Weekend Open Post | June 5th – 7th
Posted on: June 5, 2026
Reaching a Different Level
– Super K – Posted on: June 2, 2026
After the draft, we talked about how despite the Sooners improving draft performance, there was still plenty of room to grow. That should be taken as nothing but a positive. If you’re a lights out defense without many 1st-3rd round picks, it’s scary to imagine what it can be when you take the talent to the next level.
The fact that things can be taken to another level is a reason for optimism.
On that note, speaking of a different level – I give you Gabriel Osborne. Lamar Morgan passed his first test.
I know Charlie was very confident the Sooners would land Osborne and while I thought it was likely, I’ll admit I had some concerns.
As many of you have rightly noted, Osborne is a different type of athlete than the Sooners have had at corner. Will he be as skilled? We don’t know yet. But the upside is off the charts.
It wasn’t just the Sooners that noticed that. Ohio State, Alabama, Miami and others were in hot pursuit. And as I previously reported a lot of money was being offered. As far as I was told, the Sooners essentially let Osborne know that they’d match any price.
Still, I was having some flashbacks to Dax Hill or Proctor day. But thankfully, the Sooners are in a different era when it comes to being able to make the case to elite defensive talent.
It’s the product BV put on the field that can ultimately win these battles. OU isn’t the only team offering money. And the whole staying close to home has become less and less important given parents resources to travel.
In my estimation this was an old school win. The money was likely equal all around. Old OU doesn’t win this battle.
And it’s this kind of win and others like it that give OU the chance to take this to defense from scary to downright terrifying. It’s bad enough when you’re being pressured all night. But go watch Osborne find and pick the ball out of the air. Try avoiding the pressure and going over the top with him down the field.
How Does The 2027 Recruiting Class Stack Up
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 3, 2026
Oklahoma currently has 23 commits at this point with one major official visit weekend to go (June 12th).
There are still a handful of elite targets on OU’s radar, and right now, this is how I view each room in the class.
QB – Jamison Roberts (project with high upside, solid for the situation)
RB – Keldrid Ben, Jakoby Dixon (very good SEC class)
WR – Demare Dezeurn, Tra’von Hall, Greydon Howell (solid SEC class)
TE – Seneca Driver (best TE in class)
OL – Cooper Hackett, Kaeden Penny, Luke Wilson, Tyson Ross, Isaac Coughran (top 3 OL class in country)
EDGE – Krew Jones, Samuel Nelson (good SEC class)
DL – Elija Harmon, Deven Robertson, Sione Fella (solid SEC class)
LB – Cooper Witten, Taven Epps (top class in country)
CB – Gabriel Osborne, Mikhail McCreary, Mikyal Davis (very good SEC class)
S – Jaylen Scott (solid SEC class)
Now the fun begins…in most of the spots that are just ‘solid SEC classes’, OU is making moves to elevate those groups to top 3 in class or ‘very good’ at least.
At EDGE…if OU lands Uhila Wolfgramm, as I believe they are in line to do at this time (ain’t over till it is), I would move them to ‘Top 5 EDGE class in the country’
At corner…if OU adds Trenton Blaylock or Sherrard Brown, that would also impact the safety room by way of Mikhail McCreary likely being a true cross training guy which leads me to…
At safety…if OU adds Bode Sparrow, as I believe they are in line to do at this time (again, ain’t over till it is), I would move them to ‘very good SEC class’
At Athlete…if OU can somehow pull a rabbit out of their hat and land a guy like Gideon Gash (cheetah/safety) that would absolutely put the safety room in the top 3 in the country (I don’t see it happening right now, but I will never sleep on BV and Nagy at this point when they have time and momentum on their side).
As things stand today, and if signing day were tomorrow, OU would have (in my opinion) three ‘Top 3’ rooms in the country this cycle (OL, LB, TE) and I believe safety, EDGE, and CB all would have a chance of possibly being a top 10 in their respective position groups in the country.
No Moss Growing Underfoot As New OL Offers Go Out
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 4, 2026
The Sooners appear to be intent on taking six offensive linemen in the 2027 class.
Oklahoma already has five commits in what is one of the best OL classes currently in the country. The Sooners hold pledges from Cooper Hackett, Kaeden Penny, Luke Wilson, Tyson Ross, and Isaac Coughran…but they want more.
Last week the Sooners hosted Corey Laga and Brian Swanson on official visits. While things went very well with both, only Laga is considered to be a viable target, but the Sooners are not resting on any expectations with him as they have sent out two new offers this week.
First, they offered Jaxon Lawler (6’4 265) out of Amarillo, Texas, at camp on Tuesday. Lawler is a guy who OU may have come in for an OV in the fall, but it’s pretty cool when you can go out and earn an offer at camp in front of any staff, let alone the OU staff.
Then, yesterday, they offered Amaziah Siale (6’6 330) out of Mission Viejo, California. Last week, Siale committed to Cal…then he turns around and goes to OU to camp, and picks up the offer. If I were Cal, I would be a bit nervous about how that played out! Anyway, I actually really like this offer, and I would not be shocked to see OU push a bit harder here.
Laga may indeed be the guy at the end of the day, but at any rate, you have to love the position OU is in basically across the board with this recruiting class, as they can pick and choose their spots and extend offers that they aren’t necessarily counting on, but would like to add as enhancements to the class.
Back Half of the Schedule | Challenges
– Super K – Posted on: June 4, 2026
In talking to folks on the OU side, you get the clear sense that they are focused on the first half of the schedule. I know I know, publicly it’s all about taking it a game at a time. But a little insider secret, staffs look forward to their schedules and size up their competition.
There is no doubt the first half of the schedule is tough and it’s the most relevant. We’re already in the summer. Season will be here before we know it.
As you’ll recall, my current ranking of difficulty based on styles and feedback from folks I’ve gotten is: Texas, UGA then Michigan.
But this isn’t the Big 12. You don’t get one or two tough teams. You don’t get one tough half of a schedule.
The Sooners back half has some serious challenges, as well.
They face (in order after the Texas game): Kentucky, Miss State, South Carolina, Florida, Ole Miss, TAMU and Missouri.
I’m going to make calls to get some more specific insider feedback on these opponents as we get into the summer.
I’ve already asked about some of them. For example, spoke with someone at Kentucky and someone at another program who is familiar with their talent and the feeling I got is they’re going to surprise some folks. Are they going to beat OU? I doubt it. But I don’t think this is a cake walk.
I’m not ready to rank the threats on the back half of the schedule but I think we can agree that TAMU and Ole Miss are going to be at or near the top of the most potent back half threats.
Like me, I know many of you have watched Brent’s defenses since he arrived at OU under Bob. And we know that a lot of it is predicated on disruption via zone pressures – make the QB get rid of the ball early and confuse his early look while protecting yourself against the deep threat.
Brent doesn’t let people run the ball on him.
The one thing that, at times, can pose a significant issue is a highly mobile QB – more specifically, a highly mobile QB who can avoid the rush and actually make good throws down field on the run. Because the Sooners run so many zone pressures, if a QB buys time, the holes on the back end start getting bigger and bigger real quick.
TAMU and Ole Miss both have mobile QBs. TAMU’s guy is way streakier though. Chambliss was really consistent last year. He was a dang cheat code. TAMU’s kid was wildly successful at times and at times…would make you scratch your head.
But, both are losing a lot of weapons. I want to say that is a big deal and in the past it would have been but the portal and the money in the sport makes it so that it’s so much harder to assume a drop off. TAMU’s most talented WRs last year (who are now gone) weren’t even at TAMU the year or two before.
What TAMU brings that I just don’t see with Ole Miss is a more structurally sound disciplined defense. I’ll be honest, I just don’t have much confidence in Golding’s defense. They seem to reload every year and they’re a scrappy bunch. But there is something that feels very unstable or unrefined about it.
Right now those two appear to be the biggest threats and I’m going to lean Ole Miss for now just given how unbelievably talented Chambliss is. But as I said, I still want to get some insider feedback from folks on the teams like Florida and Missouri.
I know, for example, that Napier had stacked a lot of talent at Florida. Keep in mind, even in a year where their coach got fired, they had the talent to beat Texas.
We are truly in a different time when you see teams like Florida or Missouri on a schedule and can’t just assume they will be your toughest games.
Most Important Development at a Position for 2026
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 4, 2026
Aside from the obvious answer that John Mateer needs to stay healthy and continue improving his decision-making, the most important offensive development for Oklahoma this offseason may be happening at center.
Jake Maikkula’s physical development could end up having a bigger impact on the Sooners’ offense than any other player on that side of the ball.
It may not be the flashy answer, but center is the position that connects everything Ben Arbuckle, Kevin Wilson, and Bill Bedenbaugh want this offense to become. If Oklahoma is finally going to establish itself as a physical, balanced SEC offense, it starts with No. 64.
Maikkula was thrown into the fire after transferring from Stanford ahead of the 2025 season. Despite not having the benefit of a full offseason in Bedenbaugh’s program, he logged more than 700 snaps and became one of the most dependable players on the offensive line.
What often gets lost is what he was dealing with late in the year. Maikkula battled an infection during the second half of the season that caused him to lose a significant amount of weight. For any player that’s difficult. For a center lining up against SEC defensive tackles every Saturday, it’s a major obstacle.
Now comes the encouraging part.
According to sources and coaches, Maikkula has reportedly put all of that weight back on and then some. He’s had a full offseason in Oklahoma’s strength program and has drawn praise from both teammates and coaches for the progress he’s made physically and as a leader.
That development matters because the center position has a ripple effect on the entire offense. Maikkula is responsible for setting protections, identifying fronts, organizing communication across the line, and creating movement in the middle of the run game. When the center is playing at a high level, everyone benefits.
A stronger, more powerful Maikkula could be the difference between Oklahoma being a decent running team and becoming the type of offense that controls games at the line of scrimmage. The Sooners have struggled in short-yardage situations and too often found themselves relying on quarterback heroics to manufacture offense. Improved play from Maikkula would help solve both issues.
In many ways, his development represents the broader transformation Brent Venables has been chasing since arriving in Norman. Oklahoma doesn’t want to be an offense that needs its quarterback to save the day every week. The goal is to be physical enough to run the football when everyone in the stadium knows it’s coming.
If Maikkula takes the leap Oklahoma believes he can, the entire offense becomes more efficient.
There are a few other developments that deserve mention.
Looking at the tight end room. Last season (and the previous seasons) the position was largely a non-factor. At times, the Sooners had been playing with what felt like nine guys against eleven guys because the tight end room was so dismal. This year, with Hayden Hansen, Rocky Beers, and the influence of Jason Witten, there is a legitimate opportunity for tight end to become one of the offense’s most improved position groups. If that happens, Oklahoma gains another weapon in the run game, another reliable target over the middle, and a much-needed red-zone presence.
Michael Fasusi becoming a true SEC star at left tackle is near the top of the list. Last year was about surviving as a young player. This year is about becoming a difference-maker. If Fasusi develops into one of the conference’s elite tackles, Mateer gets cleaner pockets, Arbuckle can expand the passing game, and the offense becomes far more dangerous.
The running back room also needs to establish an identity. Whether it’s Xavier Robinson, Tory Blaylock, or a committee approach, Oklahoma needs consistent production that keeps the offense ahead of schedule. The Sooners don’t need a superstar. They need dependable efficiency.
All of those developments matter.
But if you’re looking for the one offensive storyline that could have the biggest impact outside of Mateer’s health and decision-making, it starts with Jake Maikkula. His late-season illness prevented him from finishing 2025 at full strength. Now healthy, heavier, and stronger than he was a year ago, he has a chance to become the foundation of the physical identity Oklahoma has been trying to build.
If that happens, the benefits will be felt everywhere else on the offense.
