Weekend Open Post | May 15th – 17th
Posted on: May 15, 2026
Drop Box Replies | Charlie Goes In Depth and Shoots Off Some Rapid Fire Responses As Well
– Charlie S – Posted on: May 11, 2026
Spent some time this weekend replying to a bunch of questions from the April 28th Drop Box!
I went in depth on several questions and answered Lasvegassooners brilliant list of questions in rapid fire!
I will return to the Drop Box and have another batch out later this week!
Tony B: Which assistant coach will have the biggest impact on this 26′ team?
Charlie: For me, it’s probably Ben Arbuckle and I don’t think it’s particularly close.
Everything about Oklahoma’s ceiling in 2026 comes back to whether the offense becomes efficient, explosive, and consistent again. The defense under Brent Venables should already be good enough to compete at a playoff level. The question is whether OU can score like a true contender in the SEC.
That puts Arbuckle at the center of everything.
His impact goes beyond just playcalling. He has to:
Maximize John Mateer, Clean up the RPO decision-making issues, Build answers against SEC defensive fronts, Improve red-zone efficiency, Create easier throws and explosives without forcing the QB to play hero ball constantly
If Mateer takes the jump you talked about earlier, Arbuckle will be the biggest reason why.
I also think people underestimate how important simplifying the offense can be. OU leaned heavily into RPO conflict reads and quick decisions at times, and there were stretches where the offense looked like it put too much mental load on the quarterback and offensive line. Arbuckle’s Air Raid background could help streamline things while still keeping the run game dangerous.
That said, there are two other coaches with massive swing potential:
Bill Bedenbaugh…If the offensive line becomes a true top-10 unit again, everything changes. OU’s best teams under Lincoln Riley always had elite OL play. If Bedenbaugh restores that standard, the offense can finally function the way it’s supposed to in the SEC.
Miguel Chavis…The EDGE room could define the defense. If players like Danny Okoye and the young pass rushers become disruptive every week, OU’s defense goes from “good” to championship caliber.
Dark horse answer…Kevin Wilson. His influence on structure, situational football, and balancing the offense could quietly end up being enormous. He’s seen championship-level offense at Oklahoma before, and his voice in the room matters.
But overall, if OU makes the leap from “dangerous SEC team” to “national title contender,” it’ll probably be because Arbuckle and Mateer unlocked the offense.
Ckill1: I had a question after listening to Sark(yeah, I know) on Pate’s Speaker Series from his podcast. They were discussing this era of CFB with NIL/portal & Sarkisian mentioned HS kids having agents, & immediately I thought about how coaches handle the agents. Surely they aren’t allowed in practice, right? Does BV & co have to deal with them daily? Are agents pushing coaches/staff for playing time for kids at OU? Surely not, right? Man, I couldn’t even imagine the headache that would entail & BV doesn’t strike me as a guy who would tolerate that all that well.
Charlie: Yeah, agents are absolutely part of college football now, even at the high school level. But they’re not hanging around practice or sitting in meetings. Coaches would never tolerate that.
What’s changed is the communication. Instead of just parents calling, now it’s agents asking about: NIL opportunities, Future roles, Development plans, Portal possibilities
At a place like Oklahoma Sooners football, I highly doubt Brent Venables is letting agents influence playing time decisions directly. He doesn’t seem wired that way at all.
The real pressure is indirect. It’s more:
“If my client isn’t playing, we may look around after the season.”
That’s the modern leverage.
Every staff now has to balance winning, development, NIL, and roster retention all at once. That’s why coaches constantly talk about “re-recruiting” their own roster.
And honestly, BV probably handles it better than most because OU still leans heavily on culture, development, and relationships instead of pure transactional recruiting.
Xathor: Does OU enter the 2027 season with Whitt Newbaur and Bowe Bentley battling it out, or do they get a proven QB in the portal?
Charlie: Right now, I’d lean toward Whitt Newbauer and Bowe Bentley actually battling it out entering 2027 unless one of them clearly disappoints in development.
OU’s ideal scenario is almost certainly:
John Mateer in 2026
One year of development for the young guys (2026 season)
Open competition in 2027
That’s the healthiest long-term roster structure.
The problem is modern college football rarely stays that clean. If neither Newbauer nor Bentley looks truly ready by the end of 2026, then I could absolutely see Brent Venables and Ben Arbuckle taking a proven portal QB for insurance.
But I don’t think OU wants to live in the portal at quarterback every year. That’s expensive, unstable, and hard on locker room development. Arbuckle especially seems like a coach who’d prefer developing his own guy in-system.
Honestly, Bentley may be the swing piece here. If he develops quickly physically and mentally, his upside probably gives OU confidence to avoid the portal. Newbauer feels a little more like the steady operator type, while Bentley has the higher-ceiling traits.
I don’t think Jamison Roberts competes for the starting job in ‘27, no matter how you slice it, but I could be surprised if he has a monumental developmental year as a senior in high school.
So today, I’d say:
70% — Newbauer vs. Bentley battle
30% — OU grabs an experienced portal QB to stabilize the room if needed.
Davidrichardp: With Venables making it clear that he wants a lot more out of the run game this season along with Arbuckle reportedly going to use more two tight end sets (because he now has capable players in that room) — do you expect production (receptions & yards) from our WR room to actually decrease this year? There are only so many mouths that the OC can feed and keep happy in a game.
Charlie: Honestly, probably yes. If Brent Venables gets the run game he wants and Ben Arbuckle really leans into more 12 personnel, the WR numbers probably come down some.
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. OU has spent the better part of a decade convincing itself that the answer to every offensive problem was “throw it to the receivers more,” and outside of a few elite guys, the room honestly hasn’t consistently played up to the reputation anyway.
If the tight ends are finally functional and the run game is actually threatening, the offense should become more balanced and harder to defend. Fewer empty calories. More efficiency.
The funny part is the WR room may actually become better statistically per target even if the raw catches and yards drop. Less volume, more impact. Which, frankly, OU has needed for a while.
Alishahart10: Jayden Jackson is a good player, but is is also not likely to go in the first two rounds does OU keep him for another year? third round money seems like the cut-off.
Same question for Taylor Wein who i think will get a first-round grade but its going to be a deeeeeeep class at edge/DE and while he too is a good player second third round is kind of where i see him because of the guys coming out not that he isn;t great just such a deep class at edge.
Charlie: I think your “third-round cutoff” point is probably about right in today’s NIL world.
For Jayden Jackson, if the feedback is truly Round 3-ish or lower, OU probably has a real shot to keep him another year. Interior DL is one of the few positions where another season of production, conditioning, and pass-rush polish can dramatically change draft stock. A jump from “solid prospect” to “disruptive SEC DT” can move you from Day 2 into the top 40 pretty fast.
And honestly, NIL money has changed the math. Mid-Day 2 money isn’t always enough to immediately leave anymore unless the player is just ready to go.
Taylor Wein feels trickier. EDGE money and EDGE demand are always ridiculous in the NFL, even in loaded classes. If teams view him as a real NFL pass-rush athlete, he may come out even if the class is crowded because scouts bet on traits there more than almost any position.
But I agree with your larger point: this EDGE class could be absurdly deep, and sometimes that pushes really good college players down a round simply because there are only so many top-50 slots available.
The other thing OU has working in its favor now is the program’s NFL momentum. If guys believe another year under Brent Venables and Miguel Chavis can materially improve their stock, staying becomes easier to justify.
Ten years ago, “you’re a third-rounder” basically meant goodbye. Now it’s more:
“Can I make comparable NIL money, improve my tape, and become a first-rounder next year?”
Mcstruber: Smart coaches don’t like to overprepare for one opponent, but considering the narrative that’s developed with Brent’s OU teams not scoring TDs against Texas do you think Arbuckle, Wilson, and gang are considering everything under the sun to try and score on that first drive come October in Dallas?
Charlie: Oh, absolutely.
No staff is game-planning Texas in May, but you’d better believe Ben Arbuckle, Kevin Wilson, and Brent Venables are fully aware of the narrative. At some point it stops being “random bad luck” and starts becoming a psychological hurdle.
And honestly, if OU comes out flat offensively again in Dallas, people are going to lose their minds.
So yes, I’d expect OU to have an opening-drive script for Texas that’s been polished within an inch of its life by October. Not necessarily trick plays everywhere, but answers. Easy completions. Tempo. A quarterback-friendly rhythm. Maybe a shot play they really trust. Probably more intentionality than OU has shown early in some of those games.
Because the reality is OU’s defense has largely fought its tail off in those games under BV (aside from perhaps last year and the worst coached quarter of defensive football ever under BV in Norman since his tenure as HC started), the offense has been the problem.
And frankly, with the amount of money, offensive coaching firepower, and supposed talent OU has had, scoring one offensive touchdown in the first half against Texas shouldn’t feel like trying to crack the Da Vinci Code.
Nipper: With both the RB & TE rooms being pretty much no-shows last year, it is pretty phenomenal the season went as well as it did. How confident are you in these rooms making a BIG jump? Actually meeting the OU standard.
Charlie: Honestly, I’m much more confident in both rooms this year than I was a year ago.
The RB room was weirdly ineffective last season for an OU team. Not just production-wise, but explosiveness, consistency, pass protection, all of it felt below the standard. And the TE room basically existed as theoretical football concepts.
But this year feels different because the offense finally seems built to use those rooms properly.
Ben Arbuckle and the offensive staff appear committed to balance, heavier personnel, and actually making defenses account for tight ends. That alone should help both groups.
I’m especially bullish on the TE room making a massive jump simply because the bar was basically “occasionally identified on the broadcast last year.” If OU gets competent blocking plus 25-35 meaningful catches from the position, that changes the offense dramatically.
The RB room is the bigger question for me because “OU standard” there is absurdly high. OU fans are used to NFL dudes, home-run hitters, and backs who tilt games. I do think the room will be better, but whether it becomes vintage OU-good is another conversation.
Still, if OU gets: a functional TE room, a reliable run game, and fewer situations where the QB has to play superhero, the offense should look way healthier overall.
Which honestly says a lot about last year because OU basically tried to win SEC football while fielding an offense where the tight ends were decorative and the run game was intermittently optional.
Speed Round!
Lasvegassooner: Rapid Fire Responses
1* If Oklahoma’s offense improves materially in 2026, what will prove most responsible: Ben Arbuckle’s scheme, Kevin Wilson’s run-game influence, improved offensive line play, better tight end usage, or John Mateer’s decision-making? Rank those drivers in order.
Charlie: 1* Mateer’s decision making. 2* Better TE usage and play which leads to…3* Improved OL play. 4* Wilsons influence. 5* Arbuckle’s scheme.
2* Does Oklahoma currently have a championship-level offensive line, or does the line still need one more recruiting and development cycle before the roster matches Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and Ohio State?
Charlie: I think OU has the personnel to be better on the offensive line thaan each of the teams you mentioned this season. Just have to see it come together and that takes all 11 guys on offense working on the same page and it starts with Mateer’s decision making.
3* What is Kevin Wilson’s actual authority inside the offensive building? Is he an advisor, a run-game architect, a game-planning veto voice, or effectively a second offensive coordinator?
Charlie: He is a sounding board who is a walking encyclopedia of offense. He has no control or specific input, though.
4* Which defensive player would be hardest to replace if injured: Eli Bowen, Jayden Jackson, Taylor Wein, Kip Lewis, or Peyton Bowen?
Charlie: For me, with the situation OU is in depth wise, it would be Peyton Bowen. OU simply has no safety who has his experience or play making ability right now to replace him with.
5* If Eli Bowen already has real National Football League buzz, what trait drives it most: coverage skill, instincts, toughness, versatility, or football intelligence?
Charlie: Honey badger-esque style of being a play maker. He has all the things you mentioned, and he seems to shine when the lights are the brightest.
6* What does Oklahoma need more from its defensive line in 2026: more sacks, better run fits, more interior disruption, or more fourth-quarter depth?
Charlie: I’m gonna go with more sacks coming from different places. Depth is what it is, and OU actually has some solid depth at DL…if you generate more sacks from all across the line, you will really put opposing offenses in a more difficult spot.
7* If Taylor Wein and Jayden Jackson both project outside the first round, should Oklahoma expect one or both to return? Or has the portal and revenue-sharing era changed that calculation?
Charlie: If both are projected outside of the first round, I think OU has a very good chance of retaining both. I’m not sure Jackson would be even a day 2 guy right now with his history and lack of super measurables.
8* Which young player has the clearest path to becoming a starter by November, not just a contributor by September?
Charlie: Jonathan Hatton.
9* What freshman could change Oklahoma’s ceiling this season rather than merely improve its depth?
Charlie: Jonathan Hatton
10* At what point does “Oklahoma is close” become insufficient? What result would make 2026 feel like a missed opportunity?
Charlie: I’m actually surprised at the overall lack of anxiousness from the fan base following yet another loss in the playoffs and alternating losing seasons with ‘solid seasons’ (by OU standards, 10-3 is not the OU standard). Championships are the OU standard. Anything less than a championship of some sort (conference or even a playoff win) would be a missed opportunity and anything below 8-4 would likely be considered disastrous.
11* What does Oklahoma’s staff privately believe about the 2027 quarterback plan: develop Whitt Newbaur or Bowe Bentley, or buy a proven portal quarterback if the roster can contend?
Charlie: I think they are not planning on taking a QB from the portal if there is no attrition. They like that room.
12* Has the portal made quarterback development less valuable, or does Oklahoma still need to develop quarterbacks internally to build a sustainable contender?
Charlie: OU would be much better served (financially and chemistry-wise) to develop their own QBs.
13* In the new college football economy, which matters more for Oklahoma: paying elite high school players early, retaining proven veterans, or buying plug-and-play portal starters?
Charlie: Retaining the guys they have developed, as OU likes to shout from the mountaintops that they are a developmental program every chance they get.
14* How should Oklahoma divide revenue-sharing dollars among football position groups if the goal is winning SEC titles, not keeping everyone happy?
Charlie: You can’t help it if you are not born as a giant. Aside from QB, the more money spent to the big guys in the trenches on both side of the ball, the better, IMO.
15* What lessons should Oklahoma take from the Jayden Ott situation?
Charlie: Develop your players better and in order to develop, they need to play (looking at you DeMarco and also looking at you Emmett).
16* Do player agents now create pressure on playing time, depth-chart promises, and injury management? And how does Venables’ staff handle that without losing control of the locker room?
Charlie: No, not in Norman they don’t. Thats how BV handles it…he pays no attention to outside noises and he lets the players know that from the very first time he meets them.
17* What is the most uncomfortable roster-management decision Oklahoma may face before the 2026 season starts?
Charlie: If I were in the rooms, it would be telling Jacobe Johnson he is on the move again…to safety/cheetah. But I am not in the rooms.
I think the most uncomfortable roster management decision, right now, is likely going to come down to the punter position, where you are going to supplant a starter with last year’s backup to start the season.
Other spots to keep an eye on are EDGE with PJ Adebawore being a highly paid role player and trying to massage those linebackers into similar snap counts.
Osborne | Quick Update
– Super K – Posted on: May 12, 2026
As you know, one of the Sooners final top targets in the 2027 class is instate DB, Gabriel Osborne.
A number of high profile schools have been after but I’m starting to get the sense that OU’s competition is coming into better focus – Alabama and Ohio State. I believe those are two schools that he will take OVs to.
I think some of the offers that went out last week from the OU side were to cover their bases. I don’t think it says anything about OU’s confidence in landing Osborne but until he commits, they have to continue to recruit. And obviously Ohio State and Alabama are known for putting DBs in the league so they are formidable competition.
A Way Too Early Look at the Matchup In the Big House vs Michigan
– Charlie S – Posted on: May 12, 2026
There is a long way to go before September 12th rolls around, but the Sooners trip to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan in game two of the season keeps popping up in my head as the most important game of the season for Oklahoma.
The September 12th showdown between the Oklahoma Sooners and Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor already feels like one of the defining non-conference games of the 2026 season. It’s blue blood versus blue blood, but stylistically it may also become a battle over who can impose physicality first.
The game marks the first of a three-out-of-four game stretch that will see OU as a slight favorite or a clear underdog, so a win at Michigan is imperative for their playoff chances.
For Oklahoma, this game could be the perfect early measuring stick for whether Brent Venables has truly rebuilt the Sooners into an SEC-caliber trench team year in and year out. For Michigan, it’s the beginning of a completely new era under Kyle Whittingham, one of the most respected and toughest-minded coaches in college football.
The biggest storyline for Oklahoma entering this game will be whether the offense is finally looking balanced again. Last season, the Sooners were forced to lean heavily on the pass and RPO game because the running back room and tight ends never consistently became impact units. That should change in 2026.
A healthy John Mateer changes everything.
Mateer was clearly limited at times last year after the thumb injury, particularly in terms of ball security and quick decision-making in the RPO game. With another offseason in Ben Arbuckle’s system and more emphasis on downhill run concepts, OU should look far more efficient and less dependent on forcing difficult quarterback reads every snap.
This game feels like one where Oklahoma will want to establish the run early, not just to protect Mateer, but to keep Michigan’s new-look defense from teeing off in obvious passing situations. If OU can consistently stay ahead of the chains, it opens up the entire offense for Arbuckle and Kevin Wilson.
The real reason OU fans should feel confident, though, is the defensive line.
On paper, Oklahoma’s front has a chance to be one of the best in the country.
David Stone absolutely looks poised for the breakout season everyone envisioned when he signed with Oklahoma. Alongside him, Jayden Jackson gives OU another interior force capable of collapsing pockets and destroying inside zone runs.
Then there’s the edge group.
Danny Okoye looked like a future star during spring ball and has the kind of twitch and closing speed that can completely wreck protection schemes. Taylor Wein gives the Sooners another powerful piece after a breakout 2025 season and that fits perfectly into Venables’ vision of building waves along the defensive front.
That matters immensely because Michigan under Whittingham is almost certainly going to lean into physical football. His entire coaching identity has been built on toughness, discipline, line play, and controlling games at the point of attack.
Even though Michigan is expected to modernize offensively under OC Jason Beck, the Wolverines are still expected to feature a dangerous run game and quarterback mobility as foundational elements of the offense.
Whittingham brings instant credibility to Michigan because of what he accomplished at Utah:
*elite defensive culture
*physical line play
*disciplined football
*player development
*winning with toughness rather than gimmicks
He also brings stability. Michigan hired him specifically because they wanted a veteran program-builder who could restore consistency and identity.
The challenge for Michigan is that Year 1 system transitions are difficult, especially offensively. Jason Beck’s offense can be explosive, but Oklahoma catching Michigan early in the season may be a huge advantage before the Wolverines fully settle into the new scheme.
Early keys for Oklahoma to win:
*Win first down offensively: If OU stays out of obvious passing downs, it neutralizes Michigan’s crowd and physical front.
*Run the football efficiently: Not necessarily for 250 yards, but enough to create balance and keep Mateer clean.
*Let the defensive line control the game: If Stone and Jackson dominate inside, Michigan’s offense becomes much easier to defend.
*Force Michigan’s new offense into mistakes: This is still a first-year system under Whittingham and Beck. Venables thrives against offenses still ironing out timing and communication.
*Avoid turnovers in a hostile environment: Ann Arbor will be one of the toughest road environments OU sees all season.
In the end, this feels like a statement opportunity for Oklahoma.
Michigan will absolutely be physical, disciplined, and dangerous under Whittingham, but Oklahoma may simply have more continuity and more proven high-end talent entering the season. The combination of a healthier Mateer, a more committed run game, and what could be an elite defensive front gives OU a real edge.
Way-too-early prediction:
Oklahoma Sooners football 27
Michigan Wolverines football 20
The Sooners leave Ann Arbor looking like a legitimate College Football Playoff contender.
It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere | The Importance of Beers…Rocky Beers
– Charlie S – Posted on: May 13, 2026
The case for Oklahoma Sooners transfer tight end Rocky Beers having the biggest offensive impact in 2026 really comes down to one thing: he changes what Oklahoma can be offensively.
A lot of the other portal additions fill roles. Beers’ changes structure.
At 6-foot-5 and around 245 pounds, Beers gives Ben Arbuckle something OU simply did not consistently have last season: a legitimate every-down tight end who can both threaten defenses vertically and hold up in the run game.
That matters because Oklahoma’s offense in 2025 was often boxed into predictable tendencies. The Sooners leaned heavily on RPOs and perimeter concepts because the tight end room and running game never became reliable enough to force defenses into conflict. We’ve talked before about how the RB and TE rooms were basically non-factors for stretches of last season, and that’s exactly why Beers could become so important.
He unlocks multiplicity.
With Beers on the field, OU can run true 11 personnel without sacrificing blocking. They can motion into split-zone looks, run counter, use sift blocks, leak him into the flat, flex him out wide, or isolate him against linebackers in the red zone. Arbuckle’s system thrives when defenses hesitate for even a second, and a functional tight end creates hesitation everywhere.
The biggest impact may actually be on the run game.
OU’s offensive philosophy entering 2026 clearly looks more focused on balance and physicality. Between the expected leap from the offensive line, a healthy John Mateer, and backs like XRob, Blaylock, Hatton, Avant, and Walker, the Sooners want to punish lighter SEC boxes. Beers is central to that because he allows Oklahoma to present heavier formations without becoming slow or predictable.
And unlike some transfer additions who are projection-based, Beers already produced. At Colorado State, he posted 31 catches, 388 yards, and seven touchdowns while becoming one of the Rams’ primary red-zone weapons.
That touchdown number stands out because OU desperately needed reliability near the goal line. Too often last year the Sooners bogged down in scoring territory because defenses did not fear the tight end. Beers gives Mateer a safety valve and matchup nightmare on third down and inside the 20.
There’s also a domino effect on everyone else.
Beers can make life easier for:
***Mateer by giving him a bigger middle-of-the-field target
***The offensive line by improving edge blocking
***The running backs by creating cleaner boxes
***The receivers by forcing safeties to honor seams and play-action
That’s why his impact could surpass flashier additions like Avant and WRs Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone, as well as fellow tight ends Jack Van Dorselaer and Hayden Hansen. Do not get me wrong, each of those guys, along with a few other offensive transfers like E’Marion Harris, will play a major role, and even a guy like Mackenzie Alleyne could find a role…Beers is just the guy who could have the largest immediate impact.
One of the transfer receivers might put up bigger stats. The running backs might have more highlights. But Beers affects the geometry of the offense snap after snap.
And honestly, the timing matters too. Oklahoma hired Jason Witten specifically because the Sooners want the tight end position to become a featured part of the offense again. Pairing Witten with an experienced veteran like Beers feels intentional.
If OU’s offense truly takes the jump from “improved” to “championship-caliber” in 2026, there’s a strong chance people look back and realize Rocky Beers was one of the transfers who made the whole thing function.
SEC Still the top Conference? | Part 1
– Super K – Posted on: May 14, 2026
I’ve long been an SEC fan. I’ve been watching SEC football for decades, well before the Sooners joined the conference.
As the Sooner faithful are now aware, there are a lot of folks who love to hate on the SEC. Lately, it’s been a little harder with the drought in national championships.
There are some folks who argue that NIL has brought more parity to college football. On that, I agree.
But some folks take it a step further and say that NIL has dethroned the SEC from his perch. On that, I disagree.
I have two simple reasons for my case. One is a head to head argument which I can make later. But the other one hits right at the heart of what the SEC detractors use to make their argument.
They say that NIL means players can go anywhere and as a result, the SEC no longer has the best players.
Again, I would agree that the same monopoly does not exist. But I still absolutely believe that from the top to bottom the SEC still has the most talent.
I want to point to one recent point of evidence that some of you may have missed.
The SEC not only led every other conference in the number of draft picks, it broke a record at 87 selections.
What record did it break? The very record of 79 that the SEC set…just last year!
So, SEC! SEC! SEC! All the livelong day.
Defensive Key | Oh Danny Boy…
– Charlie S – Posted on: May 14, 2026
There may not be a more important “ceiling raiser” on the entire Oklahoma defense in 2026 than Danny Okoye.
The Sooners already know they have proven frontline talent with guys like David Stone, Jayden Jackson, and Taylor Wein. The question is whether OU can replace the disruptive consistency and pass rush production lost when R Mason Thomas moved on. That is where Okoye becomes absolutely critical.
At his best, Okoye changes the geometry of the defense.
He is not just another rotational edge. He is one of the few players on the roster with legitimate NFL first-round physical tools if everything clicks. You are talking about a long, explosive athlete with rare closing speed, natural power, and the kind of movement ability that Brent Venables covets in his edge defenders. When people inside the program talk about “traits,” Okoye is one of the first names that comes up because he simply looks different physically than most players at the position.
What makes his ceiling so high is the combination of size, burst, and flexibility.
A lot of big edge players can set the edge but cannot threaten tackles vertically. A lot of twitchy rushers cannot anchor against the run. Okoye flashes the ability to do both. He can convert speed to power, chase plays from the backside, and compress the pocket with pure athleticism. There are reps on tape where he looks like a future All-SEC caliber defender because offensive tackles struggle to even get their hands on him cleanly.
The biggest thing holding him back to this point has simply been refinement and consistency.
Okoye arrived at OU as a very high-upside developmental player. He was not a polished finished product entering college. Early in his career, the flashes were obvious, but the down-to-down discipline, hand usage, counters, and overall comfort level within the defense still needed time. That is normal for young edge players, especially in Venables’ system where there is a lot on their plate mentally.
Still, the signs have been encouraging.
You have seen the athletic flashes in rotational action. You have heard consistent praise about his work ethic and physical development. And this spring felt different because he looked more confident and more decisive. Instead of just relying on raw explosiveness, he appeared to be playing faster mentally, which is usually the turning point for talented pass rushers.
If that mental side fully catches up with the physical tools, OU may suddenly have another star edge defender.
As for the starting job opposite Wein, I think Okoye has an excellent chance to win it. In fact, by midseason, I would not be surprised if he becomes the more feared pass-rushing threat of the two.
Wein brings toughness, effort, length, and reliability. He is a known commodity at this point, and he has made himself into a guy opposing offenses have to account for. Coaches trust him because he is assignment-sound and relentless. But Okoye brings the higher pure upside as a disruptive athlete. Ideally for OU, Wein remains and refines his role as the steady every-down, high-level presence while Okoye becomes the explosive havoc creator offenses have to gameplan around.
Then there is PJ Adebawore, who may be the wildcard in the entire equation.
Adebawore is another freak-level athlete with enormous potential. The challenge with him has been finding the perfect fit, staying healthy, and helping him develop into a consistent football player rather than just an impressive athlete. If Adebawore takes a jump too, suddenly OU can rotate waves of explosive edge talent instead of leaning heavily on one primary rusher.
That matters because Venables’ defenses are at their best when they can attack in layers.
In 2025, R Mason Thomas gave OU a proven guy that offenses had to identify before every snap. In 2026, OU may not replace him with one established star immediately. Instead, the Sooners could replace him collectively with higher-end depth and more overall explosiveness if Okoye and Adebawore both emerge.
The easiest sign that the defense is actually better than the 2025 version, despite losing Thomas, would be this:
OU creates pressure without blitzing at an elite rate again.
If Okoye becomes a legitimate 8-to-10 sack caliber player while Wein continues ascending and the interior with Stone and Jackson collapses pockets consistently, then the entire defense changes. Venables can play more coverage, disguise more looks, and force quarterbacks into mistakes because the front four is winning on its own.
That is the championship formula.
If by November people are talking about Danny Okoye as one of the breakout defensive players in the SEC, that probably means several things happened simultaneously:
***OU’s pass rush stayed elite after losing Thomas
***The defensive line became deeper and more athletic
***The secondary was protected better
***The defense created more negative plays without needing heavy pressure packages
***Oklahoma became a legitimate playoff-level defense again
That is why his development feels so pivotal.
The Sooners do not necessarily want Okoye to merely be “good.” They want him to become the kind of difference-maker his traits suggest he can be.
