OU leaning on important position group to unlock offense in 2026

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It’s no secret that the defense and the special teams for the Oklahoma Sooners were the main reasons that the program returned to the College Football Playoff in 2025. On the other hand, the offense, while improved from the disaster that was 2024, still lagged behind the other two phases.

OU has spent time and resources since last season’s conclusion to try and rectify that issue, and play truly complementary football in all three phases in 2026. According to intel gathered from CBS Sports, the Sooners believe they’re on the right track, especially at one important position.

Writers Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz gathered some post-spring intel for all 16 SEC teams, and what they released about OU focused on the offense, specifically the tight end position. Oklahoma made three key transfer portal additions in Florida’s Hayden Hansen, Colorado State’s Rocky Beers, and Tennessee’s Jack Van Dorselaer. That position room will also have a new coach this year, as Jason Witten takes over.

“Oklahoma’s offense sputtered for stretches in the 2026 season, ranking 97th nationally in yards per play. A change you can expect to see on that unit is more of a commitment to the tight end room. The Sooners have seen excellent early returns on their revamped tight end group via the portal … The combination of that talent infusion and the addition of new tight ends coach Jason Witten has those around Norman expecting an improved and much more multi-dimensional offensive attack after the tight end group was a weakness for the Sooners last year. ‘It’s going to be massive for both the run game and the pass game,’ a source said.” – Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz, CBS Sports.

For the last three seasons, the tight end position has faltered for Oklahoma, and head coach Brent Venables couldn’t watch it happen again. The new additions sound like they’ve been as advertised so far. However, the most crucial part of that intel is that the Sooners are expecting to have an offensive attack that is much more multi-dimensional in 2026, and the tight end room has to help unlock that.

Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle is never going to abandon his roots. He’s an Air Raid guy through and through, as he was tutored in the system by current FAU head coach Zach Kittley. However, his task at OU is blending the physicality that Venables preaches, and that the SEC requires, into that Air Raid attack that is known for its efficiency and explosiveness. A tight end room that can block well and add support in the run game is vital to having an offense that is multi-dimensional, and anything they can add in the passing game is even better. The Sooners have to be able to hurt defenses in multiple different ways this season.

The other thing a strong TE group can do is take some pressure off of starting quarterback John Mateer. Arbuckle’s Air Raid scheme has a lot of run-pass options built into it, which requires quick decision-making from the QB. If Arbuckle knows he can lean on the run game, and that the Sooners can move people up front, there are less called RPOs and more called run plays. That means there’s less hero-ball that Mateer will have to play, which makes the OU offense more efficient as a result. Of course, that’s not all on the tight end room, but their effect can certainly snowball and help other parts of the attack improve. Additionally, tight ends are traditionally a big part of the RPO game, and Mateer could certainly use a big security blanket over the middle that he knows can get the job done.

With Venables at the helm, Oklahoma should expect to have a strong defense just about every year. For 2026, all of OU’s special teams production from 2025 returns to the table. If the Sooners have truly fixed some of the offensive woes that held them back last season, we could be in for a special fall in Oklahoma.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma likes what they have in one key position group for 2026

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