Sooners Just Got A Major SEC Respect Boost Across The Roster

The University of Oklahoma football team boasts a strong presence on the 2026 Preseason Coaches All-SEC Team with multiple standout players earning recognition for their impressive performances and contributions.

NORMAN - Oklahoma showed up big in the 2026 Preseason Coaches All-SEC Team release Wednesday, landing 10 players across 13 total spots, with placekicker and kickoff specialist Tate Sandell and long snapper Ben Anderson earning first-team recognition.

The Sooners’ haul was spread across both sides of the ball, with fifth-year senior wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III highlighted as a second-team choice at wide receiver, all-purpose player and return specialist. Five more OU veterans - linebacker Kip Lewis, punter Grayson Miller, defensive back Peyton Bowen, defensive lineman Taylor Wein, defensive back Eli Bowen, defensive lineman David Stone and sophomore offensive lineman Michael Fasusi - were all placed on the second team as well.

The coaches’ picks matched a strong showing from the media earlier this summer. All 10 Sooners were also included on the Preseason Media All-SEC Teams after SEC Media Days in July.

Sandell and Anderson were first-team selections there too, while the other eight OU players landed on the media’s second team. Sategna also picked up all-purpose recognition from the coaches.

Sandell’s resume coming off 2025 is hard to miss. He won the Lou Groza Award and was named a first-team All-American after setting or tying eight career or single-season school, conference, FBS or stadium records.

That list included the OU and single-season SEC marks for most consecutive made field goals, with 24, along with school records for eight makes from 50-plus yards and 16 conversions from 40-plus yards. He was already a first-team All-SEC choice by both the coaches and media last season.

Anderson kept his place among the conference’s top specialists after another strong year as OU’s snapper. He was a second-team All-SEC pick in 2025 after earning third-team honors in 2024, and he has handled every long-snapping assignment for the Sooners over the past three seasons. He’s also a two-time semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, which goes to the nation’s best long snapper.

Sategna turned in one of OU’s most productive receiving seasons a year ago, leading the team and ranking second in the SEC with 68 catches. He also finished third in the league with 965 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns. In 2025, he was a first-team All-SEC selection by the media and a second-team pick by the coaches at both wide receiver and return specialist.

Lewis brings a proven track record to the second-team linebacker spot. The two-year starter has piled up 209 total tackles in 44 career games, along with 18.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, two interceptions and five pass breakups. Last season, he led OU with 76 tackles and added 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and four pass breakups.

Miller also earned second-team notice after being named a first-team All-SEC selection by both the coaches and media last year. He averaged 44.4 yards on 59 punts in 2025, with a long of 66 yards, and his 24 punts of at least 50 yards set a single-season program record.

Peyton Bowen followed up his 2025 All-SEC second-team nod with another preseason honor after starting all 13 games at safety last season. He finished with 47 tackles, two interceptions and a team-high seven pass breakups. Across 39 career games, he has 117 tackles, 3.5 for loss, two interceptions and 12 pass breakups.

Wein had his breakout in 2025, starting eight of 13 games and posting 39 tackles, including team highs of 15.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks. He also added six quarterback hurries, an interception and a forced fumble, and he earned second-team All-SEC honors from the coaches last season.

Eli Bowen has been a steady presence in the secondary, starting 17 of his first 20 games over two seasons. He has 54 tackles, three interceptions and eight pass breakups in his career, including 24 tackles, two interceptions and four pass breakups last season. One of those picks went 87 yards for a touchdown at Alabama.

Stone played all 13 games last season and made two starts, finishing with 42 tackles, the most among OU defensive linemen. He also recorded 8.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and six quarterback hurries. In 26 career games, he has 48 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

Fasusi, a true freshman last season, started 10 of 11 games at left tackle and opened each of the final nine contests. On3 named him a true freshman All-American.

OU opens the 2026 season Friday, Sept. 4 against UTEP at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on SEC Network+. The Sooners’ SEC opener comes Sept. 26 at Georgia.

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