What a Strong Offensive Year Would do for Brent Venables' Oklahoma Program
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Yes, if Oklahoma's offense makes a leap in year two under Ben Arbuckle, the Sooners may very well return to the College Football Playoff. That's with the understanding that the defense remains its elite self.
Arbuckle's success and Oklahoma's success go hand-in-hand. But assistants come and go throughout a successful head coach's tenure. What would Brent Venables gain if the Sooners do make the coveted jump in production in 2026?
The answer is simple: offensive retention.
What that exactly means is more nuanced. The dichotomy between the defense and offense goes beyond the production (or lack thereof).
Glancing at the assumed depth chart on defense suggests that Venables has had little problem retaining, and therefore developing, his talent in-house.
Ten of the 11 starters on defense heading into fall camp were recruited out of high school to play for the Sooners. That 11th starter is Owen Heinecke, whose career is to put it lightly, unique. But due to his time in Norman since 2023, he falls under the "retention" category.
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Beyond the starters, four or five players who transferred in have a good shot to crack the two-deep, with anywhere from six to eight homegrown players primed to carve out a role.
Flipping to offense gives you a different picture.
There are four prominent players who stand to earn starting roles during fall camp who transferred to Oklahoma last winter. Three players – John Mateer, Isaiah Sategna III and Jake Maikkula – are in their second seasons as Sooners, having transferred in during the 2025 offseason.
Potentially, Oklahoma will lean on seven of 11 starters being first- and second-year transfers plus six depth players who are in year one in Norman.
There's no doubt that Venables has been searching for that bridge year on offense. One bank relying heavily on the transfer portal – as his teams have had to do on offense since arriving in 2022 – while the other builds from high school and develops in-house.
The transfer portal isn't some college football boogeyman. There have been programs that have succeeded in large part due to its existence. Even on defense, Venables will rely on the portal to shore up departures that deplete specific position groups.
But Venables can be picky on defense. The goal is to be picky on offense, too. That's why 2026 could be that bridge year he has been searching for.
In 2024, ESPN's SP+ ratings had OU's offenses ranked 75 after its disastrous 6-7 campaign. Arbuckle was able to improve the offense – with an injured quarterback and green offensive line – 24 spots to No. 51 in 2025.
Assume for a moment that the Sooners are able to make a significant jump on offense in 2026. ESPN's SP+ preseason rankings for 2026 have the Sooners' offense rated No. 27 – a 24-spot jump.
Illinois (9-4 in 2025) finished last season with the No. 27-rated offense per SP+. Miami, who lost in the national championship, finished a few spots ahead with the No. 22-rated offense. Texas had the No. 30-rated offensive attack.
A jump into the top-30 would provide evidence that Arbuckle can develop and implement a succesful system. More importantly, it would mean Venables had found an offensive coordinator that can run a successful offense in the SEC, which would bode well for the future even if Arbuckle is a part of long-term plans or not.
In 2027, OU stands to return five starters on offense – three on the offensive line. Beyond that, in-house talent recruited from high school would have their opportunities – Bowe Bentley as Mateer's successor, Noah Best at center and Elijah Thomas at wide receiver.
Again, the goal is not to ignore the portal – it's to be picky with the portal. Pursue players you feel would be an instant upgrade at a position of need instead of using the portal as a crutch due to recruiting/developing busts along the way.
The defense is there. 2026 stands to allow the offense to get closer to that place.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahoma as What a Strong Offensive Year Would do for Brent Venables' Oklahoma Program.
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