Ben Arbuckle’s second offseason in Norman has come with a different kind of confidence.
The Oklahoma offensive coordinator is entering his fifth year as a collegiate play caller, and after spending his first season with the Sooners teaching his system, he said Tuesday that he’s grown more comfortable with a bigger-picture approach. That growth has included leaning harder on the other offensive minds around him on the OU staff.
“From last year to this year, one of the biggest things I feel like I have more confidence in is finding the absolute best way to do something and lean on the guys around me,” Arbuckle said on Tuesday.
That collaboration has mattered as Oklahoma’s offense has worked through its own evolution. Arbuckle’s attack was built to move fast and score in bunches, but late in the 2025 season it became more of a ball-control outfit. John Mateer’s hand injury cut into what Arbuckle could ask from his quarterback, and the Sooners also had trouble running the ball with a young offensive line.
This spring and summer, Arbuckle said he looked everywhere for answers, including from new assistants Jason Witten, the tight ends coach, and Deland McCullough, the running backs coach.
“Coming into Year 1, you’re really trying to build trust and confidence with not only the players but everybody in the building and everybody in your offensive staff room,” Arbuckle said. “ I think with the guys that we have - the unreal humans, unbelievable ball coaches - (there’s) more great discussion, great collaboration.”
Brent Venables sees that as part of the natural climb for a coach who is still early in his career but already carrying a major job.
“You don't know what you don't know until you go through it,” Venables said. “… You feel like you have to carry this heavy weight of, 'I'm supposed to know everything, because I have that title.'
But in reality, how would you ever know everything? You have no capacity at that time from an experience standpoint to certainly know everything.
“But he's been great. He's very hungry, super bright, really smart.
Incredibly hard worker and just high standards for himself. But I've really tried to give him some guidance along the way to try to take some of that weight off.
That, man, when you have people around you that have been good at what they do, it's a very healthy thing.”
Oklahoma’s offense also has a lot more continuity heading into 2026. The Sooners got Mateer back, and they also return last season’s top receiver, Isaiah Sategna. Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock are back in the backfield, along with key offensive linemen Michael Fasusi, Eddy Pierre-Louis, Jake Maikkula and Ryan Fodje.
“We were able to keep so many guys so you just feel better about the guys that you have, the players that you have,” Arbuckle said. “Feel better about what they can do, maybe know what they can't do that you've got to go out and develop, but you just feel so much better about that over the whole realm of the offense and kind of the ecosystem that you live in.”
Fall camp begins Wednesday, and the Sooners will keep building toward their Sept. 4 opener against UTEP. The goal is clear: keep improving between now and then, then use that work to push back toward the College Football Playoff after last season’s first-round exit.
“I got great faith and confidence in where we're at offensively right now,” Venables said. “… All of them on offense - players and coaches alike - have locked arms and put their heads down and (put in) a tremendous amount of work over the last several months.”
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For Oklahoma, the real intrigue is that one of its recent alumni could be caught up in the ruling, which is why this is more than just another legal footnote in the NCAA world. The Sooners are now watching a situation that could influence a former players next move while also shaping how the program reads its own roster outlook, with the final decision on career paths still hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]