What is CBS Sports' bold prediction for the Sooners in 2026?

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It’s no secret that the Oklahoma Sooners are looking to take another step forward on offense in 2026. With offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ben Arbuckle and redshirt-senior starting quarterback John Mateer both entering their second seasons at OU, the expectations are once again high on the offensive side of the ball in Norman.

Yes, OU was much better offensively in 2025 than they were in 2024, when the entire unit bottomed out. However, the offense still wasn’t where it needed to be, and still wasn’t pulling enough of its own weight. The Sooners reached the College Football Playoff, but had to rely on spectacular defense and special teams to get there. After bowing out in the first round, it was clear that there was much more progress to be made offensively.

With some strong returning players and some transfer portal upgrades around him, Mateer could be primed for a big final season of college football under Arbuckle’s tutelage. In breaking down his bold predictions for every SEC team, CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello expressed his belief in OU’s quarterback, and the belief that he’ll be a contender for the Heisman Trophy this year.

“John Mateer will put together several games this season that make him look like the best player in college football. He’ll be in the Heisman Trophy conversation after the first month of the season, and the Sooners will entrench themselves as a playoff team. Mateer returns to Oklahoma healthy (finally!) with the same coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, whom he followed from Washington State a year ago. Remember, that combination looked to be the best package deal in the sport early last season. Mateer looked the part of a Heisman Trophy contender, but then he injured his throwing hand. His yards per pass dropped 2.7 yards after the injury. This spring, he is working to change his throwing motion, lifting the ball closer to his ear for an over-the-top release rather than his trademark sidearm technique. Three of the first five games on the schedule are against Michigan, Georgia and Texas. If he wins two of those games and puts up great numbers, he’ll be in the Heisman conversation.” – Brandon Marcello, CBS Sports.

While Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza (Indiana), and contenders Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt), Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame), Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech), Caleb Downs (Ohio State), and Haynes King (Georgia Tech) are off to the pros, there’s still a deep group of returning contenders such as Julian Sayin (Ohio State), Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State), Gunner Stockton (Georgia), and Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss) that will challenge many other great players for the title of the best player in college football.

Mateer is part of that group of other players, and his exciting style of play and gunslinging nature fit the bill of a Heisman candidate. Stability in the offense, and the ability to focus on himself this offseason instead of helping install a new system like last year, should be his best friends this season. He’s been focusing on his footwork, on his mechanics, and on taking what the defense gives him since last season ended, and Sooner Nation hopes it all pays off this fall.

In the bigger picture, if Mateer ends up as a real contender for the Heisman Trophy, it means that the Sooners have taken a big step forward as an offense. With the way that fifth-year head coach Brent Venables has built the defense, and is expected to have them rolling again this year, an offense worthy of producing a Heisman-candidate quarterback could mean a very successful season for the Sooners, one that might be able to go further than last year.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: What is CBS Sports’ bold prediction for OU this season?

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