College football predictions always hit a little different once fall camp starts, and Oklahoma is no exception. The Sooners still have bigger questions ahead, but it’s already possible to sketch out how the offense might shake out in 2026 - at least when it comes to who finishes on top in the major stat columns.
John Mateer is the easy place to start. Outside of the passing numbers, where he should be the clear leader unless something goes badly wrong, he also looks like the best bet to own the rushing touchdown category.
He led Oklahoma with eight rushing scores in 2025 even while dealing with injury and seeing his carries cut back late. With his health back and his frame built for punishment, he should be used even more as a runner this season.
The Sooners’ backs will also split work near the goal line, which makes it hard to see any one of them separating from the pack. That leaves Mateer as the pick for rushing scores, and a major reason he’s being talked about as a Heisman Trophy contender in 2026.
In the backfield, the rushing yards race looks a little different. Colorado State transfer Lloyd Avant is in position to get the first crack at leading the group.
Xavier Robinson may eventually reclaim the No. 1 spot, but Avant earned early trust in spring and fall camp, and that should matter when Deland McCullough starts sorting out the rotation. Avant figures to get plenty of touches right away, especially against UTEP and New Mexico, while Robinson works his way back into full rhythm.
Once SEC defenses enter the picture, Robinson will be splitting work with Avant, Mateer, and possibly Jonathan Hatton Jr. or Tory Blaylock too. That early head start gives Avant the edge in rushing yards, even if the Sooners still don’t end up with a 1,000-yard rusher.
At receiver, Isaiah Sategna III should remain the most productive target overall. He led Oklahoma in every receiving category last season and looks set to be Mateer’s favorite option again after returning.
The speed is there, the volume should be there, and the yardage should pile up enough for him to clear 1,000 receiving yards again. But the touchdown crown may go elsewhere this time.
That’s where Parker Livingstone comes in. The Texas transfer is listed at 6-foot-3, and that size, along with his ability to get vertical, makes him the best bet to become Mateer’s top red-zone weapon.
Livingstone can win in the end zone and also create chunk plays down the field, which gives him a real chance to lead Oklahoma in receiving touchdowns. Sategna and Trell Harris will still make explosive plays of their own, but Livingstone’s role should stretch across the field and include plenty of scoring chances.
And according to the prediction, at least one of those touchdowns will come against his old team in the Red River Rivalry.
In Other News...
Oklahoma's QB2 Battle Just Got More Serious Than Fans Expected
Oklahomas quarterback room has taken on a little more intrigue this offseason, and not just at the top. Behind starter John Mateer, the battle for the backup role is shaping up between Bowe Bentley, a 2026 recruit, and Whitt Newbauer, the Mercer transfer who is now in his third year and has quietly made a strong impression. Newbauers offseason progress has stood out, with his confidence and chemistry with teammates taking a noticeable step forward as the Sooners get ready for the fall.
What makes the competition worth watching is the way all three quarterbacks have approached it. Mateer, Bentley and Newbauer have each spoken about mutual respect and the value of learning from one another, which gives the room a different feel than a typical depth-chart chase. Even so, the backup spot is no small matter in a season that could demand readiness at a moments notice, and Newbauers rise has made it harder to assume the job will sort itself out quickly. [Read more 🡒]
R Mason Thomas Is Giving Oklahoma Fans Another Reason To Watch
R Mason Thomas keeps giving Oklahoma fans a little extra reason to flip on NFL preseason games. The former Sooners edge rusher showed up in the Kansas City Chiefs loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a pass breakup and a quarterback pressure, another reminder that Oklahomas pipeline to Sundays is still running through the August exhibition slate.
And Thomas was hardly the only former Sooner making noise. Robert Spears-Jennings, Kendal Daniels, Damonic Williams, Deion Burks, Febechi Nwaiwu, Nik Bonitto and Tony Jefferson all turned in notable preseason moments, while Baker Mayfield, Caleb Williams, Jalen Hurts and Kyler Murray were part of the Week 2 action at quarterback. For Oklahoma fans, it is one more week where the NFL broadcast feels a lot like a reunion. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas New AD Just Framed What Comes Next For The Sooners
Roger Denny has barely settled into the athletics director chair at Oklahoma, but the first six months have already given him a crash course in what comes with the job. Two OU programs have won national championships during his tenure, while he has also helped lock in key contract extensions for football leadership and pushed ahead on the new arena project that is expected to open in the 2028-29 season. It has been a stretch defined as much by celebration as by steadying the departments long-term direction.
Denny also used a recent media session to talk candidly about the pressures facing the athletics department and the wider college sports landscape, a reminder that the work in front of him is not just about adding to the trophy case. For Oklahoma, the question now is how the Sooners navigate those challenges while keeping momentum across the board, with the next phase of Dennys tenure likely to be judged as much by what he builds as by what has already happened. [Read more 🡒]