The Oklahoma Sooners played their annual spring football game on Saturday inside Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. With Team 132 taking Owen Field in front of Sooner Nation for the first time in 2026, it was the first real “game” action for fifth-year head coach Brent Venables’ team ahead of the new season.
With the Red Team, (coached by defensive tackles coach Todd Bates) filled with mostly starters, facing off against the White Team, (coached by quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski) that was filled with mostly backups, it was an easy 31-3 victory for the Red Team. Predictably, OU’s starting offenses and defenses both had successful days against the second and third-teamers.
On a day that started with star redshirt-senior linebacker Owen Heinecke, now listed on the official OU roster, entering the field to 50 Cent’s “Many Men” to an ovation after winning his eligibility case in court against the NCAA on Thursday, things went very smoothly for the Red Team, but there was plenty to observe from the roughly two hours of action on the field.
Here are three observations after OU’s spring game on Saturday.
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1. Oklahoma looks to have better depth at RB this year
Apr 18, 2026; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) hands the ball off to running back Lloyd Avant (9) during the Oklahoma Spring Game at Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Despite not having Xavier Robinson or Tory Blaylock on the field, OU’s running backs still stole the show during the spring game. The trio of Colorado State transfer Lloyd Avant and true freshmen Jonathan Hatton Jr. and DeZephen Walker all played very well, as the Red Team ran the ball with excellence all day long.
Oklahoma ended up not being as deep at RB last year as they thought they were entering the regular season, but early returns are that the room could be better overall in 2026. If Robinson and/or Blaylock get banged up like they did late last year, the Sooners might have some better options to hand the ball to this year. Avant, Hatton, and Walker will all be fighting hard to earn carries this season, which is a good thing for Oklahoma.
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2. The Sooners moved people up front
Apr 18, 2026; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Jonathan Hatton Jr (20) celebrates with offensive lineman Michael Fasusi (56) after scoring a touchdown during the Oklahoma Spring Game at Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
OU played roughly seven-to-nine projected starters on defense for the Red Team, (not including Heinecke, who obviously didn’t play) and they allowed just one field goal all day to the White Team, which should be the expected result against the backups on offense. However, OU’s starting offensive line and tight ends for the Red Team played very well against the defensive backups, which was less of a sure thing coming in, and they were paving the way for the running backs up front.
The Sooners have been waiting for the offensive line to become a strong unit in the SEC, and yet another tight end rebuild looks to be promising so far. Oklahoma’s offseason emphasis on the run game showed on Saturday, as the Sooners ran the ball frequently and effectively. That doesn’t happen without good execution up front from the OL and the TEs.
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3. Mateer to Sategna still works like a charm
Apr 18, 2026; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III (1) reacts during the Oklahoma Spring Game at Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Though the play didn’t technically count on the scoreboard in a spring game, but would have counted in a real game, the biggest moment of the day came when quarterback John Mateer threw a beautiful deep ball to wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III, who evaded the defense and scored on a 76-yard touchdown. After displaying great chemistry after both coming to OU in 2025, it looks like Mateer and Sategna have picked up right where they left off.
Part of Oklahoma’s focus this offseason was put on finding more playmakers to put around the Mateer-Sategna duo, and the Sooners believe they have that in Virginia transfer Trell Harris and Texas transfer Parker Livingstone. However, with as good as Sategna has been in a Sooners uniform, it’ll still likely be him that Mateer is looking to in the big moments, especially early in the season.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: 3 observations from the spring game for the Sooners on Saturday
