Oklahoma’s offensive overhaul has already started, but the biggest questions around the Sooners are still hanging in the air.
Ben Arbuckle is out as offensive coordinator, Jason Witten is now handling play-calling duties, and the move comes with Oklahoma sitting at 4-4 and searching for answers after a frustrating start. On a special edition of Oklahoma’s Own Podcast, Toby Rowland and Evan Kamikow dug into what went wrong, what Witten might change, and whether the Sooners could be headed for another shift under center.
Rowland didn’t mince words about where the trouble has landed in Brent Venables’ tenure.
“This has been the great black mark of the Brent Venables era,” Rowland said, pointing to Oklahoma’s inability to find consistency offensively despite significant improvements on defense.
The numbers back up the frustration. Oklahoma is 15th in the SEC in total offense, rushing offense and scoring offense, a blunt snapshot of how much the unit has lagged behind the rest of the league.
From there, the focus turns to the quarterback spot, where John Mateer’s recent stretch has become a major talking point. After one of his better outings against Mississippi State, Mateer couldn’t keep that momentum going in the loss to South Carolina, and Rowland said he would be surprised if Oklahoma didn’t at least look at another option before Saturday’s game against Florida.
That possibility puts Whitt Newbauer into the conversation, even though no change has been announced.
The larger issue is whether Oklahoma should keep riding with Mateer or start using the final stretch to figure out what it has for the future. That question sits at the center of the discussion now that the offense has been shaken up.
And if the Sooners do keep looking ahead, the podcast also touched on possible offensive coordinator targets, with Chip Kelly, G.J. Kinne and Mike Shanahan all mentioned as names to watch.
For Venables, the decision tree is getting bigger, not smaller. The changes already made have opened the door to more, and what happens next could shape much more than Saturday’s matchup with Florida.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Just Landed A Texas Legacy Fans Will Love
Oklahoma added an eye-catching name to its 2028 recruiting class when Logan Lokey, a four-star defensive lineman from Denton Guyer High School, announced his commitment. The son of former Texas defensive lineman Derek Lokey, he arrives with plenty of pedigree and plenty of attention, especially as an in-state recruit who had several major offers on the table.
What makes the decision stand out for Sooners fans is the school he passed over. Lokey is ranked No. 29 among defensive linemen in his class and has already made a strong impression at Denton Guyer, but Oklahoma beat out Texas and others to land him. For a program always looking to win key battles on the trail, getting a legacy recruit with Texas ties is the kind of early victory that tends to resonate. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Faces Another Offensive Reset Under Brent Venables
Another offensive reset is underway in Norman, with Brent Venables moving on from Ben Arbuckle during his second season running the Oklahoma program. The change leaves the Sooners searching again for stability on that side of the ball, and it adds another layer to a coaching tenure that has already seen plenty of turnover.
Jason Witten has been named interim offensive coordinator, giving Oklahoma a temporary answer while Venables sorts out the longer-term plan. The next hire will be especially significant, because it will be the fourth full-time offensive coordinator of Venables six-year run with the Sooners, a sign of how hard it has been to find continuity on offense. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Ugly Opener Left One Bigger Concern Hanging Over The Backcourt
Oklahomas first night of the 2026-27 season brought more questions than answers, and the 68-64 loss to East Texas A&M only sharpened the focus on a backcourt already missing its most important piece. Pop Isaacs led the Sooners with 15 points, but the offense never found much rhythm without point guard Xzayvier Brown, who sat out because of a lower-body injury.
Browns absence was the kind of early-season issue that can ripple through everything a team wants to do, especially when the opener turns into a grind and the margin stays tight late. East Texas A&M got 22 points from Bo Aldridge and walked out with the win, while Oklahoma now has to sort through the disappointment of the result and the uncertainty around Browns recovery timeline. [Read more 🡒]