John Mateer didn’t spend the offseason just trying to get stronger or sharper. He spent it trying to become cleaner in the details that can decide a season - his footwork, his throwing motion, and the hours he logged at Oklahoma’s facilities studying film.
That work is meant to show up in 2026. So is the daily stress test he gets from facing Oklahoma’s defense in practice.
“They're really good,” Mateer said of the defense. “They have all the potential to be really good. It's fun to go against.”
For a quarterback looking to bounce back after an up-and-down first year in Norman, there may not be a better proving ground. Oklahoma’s defense was one of the SEC’s best in 2025, leading the conference in total defense at 272.5 yards allowed per game, scoring defense at 15.8 points allowed per game and sacks with 45.
That kind of unit didn’t appear overnight. Under Brent Venables, the Sooners have steadily tightened up on that side of the ball.
In 2022, Venables’ first season, Oklahoma was giving up 30 points a game, a mark that ranked 122nd nationally. By last year, the Sooners had allowed 30 points in only two of their 30 games.
Venables, who spent nearly a decade as Clemson’s defensive coordinator and helped the Tigers win two national championships, has turned that side of the ball into a weekly challenge for the offense. Mateer says that challenge is exactly what makes practice so valuable.
“He throws a lot at you, tries to confuse you,” Mateer said.
The Sooners should have plenty of familiar firepower back on defense in 2026, with Eli Bowen, David Stone, Kip Lewis and Taylor Wein all returning. That group should keep Oklahoma among the nation’s most difficult defenses to solve.
But the Sooners’ offense won’t just be measuring itself against its own defense. The schedule also brings other heavyweights on that side of the ball, including Georgia, Texas and Texas A&M.
Georgia has been one of the country’s stingiest defenses under Kirby Smart for years, and the Bulldogs reached the College Football Playoff quarterfinals last season. Texas made major defensive gains late in 2025 and brings back star edge rusher Colin Simmons. Texas A&M, coached by defensive-minded Mike Elko, finished second in the SEC with 43 sacks in 2025, behind only Oklahoma.
Venables’ habit of mixing up looks only adds to the education for Mateer and the offense. The quarterback says it helps remove any excuse when something unfamiliar shows up on Saturdays.
"It's like, 'Well, if it does happen, I've seen it.' There's no excuse,” Mateer said. “You've seen it twice, you know how to go against it.’”
That back-and-forth has even turned into a little fuel inside practice. Taylor Wein called Mateer “a very excellent quarterback,” but also said the quarterback’s edge has a way of raising the temperature on both sides.
“It's actually really funny going against him at practice every day - he's the number one dude talking smack,” Wein said. “It's only elevated the whole offense, and it's brought a huge pulse to the offense.”
Oklahoma’s offense should look different, and better, on paper in 2026. The Sooners added wide receivers Parker Livingstone and Trell Harris and tight ends Rocky Beers and Hayden Hansen. Mateer is also fully healthy after playing through a thumb injury during the back half of the 2025 season.
Mateer knows the offense has to improve if Oklahoma wants to get back to the CFP. And he believes that having to battle the Sooners’ defense every day can help push it there.
“We've got to be good on our half to be able to compete and play well against them,” Mateer said.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Is Closing In On A Texas Legacy Recruit
A highly regarded defensive lineman from Texas is becoming a name to watch for Oklahoma, and the Sooners have put themselves in a strong position early with Logan Lokey. The 2028 prospect out of Denton Guyer High School has drawn multiple offers already, and Oklahoma is among the schools that have made a serious push as the recruiting picture starts to take shape.
Lokey has already been to Norman once and is expected back during the season, which should keep Oklahoma in the conversation as the process moves along. Even with family ties to another major program, no commitment has been made, and the Sooners are currently viewed as the team to beat as they try to land one of the more intriguing young defensive line targets in the country. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Finally Have A Center Battle That Could Matter This Fall
The center room has become one of the more interesting spots on Oklahomas offensive line as the Sooners try to build better depth for the fall. Fifth-year player Jake Maikkula remains the anchor, but the competition behind him has given the staff something it has wanted for a while: a real battle for backup work. Freshman Noah Best and senior Caleb Nitta, a transfer from Western Kentucky, are the names to watch, and both have drawn positive mention from the coaches and from Maikkula himself.
Bests development has stood out during the spring, while Nitta brings the kind of experience that can help stabilize a room that needs it. For an offense trying to raise the level of play up front, the backup center spot matters more than it usually does, because one injury or one missed practice can quickly expose a thin line. The Sooners still have time to sort it out, but this is one of those competitions that could end up carrying more weight than it first seems. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Edge Rusher Battle Is Giving The Sooners Real Hope
Fall camp has put Oklahomas edge-rusher room squarely under the microscope, and Brent Venables has reason to like what he has seen so far. Adepoju Adebawore brings the most experience to the battle, while Danny Okoye has made noticeable strides and continues to flash the kind of upside that can change the feel of a defensive front. Add in Arkansas transfer EMarion Harris, and the Sooners have more than just bodies in the room. They have a legitimate competition.
For a defense built around pressure, this is the kind of position group that can shape the tone of the entire season. Venables is getting a mix of proven know-how, developmental momentum and transfer help, which gives Oklahoma some real hope that the edge could become a strength rather than a question mark. The next step is figuring out how all of that promise translates once the games start for real. [Read more 🡒]