Brent Venables Reveals What Oklahoma Has To Do To Be A Championship Team

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TAMPA, Fla. – Brent Venables was straightforward at SEC Media Days when talking about what Oklahoma needs to do to take the next step in 2026.

The head coach didn’t sugarcoat it — the Sooners have to run the football a lot better if they want to be in the conversation as a championship team.

Venables put it plainly: "For us to be a championship team, to be in that conversation at the end of the year, we have to be a whole heck of a lot better. It puts tremendous pressure on every part of your team when you can't consistently run the football. Fortunately for us a year ago, guys stepped up at times and were a big part of helping us win. At the end of the day for us to be who we want to be, the vision that we have, we have to run the ball a hell of a lot better than we have the last couple of years."

That’s the reality.

Last season the Sooners averaged just 3.5 yards per carry, and Venables has called that number “pathetic” before. You can’t win consistently in the SEC, much less make a deep playoff run, if you can’t run the ball when you need to. It forces the offense into predictable situations, puts too much pressure on the quarterback, and wears out the defense.

The running game has been a problem since Eric Gray rushed for over 1,300 yards in 2022. DeMarco Murray leaving to take the running backs coach job with the Kansas City Chiefs might actually be a blessing in disguise.

While Murray had success as a player, the production at running back under him the last couple of years just wasn’t there.

Now Deland McCullough takes over, and he brings a strong track record. He’s worked with guys like Ashton Jeanty and Jeremiah Love, so there’s reason to believe he can get more out of this room.

The offensive line also has to improve. That group is another year older and should have better chemistry. They’ve got some experience returning, and if they can get stronger and more physical up front, it’ll open up lanes for the backs.

One of the biggest red flags from last year was how little they got out of Jaydn Ott. The former Cal standout rushed for over 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023 and was a first-team All-Pac-12 guy.

Last season he barely touched the ball, just 21 carries for 68 yards all year.

That’s unacceptable.

The good news is Oklahoma returns its top three leading rushers from last year. Tory Blaylock had 480 yards and four touchdowns, John Mateer added 431 yards and eight scores on the ground, and Xavier Robinson had 421 yards and four touchdowns.

Robinson showed he can be a physical runner when they let him attack up the middle. Last year the Sooners were most effective when they ran it straight ahead instead of trying to get too cute with outside zone schemes.

If this team wants to be a real championship contender, they have to be able to run the ball between the tackles and wear teams down, especially late in games. That’s how you control the clock, keep the defense fresh, and make life easier on Mateer.

Venables knows this. He’s been around winning programs long enough to understand how important a strong run game is in November and December. The fact that he’s talking about it openly at Media Days shows it’s a major point of emphasis this offseason.

It took awhile, but Venables effectively fixed the defense, turning the unit into one of the very best in the country. Now, he's looking to take that same blueprint of toughness, and apply it to the rushing attack.

The pieces are there. Better offensive line play, a new running backs coach with a good track record, returning production at the position, and a quarterback who can make plays with his legs.

If they can fix the run game and become more balanced, this offense has the chance to be dangerous.

Venables laid it out clearly — to be the team they want to be, Oklahoma has to run the football a whole lot better.

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