Weekend Open Post | February 27th – March 1st
Posted on: February 27, 2026
Sourced Team Note | Run the Damn Ball
– Charlie S – Posted on: February 23, 2026
Just a quick note now that all the hires are finalized and the staff can focus on football.
In a pretty cool twist, recently, sources across the board tell James, K, and I that the Sooners are intent on fixing their running woes from the last 2-3 years and there is a heavy focus on that issue.
Sources note that the additions of Jason Witten as TE coach and Deland McCullough as RB coach are no mistakes in respect to addressing this issue. Both coaches have extensive knowledge and success on one level or another with making the run game work.
But, perhaps more notable, the promotion of Kevin Wilson is significant, and Wilson will have a more substantial role within the offense this season. Not in regard so much to play calling, but more along the lines of scheming and implementing concepts and designs. He will serve as a more prominent sounding board for Ben Arbuckle and assist with getting the running game back to the standard where OU believes it should be.
So that’s fun.
A Couple More Words on the new Hires
– Super K – Posted on: February 24, 2026
***First, have you ever seen a defense with so many defensive coordinators? The entire back end is now former player callers. The man in the middle is a former player caller and the head man is a former play caller.
I’d say there is a decent chance, BV wants to have as many guys as possible on staff that he can groom for potential DC.
***Still, and this is critical, the number one job of these position coaches is to give BV the weapons he needs on the field of battle. That means, development development development. You’ll recall that before Valai arrived, the CB room was in rough shape, especially when it came to tackling. It’s been well stocked and it needs to continue to grow and develop.
***On the running game situation, I want to add to what Charlie noted yesterday about the internal discussions on improving the run game and making it more of an emphasis.
I want to note specifically that we’ve heard the Sooners want to move away from an over reliance on the QB run game and get back to a traditional hand the ball off to your actual backs run game.
Many reasons for this but one that isn’t talked about is there have been some grumblings from the RB room about this issue. You can’t recruit and retain the best backs if they are going to be allowed to shine. And it’s hard to keep your QB healthy if you run him too much.
No one at OU will say anything negative about Demarco. But they will say that the room will be in good hands with Deland.
Recruiting Notes | Class of 2027 | OL, DL, QB
– Charlie S – Posted on: February 24, 2026
***I know ‘27 OT Brian Swanson (6’5 295) out of South Oak Cliff, Texas, has been a topic with tweets and setting up an official visit to OU at the end of May and some in the community are wondering where OU stands in reality. Let me cut right to the chase…I believe he is going to Texas, and Texas believes he is going to Texas, and sources in the region believe he is going to Texas. OU already has two five star tackles in the ‘27 class and one priority on the interior (Hackett, Penny, and Wilson). OU is in a position to be very picky and shoot for the stars with the remaining OL numbers, but as I have consistently maintained, right now, I like where OU is with Gus Corsair and Tyson Ross.
***On ‘27 DT (for OU, EDGE for some) Zane Rowe. Rowe, the first commit to OU in the class of ‘27, who later decommitted has been leaning back toward OU for quite some time now, but as the next commitment date approaches for him (no idea why kids do this to themselves), the waters are getting murky. If he were to announce his next commitment today, instead of on March 13th, I would say it would be OU…but between now and the 13th he is visiting Oregon and Washington. If those trips come off as expected, I expect Oregon to take the lead and to likely land his next commitment, barring anything crazy happening on his visit. Notice I keep saying ‘next commitment’…I do so because something tells me that no matter who he commits to on the 13th…it won’t be his last commitment. So…we can talk about it more down the line, but this one still has quite a ways to go in my opinion, no matter where he lands. Oregon will likely pitch playing EDGE and paying him as such…for OU, he is a projected IDL. We will see.
***Lastly, on ‘27 quarterback Jamison Roberts. Right now, I like where OU is and as long as they keep prioritizing him and building on that relationship, I believe he will most likely be the QB for OU in the class. However, he’s going to continue to take visits and even though he is scheduled to be in Norman on March 7th, unless something changes, I would not expect an announcement from him, as he is pretty set on taking some other visits. Now, emotion can take over, and things can change, but I feel like he will leave Norman uncommitted and take some other visits. Auburn is the team I am keeping the closest eye on, but they seem to have some other guys they like a bit more. Ole Miss (pockets) and Florida (Sumrall, who recruited him at Tulane) are also programs who are in the picture.
Ch-ch-ch-Changes | Rooms to Watch in 2026
– Charlie S – Posted on: February 25, 2026
Now that the recruiting cycle, portal season, and coaching carousel have all come and gone (for the most part), I thought I would take a second to note the rooms I expect to be the most changed from the 2025 season to the 2026 season ahead.
I’ll just shoot out the three rooms I expect to see the most significant change and we can discuss the rest in the comment section.
1* The tight end room HAS to be the room that one would expect to change in the most significant manner. New coach, new players, new life. Right?
Jason Witten was hired to replace the departed JJF. Witten has never been a college coach, and his first gig is at one of the bluest blue bloods in the sport… lots of pressure, right?
Wrong. Thanks in part to the ineptness of the TE room over the entire tenure of the BV era, Witten probably has the least amount of pressure on him on the offensive side of the ball, as it is seemingly impossible to throw a room out there as bad as OU has in each of the last four seasons. Add the fact that transfers Hayden Hansen, Rockey Beers, and Jack Van Doreslear all have previous experience, well, we should see a significant improvement so long as there is not a golf cart collision which takes out all the new players and the new coach in spring ball.
2* The next room I am paying close attention to in regard to changes is the linebacker room. This one is the opposite of the tight end room though as OU was very good and very deep last year at linebacker with Kip Lewis, Owen Heinecke, Kobie McKinzie, and Sammy Omosigho doing a really nice job. That quartet was the communication center for an excellent OU defense.
Unfortunately, that quartet has suddenly turned into a solo act as Kip Lewis is the only returning linebacker. Now, OU did do a nice job in adding Cole Sullivan from Michigan, and he was a guy OU identified and went out and pried away from Michigan as they were going througha coaching transition. The thing is, when OU grabbed Sullivan, they lost Sammy almost immediately (cause and effect there).
Expect Taylor Heim, Marcus James, and a couple of the freshman get a lot of looks early as Lewis and Sullivan should form a dynamic duo, but they would be better off served if they could get the band back together for another fab four.
3* Lastly…I’m gonna eyeball the running back room, which saw massive player turnover once again, along with a coaching change. Out are DeMarco Murray, Jovantae Barnes, Taylor Tatum, and Jadyn Ott. In are Deland McCullough as coach, Jonathan Hatton and Lloyd Avant as players.
Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson return, and while both are banged up and likely will be limited in spring, they both should be fine and ready to go for fall camp and the season.
Added to the personnel changes, sources are talking about a philosophical change and increased focus on the running game. Well, it’s gonna look different on one level or another. Let’s see what Arbuckle, Wilson, McCullough, Bedenbaugh, and Witten can cook up in regard to getting the Sooners’ once-prominent running back room out of its long sleep.
What rooms are you looking at in regard to changes from ’25 to ’26?
Checking on Lamar Morgans Toolbox at Corner
– Charlie S – Posted on: February 26, 2026
When the Oklahoma Sooners brought in LaMar Morgan to coach the corners, it wasn’t just about filling a vacancy. It was about strengthening the foundation of the defense.
That said, replacing Jay Valai will not be easy. Valai brought energy, recruiting juice, and strong player relationships to the secondary. He was well respected in the room and on the trail, and his presence will be missed. Any time you lose a coach with established connections and trust inside your defensive backfield, there is going to be an adjustment period.
But Morgan may prove to be a strong schematic and developmental match for what Brent Venables wants on the back end.
Morgan arrives in Norman with defensive coordinator experience and a reputation as a detailed, demanding teacher. In Venables’ system, corners are not just isolated cover men. They are part of a pattern match structure that requires communication, leverage awareness, and complete understanding of how the coverage ties into the front.
Morgan’s background should immediately help in that area. Expect clean technique at the line of scrimmage, disciplined eyes in zone coverage, and solid overall spacing on the back end. Too often, explosive plays come from minor breakdowns. A coach who emphasizes fundamentals and accountability can eliminate those small errors that turn into big gains.
There is also the schematic benefit. Because Morgan has called defenses before, he understands how pressure packages and coverage rotations work together. That should allow Oklahoma to disguise looks effectively and give Venables flexibility to be aggressive without constantly exposing the corners.
Then there is recruiting. Morgan has built a reputation as a relationship-driven recruiter, which is critical as Oklahoma continues life in the SEC. If the Sooners want long, physical corners who can survive on islands against elite receivers, they have to stack wins on the trail. Morgan should help in that department.
This is not a flashy hire built on headlines. It is a developmental hire built on structure, teaching, and defensive cohesion. Valai will be difficult to replace. But if Morgan sharpens the technique, strengthens communication, and fits cleanly into Venables’ defensive vision, this could ultimately prove to be the right match at the right time for Oklahoma’s secondary.
How Good is This Team? Let’s Revisit
– Super K – Posted on: February 26, 2026
Let’s revisit a post I wrote last April about the 2025 team. The title of the post says it all (see the original post here)…
”This is BV’s Best Team on Paper (and) it Isn’t Close”
While the predictions about who exactly will get drafted may not be all correct, the fact that this turned out to clearly be BV’s best team appears to have been correct.
This begs at least three questions…
One, is this current team better/more talented?
Two, is this coaching staff better? There have been changes.
Three, is this year’s schedule easier or harder than last year’s schedule?
I want to address one point here, and I’ll address the others later. I want to address the second question. Is this coaching staff better?
First, I’ve had my ups and downs with BV. Before he was hired, I was all about it. It just made so much sense, and I stand by that being the correct position, whether or not it ends up being the correct assessment.
I didn’t care much about the first year’s woes because, unlike many other folks, we knew how rotten things had gotten under the hood during the previous administration.
The second year was solid, but the schedule was easy. Still, things were fine, but it definitely did concern me to continue seeing some of the inconsistency and ups and downs. While the Sooners were winning, things didn’t seem stable.
In the third year, we continued to see that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act. The defense was getting better, but generally, it felt like there wasn’t anything to hang the hat on.
After the Texas game this past year, confidence was really waning. Still, I’ve continued to say, if BV can go on a five-game winning streak, that’ll say heck of a lot.
And he dang near did it. The Alabama game was a game they shouldn’t have lost. I asked folks in the building what the heck happened there, and they’ll tell you, they should have destroyed Alabama, and they just choked.
Oddly, that loss probably bothered other folks more than it concerned me. Even if the consistency isn’t all the way there, I like seeing the possibilities, and I saw it there.
While BV’s time has been full of ups and downs – even now, we don’t know if next year will follow a trend up from this year or if it will be an oscillation back down matching the past four years – there is consistency growing.
I don’t think BV’s upside was much in doubt. It’s always been about whether he can be that every week or at least most every week.
Every time I thought the defense might falter, it seldom did.
It’s finally fully under BV’s control, and it’s real, and it’s stout, and there isn’t a reason to think it’s going anywhere.
There have been no changes to the coaching staff outside of the corner position on that side. And so, defensively, unless Morgan is a big step down, the coaching staff should be as good as the Sooners have had in the past – and that’s pretty darn good.
You’ll recall that last year in my prediction post, one of the concerns I brought up was how young both Arbuckle and Mateer were. It takes time to adjust to a tougher league and competition.
Even if nothing else changed, just Arbuckle having another year would, in my mind, improve the coaching staff.
But add to it two new coaches that, at worst, will be the same as the previous two and, more likely, will add to those rooms…I feel like the offensive staff is better this year.
I think the 2026 team is being led by a better head coach and a better staff.
