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The Oklahoma Sooners surprised many by winning 10 games and making the College Football Playoff in 2025. However, that success needs to be the start of something greater, not the high point for OU. The program believes they've set themselves up well to have success in 2026, and one analyst agrees with that sentiment.
Greg McElroy, a college football commentator for ESPN who hosts "Always College Football with Greg McElroy", has high hopes for the Sooners after their resurgent season last year. McElroy's belief in the Sooners starts at the top, as he referenced the program that head coach Brent Venables has built.
"Well, I think those that are are sitting there recognizing the monster that has been built, I hope they kept those receipts, because heading into the 2026 season, the Oklahoma Sooners aren't just surviving the gauntlet that is the SEC, they've become one of the most physically imposing rosters in the country," McElroy said. "The theme for 2026 is not potential. It's it's about taking the next step."
The phrase "physically imposing", especially compared to SEC programs, is not something that was ever said about the Sooners when former head coach Lincoln Riley was in charge. Under Riley, OU lost their physical edge, instead focusing on speed and elite quarterback play to overcome other shortcomings on the roster. That got them to the CFP in the Big 12, but it ultimately let them down against the more complete teams when it mattered.
With Venables taking command after Riley bolted to USC, the Sooners got back to the physical football that defined them under former head coach Bob Stoops, especially early on in Stoops' tenure. With the program moving to the SEC, physicality and size were a necessity, and Venables has brought that back to the fold, especially on the defensive side of the ball, where Riley's teams always faltered.
However, Venables hasn't been perfect, either. While the defense has been built up in Norman, the offense, once an excellent unit under Riley's watch, has taken multiple steps back. Despite overcoming an offense that was still building back from the mess that was 2024, and making the playoffs in 2025, the Sooners won't be that fortunate again if the offense doesn't take another step forward this time around.
For that, we take a look at offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ben Arbuckle and starting quarterback John Mateer. That duo returns to Norman in '26, and McElroy thinks their continued partnership will help the Sooners. McElroy also thinks that a fully healthy Mateer is a great thing for OU.
"Now, if if you were paying attention last year, before the injury to his thumb, John Mateer was playing really high-level football," McElroy said. "He was a highlight reel, man. Made some huge plays, great on the ground, had a knack for kind of making something out of nothing, and then he got hurt. You saw some turnovers, and everyone kind of looked away, it felt like, for the second half of the season. Well, Mateer decided to come back, and I think this is great, because he is a guy that I think can be more than just a really good college quarterback. He can be a massive difference-maker."
The pairing of Arbuckle and Mateer helped the Sooners improve offensively in 2025, but one more year together was the best outcome for OU this offseason to help the offense move forward again in 2026.
"Mateer is the engine to this offense that will be run by Ben Arbuckle entering into year two of their identity, and one of the biggest advantages that Oklahoma has ... they have some continuity," McElroy said. "Mateer and Arbuckle, they have a telepathic connection at this point. They aren't feeling themselves out in the system throughout September. They're walking into the Big House (to play Michigan) in Week 2, and and they're prepared to throw haymakers. So, if Mateer can kind of clean up some of the quote "hero ball" interceptions, he isn't just a Heisman contender, I mean, this is a guy that could legitimately bring the trophy home."
McElroy also praised OU's hire of new tight ends coach Jason Witten, and the team's additions in the transfer portal, especially on the offensive side of the ball. He also had high praise for Oklahoma's defense, and what they can be this year for Venables, with some of the stars and versatility that they still boast on the roster. That unit loses a lot this offseason, but with Venables at the controls, the Sooners should expect excellence defensively year in and year out.
McElroy's concerns for the Sooners focused on the young offensive line (though they're not as young as they were last year) and another brutally tough schedule that's coming up in the SEC this year. With excellent teams littered all over the docket again in 2026, McElroy knows it won't be easy to get to 10 wins again.
"The schedule's designed to break a weak team, but with a veteran team like Oklahoma, this should be a resume builder," McElroy said. "If the Sooners can come out of that stretch with two losses or fewer, they're not just in the playoff, they'll be hosting a game in Norman. At the very least, they're in the College Football Playoff. So, what do we make of the 2026 Sooners? They could be one of the more balanced teams in the SEC that no one's really talking about as a possible front runner. They have a veteran quarterback. They have really good staff ... Oklahoma is sitting there in the grass, just waiting to strike. They have the toughness, they have the continuity, and they have kind of that energy that is going to be a huge problem for every single team they face this year."
Though the coaching staff is still coming together after losing multiple assistants to the NFL, the two play-callers in Venables and Arbuckle are back in the fold, and both have returning stars to lean on when it comes to their respective sides of the ball in 2026. After a memorable and thrilling run in 2025, McElroy believes that Oklahoma is primed for another good year in 2026.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X@Aaron_Gelvin.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Greg McElroy has high praise for OU's chances in 2026
Continue reading...
Greg McElroy, a college football commentator for ESPN who hosts "Always College Football with Greg McElroy", has high hopes for the Sooners after their resurgent season last year. McElroy's belief in the Sooners starts at the top, as he referenced the program that head coach Brent Venables has built.
"Well, I think those that are are sitting there recognizing the monster that has been built, I hope they kept those receipts, because heading into the 2026 season, the Oklahoma Sooners aren't just surviving the gauntlet that is the SEC, they've become one of the most physically imposing rosters in the country," McElroy said. "The theme for 2026 is not potential. It's it's about taking the next step."
The phrase "physically imposing", especially compared to SEC programs, is not something that was ever said about the Sooners when former head coach Lincoln Riley was in charge. Under Riley, OU lost their physical edge, instead focusing on speed and elite quarterback play to overcome other shortcomings on the roster. That got them to the CFP in the Big 12, but it ultimately let them down against the more complete teams when it mattered.
With Venables taking command after Riley bolted to USC, the Sooners got back to the physical football that defined them under former head coach Bob Stoops, especially early on in Stoops' tenure. With the program moving to the SEC, physicality and size were a necessity, and Venables has brought that back to the fold, especially on the defensive side of the ball, where Riley's teams always faltered.
However, Venables hasn't been perfect, either. While the defense has been built up in Norman, the offense, once an excellent unit under Riley's watch, has taken multiple steps back. Despite overcoming an offense that was still building back from the mess that was 2024, and making the playoffs in 2025, the Sooners won't be that fortunate again if the offense doesn't take another step forward this time around.
For that, we take a look at offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ben Arbuckle and starting quarterback John Mateer. That duo returns to Norman in '26, and McElroy thinks their continued partnership will help the Sooners. McElroy also thinks that a fully healthy Mateer is a great thing for OU.
"Now, if if you were paying attention last year, before the injury to his thumb, John Mateer was playing really high-level football," McElroy said. "He was a highlight reel, man. Made some huge plays, great on the ground, had a knack for kind of making something out of nothing, and then he got hurt. You saw some turnovers, and everyone kind of looked away, it felt like, for the second half of the season. Well, Mateer decided to come back, and I think this is great, because he is a guy that I think can be more than just a really good college quarterback. He can be a massive difference-maker."
The pairing of Arbuckle and Mateer helped the Sooners improve offensively in 2025, but one more year together was the best outcome for OU this offseason to help the offense move forward again in 2026.
"Mateer is the engine to this offense that will be run by Ben Arbuckle entering into year two of their identity, and one of the biggest advantages that Oklahoma has ... they have some continuity," McElroy said. "Mateer and Arbuckle, they have a telepathic connection at this point. They aren't feeling themselves out in the system throughout September. They're walking into the Big House (to play Michigan) in Week 2, and and they're prepared to throw haymakers. So, if Mateer can kind of clean up some of the quote "hero ball" interceptions, he isn't just a Heisman contender, I mean, this is a guy that could legitimately bring the trophy home."
McElroy also praised OU's hire of new tight ends coach Jason Witten, and the team's additions in the transfer portal, especially on the offensive side of the ball. He also had high praise for Oklahoma's defense, and what they can be this year for Venables, with some of the stars and versatility that they still boast on the roster. That unit loses a lot this offseason, but with Venables at the controls, the Sooners should expect excellence defensively year in and year out.
McElroy's concerns for the Sooners focused on the young offensive line (though they're not as young as they were last year) and another brutally tough schedule that's coming up in the SEC this year. With excellent teams littered all over the docket again in 2026, McElroy knows it won't be easy to get to 10 wins again.
"The schedule's designed to break a weak team, but with a veteran team like Oklahoma, this should be a resume builder," McElroy said. "If the Sooners can come out of that stretch with two losses or fewer, they're not just in the playoff, they'll be hosting a game in Norman. At the very least, they're in the College Football Playoff. So, what do we make of the 2026 Sooners? They could be one of the more balanced teams in the SEC that no one's really talking about as a possible front runner. They have a veteran quarterback. They have really good staff ... Oklahoma is sitting there in the grass, just waiting to strike. They have the toughness, they have the continuity, and they have kind of that energy that is going to be a huge problem for every single team they face this year."
Though the coaching staff is still coming together after losing multiple assistants to the NFL, the two play-callers in Venables and Arbuckle are back in the fold, and both have returning stars to lean on when it comes to their respective sides of the ball in 2026. After a memorable and thrilling run in 2025, McElroy believes that Oklahoma is primed for another good year in 2026.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X@Aaron_Gelvin.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Greg McElroy has high praise for OU's chances in 2026
Continue reading...
