaccuracy and inconsistency. Avant had only four touches after halftime.
Oklahoma’s three running backs - Avant, Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock - combined for just 13 of the team’s 29 rushing attempts. Mateer had 13 carries himself, and three more rushing plays came on jet sweeps to Isaiah Sategna.
Mateer did deliver one strong stretch. In the third quarter, he completed all seven of his passes for 129 yards and helped lead two scoring drives. But that burst wasn’t enough to change the outcome at Michigan.
The blame is spread around. Ben Arbuckle’s play-calling is part of the conversation, Mateer’s execution is another piece, and Venables carries the final responsibility as head coach.
That uncertainty is the problem. Two seasons into Arbuckle and Mateer steering the offense, Oklahoma still hasn’t settled on the right identity or the right balance to match an elite defense and a special teams unit that is second to none.
That used to be the Sooners’ calling card. Oklahoma has long been known for explosive offense and big-time rushing attacks. Three of the program’s seven Heisman Trophy winners were running backs, and since 2000, four OU quarterbacks have won the award, with two others finishing as runner-up.
During the Lincoln Riley years, Oklahoma could score on anybody. The issue was that the defense couldn’t keep anybody from scoring back. That was never going to be enough for a real championship run.
From 2016 through 2020, Oklahoma finished in the top six nationally in total offense every year. It was No. 1 in 2018 with Kyler Murray, and No. 3 in both 2016 and 2017 behind Baker Mayfield. Riley was calling the shots in those seasons, and that track record fit his reputation as one of the game’s top offensive minds.
But that same 2018 season also showed the trade-off: while Oklahoma’s offense ranked No. 1, the defense was 101st out of 130 FBS teams.
Venables arrived in 2022 and has done exactly what his background suggested he would do. He made the defense tough, fast and disciplined. Now the challenge is restoring a clear offensive identity to match it.
That’s the next step for Oklahoma. The head coach sets the tone, but the coordinator and quarterback have to fit it and sell it.
When all three are aligned, the Sooners’ offense becomes something opponents can’t easily solve. Right now, that’s still the missing piece.
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Ben Arbuckle Already Has Oklahomas Offensive Fix To Consider
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