Oklahoma enters 2026 with a familiar face back under center and a schedule that starts fast. John Mateer is returning after steering the Sooners to the College Football Playoff last season, and Oklahoma has enough coming back around him to make Brent Venables’ fifth year overall - and third in the Southeastern Conference - his strongest yet.
The offense should look sturdier up front than it did a year ago. Oklahoma’s line brings back more experience, and the backfield gives the Sooners real depth with Xavier Robinson, Tory Blaylock and Colorado State transfer Lloyd Avant all in the mix.
That side of the ball is only part of the appeal. The defense was already one of the nation’s best last season, and the group could be even better now. Six players who started at least six games a year ago are back from a unit that led the country in sacks per game and tackles for loss per game.
The Sooners open their 2026 season at home on Sept. 4 against UTEP.
Here is Oklahoma’s 2026 TV schedule:
Sept. 4 - UTEP - 8 p.m. ET - SEC
Sept. 12 - at Michigan - Noon ET - FOX
Sept. 19 - New Mexico - 7:30 p.m. ET - ESPN 2
Sept. 26 - at Georgia - TBA - TBA
Oct. 10 - Texas (in Dallas) - 3:30 ET - TBA
Oct. 17 - Kentucky - TBA - TBA
Oct. 24 - at Mississippi State - TBA - TBA
Oct. 31 - South Carolina - TBA - TBA
Nov. 7 - at Florida - TBA - TBA
Nov. 14 - Ole Miss - TBA - TBA
Nov. 21 - Texas A&M - TBA - TBA
Nov. 28 - at Missouri - TBA - TBA
Dec. 5 - SEC Championship - 4 p.m. ET - ABC
In Other News...
Oklahoma Just Got Dragged Into An SEC Fight Fans Need To See
A federal judges preliminary injunction has suddenly put roster rules back at the center of the college football conversation, and the SEC is not happy about it. The ruling blocks conferences from punishing teams simply for carrying former professional players, which opened the door for LSU to add former NFL players DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris ahead of its season opener against Clemson.
The conference is opposing the decision and could appeal, while Louisiana officials have voiced support for the ruling, setting up a familiar kind of late-summer legal standoff with real football consequences. For Oklahoma and the rest of the SEC, it is one more reminder that the leagues path to opening weekend may still run through a courtroom before anyone gets to the field. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Face A Looming 2026 Problem In Ben Arbuckles Offense
Ben Arbuckles first Oklahoma offense offered enough clues this fall to make the long view worth taking seriously. A look at his play-by-play tendencies, compared with what he ran at Washington State in 2024 and then with John Mateer directing the Sooners in 2025, shows an offense that leaned more heavily on the pass in key spots, especially on third down, while the ground game never gave it much balance. When the run game isnt threatening, the sequencing gets easier to read, and the data from this season suggested Oklahoma spent too much time in that exact trap.
The bigger concern is what that means when the Sooners eventually move past Mateer and into 2026. Arbuckles scheme still has the shape of something dangerous, but the numbers point to fewer explosive passing plays than he produced before, dropping from 35% to 25% in the comparison the article examined. If the running game remains ineffective, the offense could become increasingly predictable at the very moment Oklahoma needs it to stay ahead of defenses that will have a full year of tape on how Arbuckle wants to build drives. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma May Be Closer To Another Proven Defensive Line Boost
Oklahomas defensive line for 2026 may be gaining another proven piece, with former Boise State tackle Braxton Fely cleared by a Cleveland County District Court order to enter the transfer portal and potentially suit up for the Sooners next season. Fely spent four seasons at Boise State and finished with back-to-back All-Mountain West Second Team nods in 2024 and 2025, which makes him the kind of experienced interior presence Oklahoma has been looking to stack around its returning talent.
Braxton Felys situation also adds another layer to a defensive front that already looks like one of the more promising parts of Oklahomas roster outlook. The Sooners were already expecting a strong 2026 line, and Felys availability now comes alongside the possibility of fifth-year lineman Danny Saili, who is dealing with eligibility issues, giving Oklahoma a chance to deepen a unit that could shape the defense for next season. [Read more 🡒]