If Oklahoma’s offense takes the kind of step forward in 2026 that Brent Venables has been waiting for, the Sooners could be back in the College Football Playoff picture. That kind of surge would not happen in a vacuum, though. It would have to come with the defense staying exactly where it is: elite.
That’s the real point here. A strong offensive year would matter for Oklahoma, but it would matter just as much for what it says about Venables’ program-building plan.
On defense, the Sooners already look like a team that has found a workable formula. Heading into fall camp, 10 of the 11 projected starters were recruited out of high school to play for Oklahoma. The lone exception is Owen Heinecke, whose path has been unusual, to say the least, but who still fits the retention side of the ledger because he has been in Norman since 2023.
There’s more than just the starting group, too. Four or five transfers could push into the two-deep, while another six to eight homegrown players are in position to earn roles. That is the kind of roster construction Venables wants on that side of the ball: develop from within, supplement where needed.
Offense has been the harder side of the equation. There are four notable players who could win starting jobs in fall camp after transferring to Oklahoma last winter. Three others - John Mateer, Isaiah Sategna III and Jake Maikkula - are entering their second season with the Sooners after arriving in the 2025 offseason.
That means Oklahoma could end up leaning on seven of 11 offensive starters who are first- or second-year transfers, plus six more depth players who are also in their first year in Norman.
That’s why 2026 feels like such an important bridge year for Venables. His teams have had to lean heavily on the portal on offense since he arrived in 2022, while the defense has been built more the old-fashioned way, through high school recruiting and in-house development.
The portal is part of the sport now, and Venables isn’t trying to avoid it altogether. Even on defense, he’ll use it to patch holes created by departures.
But the goal is to be selective, not dependent.
The offense still has work to do, but the progress is already visible. In 2024, ESPN’s SP+ had Oklahoma’s offense at No. 75 after a miserable 6-7 season. In 2025, Ben Arbuckle moved it up 24 spots to No. 51 despite dealing with an injured quarterback and a young offensive line.
Now the preseason SP+ projection for 2026 has Oklahoma’s offense at No. 27, another 24-spot jump. That’s the kind of leap that would mean something real.
Illinois finished last season at No. 27 on offense after going 9-4. Miami, which lost in the national championship, checked in a few spots higher at No.
- Texas was No.
If Oklahoma gets into that range, it would be evidence that Arbuckle can build and run a productive offense. It would also show that Venables has found an offensive coordinator capable of succeeding in the SEC, whether Arbuckle stays for the long haul or not.
And that matters because the future shape of the roster is already coming into view. In 2027, Oklahoma is set to bring back five offensive starters, including three on the offensive line. Behind them, the Sooners would have in-house options like Bowe Bentley as Mateer’s successor, Noah Best at center and Elijah Thomas at wide receiver.
The formula is pretty clear. Keep the defense intact.
Use the portal, but use it wisely. Let the offense get closer to the standard the defense has already established.
That’s what 2026 can do for Brent Venables’ Oklahoma program.
In Other News...
Sooners Commit Cooper Hackett Is Suddenly At Center Of Recruiting Divide
Cooper Hacketts name is suddenly sitting at the center of a recruiting split, and for Oklahoma that makes him one of the more interesting commits in the 2027 class. Rivals kept the Fort Gibson offensive tackle in five-star territory, slotting him among the elite prospects in the country, while other services have taken a more cautious view as the offseason unfolds. For the Sooners, it is the kind of evaluation debate that can follow a high-upside lineman when the tape is still being weighed against long-term projection.
The tension around Hackett comes from how much his current standing is tied to what evaluators think he can become once he is fully healthy again. His talent and potential remain highly regarded, but the injury news has clearly influenced where he lands in the rankings conversation, and that leaves Oklahoma with a commitment whose ceiling is obvious even if the present-day picture is less settled. For a program building its future up front, the disagreement only adds to the intrigue. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas SEC Media Day Group Includes One Choice Fans Will Notice
Oklahomas trip to SEC Media Day on July 20 in Tampa will feature the kind of mix that usually tells you a little something about where a program thinks it is headed. Brent Venables will be joined by quarterback John Mateer, defensive end Taylor Wein and offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis, giving the Sooners a four-man group that blends the face of the program with a few players who have helped shape the rosters next layer.
Mateer has already been through this stage before, but Wein and Pierre-Louis are set for their first appearances, which adds a fresh angle to Oklahomas day in front of the league. The Sooners have plenty to talk about after recent performances from those players and with the new season approaching, and the media session should offer another snapshot of how Venables wants his team presented as it settles deeper into SEC life. [Read more 🡒]
Jim Nagy Is Already Shaping Big Decisions At Oklahoma
Jim Nagys arrival as Oklahomas general manager has already given the Sooners a different kind of voice in the room, one shaped by years of NFL scouting and personnel work. After 17 seasons evaluating talent for pro teams and a run as executive director of the Senior Bowl from 2018 to 2025, Nagy brings a perspective the program can lean on as players sort through the next steps in their careers.
That kind of guidance matters most when a decision is not just about the draft, but about timing, development and fit. Wide receiver Isaiah Sategna is among the players who have already benefited from those conversations, and Oklahoma appears to be getting the kind of front-office help that can influence both the roster in the short term and the programs long-term NFL pipeline. [Read more 🡒]