In 2025, the Oklahoma Sooners went 10-3 while still making the College Football Playoff, losing to Alabama in the first round. Not good enough to feel completely polished as a program, but good enough to feel like progress.
For the Sooners to make some real noise in 2026, almost everything boils down to one player: quarterback John Mateer. Mateer has to be a better quarterback and the offense around him must stop being the liability it was last season.
John Mateer is the key player for Oklahoma
Mateer came in as the No. 1 prospect from the transfer portal after a historic season at Washington State in 2024 (3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns, 826 rushing yards). His first season as a Sooner didn’t match the success from Washington State; he had a 62.2 completion percentage, 2,885 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
After Mateer broke his hand in week four against Auburn is when things started to go downhill. In the final eight games, he completed just 59.4% of his passes and on a sidearm release that destroyed his deep accuracy. The offense finished 79th in the nation in scoring and 92nd in total offense.
The fix is mechanical, getting back into an over-the-top motion, building a stronger base and processing reads quicker instead of bailing into unsteady throws. If Mateer doesn’t perform at the level he did in 2024, then Oklahoma goes back to the same issues that turned ugly wins into nail-biters against that daunting SEC slate.
However, Mateer has more help now. Isaiah Sategna III (965 yards, 8 TDS) returns as a preseason All-American, joined by transfers Trell Harris (847 yards at Virginia) and Parker Livingston (516 yards at Texas), plus tight ends Hayden Hansen (Florida) and Rocky Beers (Colorado State).
Backups are stepping up too. Running backs Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock combined for 901 yards last season, but dealt with injuries. This season they return healthy and talented enough to produce. The offensive line returns its best three pieces and adds E’Marion Harris, who was a two-year starter at Arkansas.
The thing staying the same is defensive coordinator Todd Bates’ defense that carried in the 2025 playoff run. Oklahoma finished fourth in SP+ on defense, third in rushing defense and seventh in scoring defense. They also returned their stars, David Stone, Taylor Wein, Kip Lewis and Peyton Bowen.
All of that has Oklahoma sitting as a preseason top-12 team across The Athletic, On3, CBS and ESPN. They also have noise throughout social media calling them a sleeper pick for the SEC Title.
The defense is proven enough to keep Oklahoma in almost every game, including road trips to Michigan, Georgia and Texas. Whether that turns into a deep playoff run is entirely on the other side of the ball. A healthier Mateer, a receiving core and line that finally gives him margin for error and a backfield that has shown flashes but hasn’t proven it can stay healthy for 16 games. The pieces are better than they have been in years; whether they hold up is the true question.
