Greg McElroy believes Oklahoma is a potential SEC riser

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The Oklahoma Sooners emerged as one of the biggest surprises in college football during the 2025 season. Oklahoma finished 10-3 after going 6-7 the previous season while navigating one of the most difficult schedules in the country.

The Sooners earned a College Football Playoff berth despite closing the season with a brutal stretch that included road games against the Tennessee Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide, along with home matchups against the Missouri Tigers and the LSU Tigers.

Entering that stretch, few expected Oklahoma to win all four games, but the Sooners did exactly that and earned the right to host a playoff matchup.

Even with a College Football Playoff appearance, Oklahoma still finished No. 5 in the SEC standings. However, ESPN's Greg McElroy believes Oklahoma could be one of the SEC's biggest risers this season thanks to the return of John Mateer and several key contributors.

"We know Oklahoma got the whole band back," McElroy said on 'Always College Football.' "John Mateer, he returns. He's healthy. When you watch what he was last year in September, you watch that tape before the thumb surgery, he was a Heisman contender and at one point the Heisman favorite. Not just a passenger riding alongside. So the risers are real."

Oklahoma is tied for No. 12 in returning production this season. The Sooners return not only Mateer but also their top two rushers, leading receiver, four out of five offensive linemen and multiple starters on defense.

Oklahoma enters the 2026 season with something it has not had under Brent Venables: momentum and proven production. The combination of a healthy Mateer, offensive continuity and an experienced defense gives the Sooners a chance to take another step forward in the SEC.

If they can build on last season's breakthrough, Oklahoma could quickly go from being a surprise playoff team to a legitimate conference and national championship contender.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Greg McElroy believes Oklahoma is a potential SEC riser

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