Oklahoma
Published August 9, 2026 at 1:44 PM · 7 pages
Where Oklahoma stands right now: form, injuries and availability, roster movement, practice notes, and what coaches and media are actually saying.
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C O L L E G E F O O T B A L L T E A M R E P O R T Oklahoma Sooners 2026 Season G E N E R A T E D A U G U S T 9 , 2 0 2 6 0 1 : 4 1 P M I N T H I S R E P O R T 01 Overall Outlook 02 Visual Analytics 03 The Season: Played and Projected 04 Practice Notes 05 Roster News 06 Injury Report 07 What the Media Is Saying 08 What the Coaches Are Saying
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01 OVERALL OUTLOOK This section frames where Oklahoma stands today — record, trajectory, and the handful of factors that will decide the season — based on the ratings, efficiency data, and storylines detailed below. The Sooners enter the 2026 season at 0-0, with every projection still ahead of them. The relevant number right now is FPI's 17.78 rating, 12th nationally 1, which is genuinely elite company — but the same model ranks Oklahoma's remaining schedule as the second-toughest in the country 1. That combination, a top-12 roster against a top-2 slate, is what makes the projection so unspectacular: the consensus model sees 7.6 wins over the next twelve games 1. Oklahoma is a good team on paper. The paper just happens to be printed on SEC gauntlet stock. Three things will decide whether the Sooners beat that projection or fall short of it. First, the running game — the offense averaged 3.5 yards per carry in 2025 3, and the entire offseason has been built around fixing it, from the hiring of running backs coach Deland McCullough 11 to the addition of former All-Pro Jason Witten to coach tight ends as run-blockers 2731. Second, health in the backfield and on the offensive line: Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson both missed the majority of spring ball 3, and center Jake Maikkula's season ended early in 2025 with an infection before he returned for camp 4. Third, the schedule's geometry — the Sooners face Georgia and Texas as clear underdogs within their first six weeks 1, then close with four straight one-score projection games against Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Missouri 1. How they navigate that closing gauntlet is the difference between nine wins and six. 02 VISUAL ANALYTICS Generated directly from the CollegeFootballData feeds for this matchup. The same visuals appear on every report, so numbers can be compared like-for-like from one game to the next. SEASON RESULTS · Scoring margin for every completed game. Wins are in the team's color, losses in the contrast color, so blowouts and near-misses are separable at a glance. EFFICIENCY PROFILE · Every advanced metric converted to a national percentile against all FBS teams, so the outer ring is always better regardless of which way the raw stat runs. Oklahoma Sooners · 2026 · Team Report Page 2 of 7
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FORM TREND · Week-by-week predicted points added on both sides of the ball. This is where a team trending up or sliding shows through, which season averages hide. TOP INDIVIDUAL IMPACT · The players who have actually moved the needle this season. Cross-reference against the injury and roster sections. THE ROAD AHEAD · Projected margin for every remaining game, from the SP+/FPI/Elo consensus with home-field advantage — the same baseline the matchup reports use. Bars below zero are games the ratings say this team should lose. 03 THE SEASON: PLAYED AND PROJECTED This section walks the entire 2026 schedule — the games already played and the games still to come, with projected margins and win probabilities drawn from the SP+/FPI/Elo consensus 1. No Oklahoma games have been played yet this season — the opener against UTEP is set for the night of Friday, September 4, after being moved from Saturday 13. There are no results to recap. The season begins in a little under a month, and the only certainty on the schedule is that it is unrelenting. Oklahoma Sooners · 2026 · Team Report Page 3 of 7
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Completed games: WEEK OPPONENT H/A RESULT SCORE — — — — — No games have been played as of the August 9 report date. The Sooners' season opens September 4 against UTEP at home 13, with kickoff times and television designations already released for the full slate 12. Remaining schedule: WEEK OPPONENT SITE PROJECTED MARGIN WIN PROBABILITY 1 UTEP Home +36.8 99.7% 2 Michigan Away -0.5 48.5% 3 New Mexico Home +23.7 96.0% 4 Georgia Away -9.5 24.1% 6 Texas Neutral -9.1 25.0% 7 Kentucky Home +14.8 86.4% 8 Mississippi State Away +11.3 79.9% 9 South Carolina Home +8.5 73.6% 10 Florida Away +1.8 55.3% 11 Ole Miss Home +4.2 62.2% 12 Texas A&M Home +0.2 50.6% 13 Missouri Away +3.2 59.4% The projections see a 7.6-win season 1 — a record built on beating everyone the model says Oklahoma should beat, stealing one from the Georgia/Texas tier, and surviving the killer closing stretch. The non-conference portion is straightforward: UTEP and New Mexico are near- certain wins, and the week-2 trip to Michigan is a coin flip at -0.5 1. That's the likeliest stumble — a loss to a non-conference rival the Sooners were expected to handle would immediately poison the margin for error in a brutal SEC slate. The model gives Oklahoma just a 24.1% chance in Athens and a 25.0% chance in the Red River game 1, meaning the season's ceiling is largely set by how the Sooners perform as underdogs. The stretch that decides the season is the final month. Four straight games — Florida away, Ole Miss home, Texas A&M home, Missouri away — are all projected within 4.2 points 1, with win probabilities clustered between 50.6% and 62.2% 1. That is a four-week minefield where the Sooners are favored in every game but not by much in any of them, and it will determine whether this is a nine-win season or a six-win one. The model's 7.6 expected wins essentially splits the difference: bowl eligibility in the SEC with a near-top-10 talent rating, but a schedule that refuses to let them enjoy it. These are ratings-based estimates, not promises — and with no games played yet, no graded predictions exist for this team to evaluate. 1 04 PRACTICE NOTES This section covers fall-camp reporting — who is standing out, who is limited, and the position battles taking shape — from practice observations and coach commentary. The running back room is the story of camp, and the story has a clear protagonist. Colorado State transfer Lloyd Avant opened Friday's practice with the first team 15, and new running backs coach Deland McCullough said Avant has been grading at 94-95% consistently — a "poster child for the details" whose repeated mistakes McCullough says he struggles to find 18. The standard to play, McCullough notes, is an 85% grade 18. Avant's command of meetings and the offense, not just his physical talent, is what has separated him 1525. The order behind him on Friday was Xavier Robinson, Andy Bass, Gabe Sawchuk, Jonathan Hatton, DeZephen Walker, and Ben McCreary 6. The competition is complicated by health. Tory Blaylock, who led the Sooners in rushing last season, was absent from the open portion of Friday's practice after a minor hamstring injury Thursday 61417 — an absence that has only accelerated Avant's ascension. Xavier Robinson, meanwhile, was limited Wednesday and Thursday but returned to full speed Friday 617, working second behind Avant. Robinson started each of Oklahoma's final four regular-season games in 2025 and finished with 421 yards and four touchdowns 6, and his return stabilizes a backfield that simply could not stay on the field in the spring 3. The freshmen are pushing, too: Jonathan Hatton Jr. showed improved foot quickness from the spring game 6, and DeZephen Walker looked explosive 6, with both combining for over 100 yards and two touchdowns in the spring game 20. McCullough has called the room "wide open" 18, but the early texture is clear — Avant leads, Robinson pushes, and Blaylock's hamstring is the wildcard. Elsewhere, the news is quieter but meaningful. Wide receiver Trell Harris — a Virginia transfer who had an injury setback, per receivers coach Emmett Jones — dressed out but did little in drills Friday 16. Freshman linebacker Kristan Moore was seen on crutches with a brace after Friday's practice 14. Linebacker Marcus James shed his no-contact jersey and looked imposing 14, while defensive back Jeremiah Newcombe was limited 14. At quarterback, John Mateer is the settled starter, with Whitt Newbauer working second and freshman Bowe Bentley competing for the backup role 14. The special-teams picture is unsettled too — the punting job is open despite Grayson Miller's return 22. 05 ROSTER NEWS This section covers non-injury roster movement — the verified transfer-portal record as its own labeled group, followed by depth-chart changes, staff moves, and position battles. Oklahoma Sooners · 2026 · Team Report Page 4 of 7
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Transfer portal — incoming (verified): PLAYER POS FROM STARS RATING Trell Harris WR Virginia 4 0.93 E'Marion Harris OT Arkansas 4 0.93 Parker Livingstone WR Texas 4 0.92 Jack Van Dorselaer TE Tennessee 4 0.90 Hayden Hansen TE Florida 3 0.88 Cole Sullivan LB Michigan 3 0.87 Dakoda Fields CB Oregon 3 0.87 Bishop Thomas DL Georgia State 3 0.86 Peyton Joseph OT Georgia Tech 3 0.86 Kenny Ozowalu EDGE UTSA 3 0.86 Caleb Nitta IOL Western Kentucky 3 0.86 Lloyd Avant RB Colorado State 3 0.85 Rocky Beers TE Colorado State 3 0.85 Mackenzie Alleyne WR Washington State 3 0.85 Prince Ijioma CB Mississippi Valley State 3 0.83 Fred Hinton OT Eastern Kentucky 3 0.83 Transfer portal — outgoing (verified): The roster churn outbound is substantial and worth noting for context: running backs Taylor Tatum (Michigan) and Jovantae Barnes (Kentucky) both departed 1, which directly explains why the backfield looks so different. Adepoju Adebawore, the 5-star edge, is listed as an outgoing transfer with no destination 1, and a wave of offensive linemen left — Jacob Sexton (Oklahoma State), Logan Howland (Virginia Tech), Luke Baklenko (Arizona State), Isaiah Dent (Mississippi State), Jake Taylor (Iowa State), and Isaac K. — creating the offensive-line overhaul that center Jake Maikkula's return 4 only partially stabilizes. Starters and contributors departed across the board: quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (West Virginia), receivers JaVonnie Gibson (Cincinnati), Jayden Gibson (South Carolina), and Zion Ragins (Mississippi State), tight end Kaden Helms (Minnesota), plus defensive backs Gentry Williams (Georgia), Kendel Dolby (Mississippi State), and Devon Jordan (Baylor) 1. The portal picture is one of heavy turnover, which is precisely why so many 2026 storylines are about new faces. Depth chart and staff research: The most significant roster development is the running-backs coach change — Deland McCullough replaced DeMarco Murray, and assistant head coach Kevin Wilson has praised McCullough as "consumed with running back" and trying to be a "PhD in running back coaching" 11. That coaching voice, not a single roster addition, is reshaping the backfield: McCullough's grading system has installed Lloyd Avant atop the depth chart going into the season opener 182425. The other major addition is Jason Witten as tight ends coach 927, a hire made specifically to fix one of the offense's least productive areas from 2025. The tight end room has been rebuilt through the portal — Van Dorselaer, Hansen, and Beers all arrived 1 — and Witten has said the group made major strides in spring but still has significant room to improve 9. 06 INJURY REPORT This section covers medical-only items, presented in two separate groups — the live web research run at report time and the stored injury feed. Live web research: The freshest injury news out of fall camp is entirely in the backfield. Tory Blaylock sustained a minor hamstring injury Thursday and missed Friday's open practice; the injury is not expected to be a long-term concern, with Blaylock day-to-day 614. Xavier Robinson, who had been limited earlier in the week, returned to full speed Friday and is a full participant 6. No other position-group injuries were reported in the current-search window. Injury feed: The stored injury feed adds important context from the last two weeks. Center Jake Maikkula is back with the team after missing the regular-season finale and the College Football Playoff game against Alabama due to an infection that required hospitalization 4. A mid- summer team profile flagged a group — Adepoju Adebawore (foot surgery), David Stone (lower-body), Jayden Jackson (shoulder surgery), Tory Blaylock (undisclosed), Xavier Robinson (muscle strain), and Trell Harris (cleanup procedure) — as cleared for summer workouts, with fall-camp participation unconfirmed for Adebawore 5. The same profile noted Blaylock and Robinson were both missing significant spring time but expected to be fully ready for fall camp 3. Blaylock's current hamstring issue means the "fully ready" part is still a work in progress, while Robinson has returned to full participation as expected 6. The graded items in the feed are consistent: Blaylock day-to-day, Robinson full 6, Maikkula returned 4, and the summer-clearance group 5 all tracking as reported. 07 WHAT THE MEDIA IS SAYING This section captures national and local coverage, analyst takes, and the prevailing narrative around the Sooners entering the season. The national storyline is simple: Oklahoma was a playoff team in 2025 because of its defense, and it will only go further in 2026 if the offense — specifically the run game and tight end production — catches up. AP framed it exactly that way, noting the Sooners lean on a playoff-caliber defense but need more from the ground game and tight ends, and linking the Jason Witten hire directly to that need 277. The local coverage is more pointed. The Oklahoman has bluntly framed 2026 as the year the offense has to improve under coordinator Ben Arbuckle, following a Oklahoma Sooners · 2026 · Team Report Page 5 of 7
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season where the Sooners ranked ninth in passing, 13th in rushing, and 14th in yards per play in the SEC 2628. The running-back competition has been the dominant media topic of camp, with outlets uniformly reporting Lloyd Avant as the early frontrunner 2425, a story driven by the same McCullough grading quotes 1815. There's a measured optimism underneath the skepticism. Quarterback John Mateer told reporters that a second year in the SEC for both himself and Arbuckle is the biggest reason the offense will be better 23. Yahoo noted the running game is "already in a better place" for fall camp 10, which reads like cautious progress rather than a guarantee. No poll, ranking, or betting-market data appeared in the sourced coverage within the report window, so the "market" view here is inferred entirely from the FPI model — and that model is not especially bullish. FPI has Oklahoma 12th in raw rating but projects just 7.6 wins 1, which is the full summary of the media's mixed message: the talent is real, the schedule is brutal, and the Sooners will be judged by how they run the ball and how they survive November. 08 WHAT THE COACHES ARE SAYING This section compiles direct quotes and paraphrases from Brent Venables and his coordinators, attributed to who said them and when. The coaching message of the offseason is singular: the running game is being rebuilt from the ground up, and the new voices are pushing a specific physical standard. Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, speaking in early August, defined the mandate for the backs: "Continue to look for them when they get the ball to run violent, run with purpose downhill and obviously be clean in pass protection, be in sync with the quarterback and offensive line... and find their ways into the pass game" 18. Arbuckle also credited the backs after the spring game — "They ran violent. They ran hard downhill; they were able to break some trash arm tackles. … I think that's huge" 8 — which is the same vocabulary the staff keeps using: violence, downhill, detail. Running backs coach Deland McCullough has been the most quotable voice of camp. He called Lloyd Avant a "poster child for the details," said he "struggle(s) to find something that Lloyd messed up on twice," and set the playing standard at an 85% grade — while Avant grades at 94- 95% 18. On Tory Blaylock, McCullough was both complimentary and demanding: "Tory's fast, he was tough in pass protection... The guy has a toughness, care and a give-a-dang factor that is honorable. The next step that Tory took is the detail of what we do now" 18. Assistant head coach Kevin Wilson endorsed the hire in terms that border on superlative: "Deland is consumed with running back... he's trying to be a PhD in running back coaching, and he's doing an outstanding job" 11. Jason Witten, the new tight ends coach, has reframed his position group as an extension of the offensive line: "We're a part of the run game. Being the guy who's usually at the end of the line of scrimmage, you're an extension of the offensive line... When the ball gets to us we've got to be able to seal gaps, we've got to set the edge, we've got to create lanes" 31. He added that the tight end's job is to "sustain that block" and "hold on a little bit longer when the ball gets to you" 9. Witten is also "really impressed" with John Mateer, per On3's camp coverage 30. Brent Venables has endorsed both new coaches — praising McCullough's work in spring for "giving them the tools to be able to go and execute at a high level" 8, and calling Witten a natural teacher with "instant credibility" at tight end 7. The through-line is consistent: this staff knows exactly what went wrong in 2025, and every quote out of camp is aimed at the same fix. SOURCES 1. College Football Data API (CollegeFootballData) https://collegefootballdata.com 2. College football injury feed (Injury feed) https://www.rotowire.com/cfootball/news.php 3. What Could Get in the Way of Oklahoma’s Run Game Improvement in 2026? (SI.com) https://www.si.com/college/oklahoma/football/what-could-get-in-the-way-of-oklahoma-s-run- game-improvement-in-2026-01kwg6j7bpvt 4. Jake Maikkula returns to OU football after infection ruined ending of last season (Norman Transcript) https://www.normantranscript.com/cnhi_network/jake-maikkula-returns-to-ou-football-after- infection-ruined-ending-of-last-season/article_eb990470-8896-48bd-bcce-f42ee62d066b.html 5. Oklahoma injury report: Adebawore, Stone, Jackson, Blaylock, Robinson, Harris statuses heading into summer (Punt and Rally) https://www.puntandrally.com/teamprofile.php?team=Oklahoma 6. Oklahoma RB Tory Blaylock suffers minor hamstring injury in camp (The Franchise OK) https://thefranchiseok.com/practice-report-lloyd-avant-leads-oklahomas-wide-open-running- back-battle/ 7. Oklahoma looking for more production from running game | AP News (AP News) https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-witten-fbc-08465d2dddb0ff6d4126233a8acd8d46 8. OU vows to rush violently year after stumbling quietly | Sports | oudaily.com (OU Daily) https://www.oudaily.com/sports/oklahoma-sooners-sec-football-tory-blaylock-xavier- robinson/article_858e1141-7b03-4976-b354-7e9d5344de09.html 9. Jason Witten discusses Oklahoma tight end room, John Mateer ahead of 2026 season - News9.com (News9) https://www.news9.com/sports/university-of-oklahoma/jason-witten-oklahoma-tight-ends- 2026-camp 10. Oklahoma Sooners' running game already in a better place for fall camp - Yahoo Sports https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/oklahoma-sooners-running-game-already-140119750.html 11. New Oklahoma RB coach Deland McCullough draws praise from Kevin Wilson (Sooners Wire (USA Today)) https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/sooners/football/2026/08/05/oklahoma- football-deland-mccullough-kevin-wilson-running-backs/91167828007/ 12. Kickoff times, TV designations released for 2026 OU football season - On3 https://www.on3.com/teams/oklahoma-sooners/news/kickoff-times-tv-designations-released- for-2026-ou-football-season/ 13. Football Home Opener vs. UTEP Moved to Night of Friday, Sept. 4 - University of Oklahoma https://soonersports.com/news/2026/6/29/football-home-opener-vs-utep-moved-to-night-of- friday-sept-4 14. RB Tory Blaylock misses Friday practice with apparent hamstring injury (Sports Illustrated (SI.com)) 17. RB Tory Blaylock's absence opens door for Lloyd Avant; Robinson also limited earlier (On3) https://www.on3.com/teams/oklahoma-sooners/news/oklahoma-camp-intel-health- consistency-shaping-the-battle-at-rb/ 18. Running back coach Deland McCullough says Lloyd Avant is top-graded back (The Oklahoman) https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/college/sooners/2026/08/07/ou-football-rb-position- battle-oklahoma-sooners-lloyd-avant-xavier-robinson-tory-blaylock/91197823007/ 19. OU football practice observations: Running back room led by Lloyd Avant, Xavier Robinson | Don't Miss This | normantranscript.com https://www.normantranscript.com/cnhi_network/ou-football-practice-observations-running- back-room-led-by-lloyd-avant-xavier-robinson/article_4d171c8f-468a-4ba8-b55a- dbea0f3eb577.html 20. Freshmen Hatton and Walker pushing for carries after productive spring game (OU Daily) https://www.oudaily.com/sports/oklahoma-sooners-sec-football-tory-blaylock-xavier- robinson/article_858e1141-7b03-4976-b354-7e9d5344de52.html 21. Oklahoma backfield carries renewed under new scheme (OU Daily) https://www.oudaily.com/sports/oklahoma-sooners-sec-football-tory-blaylock-xavier- robinson/article_858e1141-7b03-4976-b354-7e9d534de52 22. OU football: Punting job open despite Grayson Miller return https://tulsaworld.com/sports/college/ou/article_75342a7b-bc7d-4592-9ac7- d0d632870fd1.html 23. John Mateer: Experience will make Oklahoma offense better in 2026 (Sooners Wire (USA Today)) https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/sooners/football/2026/08/08/oklahoma- football-sec-john-mateer-offense/91216909007/ 24. OU football RB Lloyd Avant is early leader to start in 2026 preseason (The Oklahoman) https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/college/sooners/2026/08/07/ou-football-rb-position- battle-oklahoma-sooners-llToyd-avant-x-robinson-tory-blover/91197823007/ 25. How Lloyd Avant became the primary frontrunner to start at RB for OU in 2026 (The OU Daily) https://www.oudaily.com/sports/oklahoma-sooners-football-lloyd-avant-tory-blaylock-xavier- robinson/article_080b2496-36cd-49c8-87e05ea1338e/2026/ 26. OU offense needs major improvement in Year 2 under OC Ben Arbuckle (The Oklahoma an) https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/college/sooners/2026/08/06/ou-football-offense- year-2-immigrant-offense-coordinator-ben-arbuckle-oklahoma-sooners/91172987007/ 27. Oklahoma looks for more production from running backs and tight ends, adds Jason Witten (AP News) https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-witten-fbc-08465d2dddb0ff6d412e308accf8ead29/ 28. OU football offense has to improve in Year 2 under OC Ben Arbuckle https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/college/sooners/2026/08/06/ou-football-offense- year-2-improvement-offensive-coordinator-ben-arbuckle-oklahoma-sooners/91172987007/ Oklahoma Sooners · 2026 · Team Report Page 6 of 7
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https://www.si.com/college/oklahoma/football/a-running-back-down-observations-from- oklahoma-s-friday-practice-01kze57wp7z9 15. Lloyd Avant opens Friday's practice with first team at RB (Sports Illustrated (SI.com)) https://www.si.com/college/oklahoma/football/oklahoma-rb-lloyd-avant-working-on- succeeding-at-earning-coaches-trust-01kzemx56vq7 16. WR Trell Harris limited in practice; working back from injury setback (The Oklahoman) https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/college/sooners/2026/08/07/ou-football-practice- highlights-trell-harris-injury-update-oklahoma-sooners/91212223007/ 29. How Lloyd Avant became the early frontrunner to start at RB | Sports | oudaily.com https://www.oudaily.com/sports/oklahoma-sooners-football-lloyd-avant-tory-blaylock-xavier- robinson/article_080b2496-36cd-49c8-87e0-60a3b73731ce.html 30. Inside OU fall camp: Why Jason Witten is 'really impressed' with quarterback John Mateer - On3 https://www.on3.com/teams/oklahoma-sooners/news/inside-ou-fall-camp-why-jason-witten-is- really-impressed-with-quarterback-john-mateer/ 31. Witten: Tight ends are an extension of the offensive line (FOX Sports) https://www.foxsports.com/articles/cfb/oklahoma-coach-brent-venables-looking-for-more- production-from-running-game Oklahoma Sooners · 2026 · Team Report Page 7 of 7
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