Oklahoma Sooners top 10 in USA TODAY Sports early 2026 power rankings
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The Oklahoma Sooners are coming off a bounce-back 2025 season where they went 10-2 during the regular season before falling short against the Alabama Crimson Tide in their first-round College Football Playoff game. Despite the way the season finished, there’s a lot of optimism about the future after what Brent Venables’ squad put together in 2025.
They took advantage of their success last season to finish the 2026 recruiting cycle strong by landing four-star wide receiver Jayden Petit and four-star running back Jonathan Hatton in the lead-up to the early signing period. Oklahoma also parlayed it into a successful transfer portal haul, adding key players on both sides of the ball. And with a number of starters returning on both offense and defense, the Sooners look like a team that can make a run to the College Football Playoff once again.
Add USA TODAY Sports college football writers Paul Myerberg and Erick Smith to the list of believers in Oklahoma. In their way-too-early power rankings for the 2026 season, the duo had the Sooners at No. 6 in the nation.
Oklahoma’s roster will be a veteran one led by quarterback John Mateer, who should go into 2026 with a better understanding of what it takes to find success against SEC defenses. The Sooners brought back leading receiver Isaiah Sategna and added All-ACC performer Trell Harris and standout redshirt freshman from Texas, Parker Livingstone, to form one of the best wide receiver corps in the country for Mateer to throw to.
Oklahoma will also bring back five players who started at least six games along the offensive line for them in 2025, and added veteran offensive tackle from Arkansas, E’Marion Harris, to help fortify a unit that was young last season.
To help the offense, especially the running game, the Sooners brought in veteran tight ends Hayden Hansen and Rocky Beers to retool a unit that was led by Jaren Kanak last season. Kanak was productive in the passing game but struggled as a run blocker due to his size.
Defensively, the Sooners added Cole Sullivan from Michigan. Sullivan is expected to start alongside returning star Kip Lewis for a defense that lost talent along the defensive line but has the depth to retool the position with several rising stars.
Oklahoma will also have one of the better special teams units again, bolstered by the return of Lou Groza award winner Tate Sandell and Sategna in the punt return game. But they also added running back Lloyd Avant. Avant has been productive as a kick returner during his two years at the collegiate level.
And just as important as the talent on the roster, the Oklahoma Sooners have a more favorable schedule going into 2026. Oklahoma will be one of the more talented teams in 2026, and with how they managed the games in 2025, it looks like Venables and the coaching staff turned the corner.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma Sooners among top 10 in USA TODAY Sports early power rankings
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