The Oklahoma Sooners had a good season in 2025, even if they suffered a disappointing loss in the College Football Playoff to Alabama. Brent Venables and the Sooners still proved capable of winning big games in the SEC, posting a 6-2 record in conference play.
Venables has Oklahoma on a strong trajectory, but they’ll have to turn the page on last year. They can’t rest on their success in 2025. With 2025 behind us, the Sooners will roll into 2026 considered among the best in college football. USA TODAY Sports college football writers Paul Myerberg and Erick Smith placed the Sooners at No. 6 in the nation in their way-too-early rankings. On3 collected the way-too-early rankings from nine outlets to create a composite ranking for the 2026 season.
Nine outlets and experts were part of the process: On3, Crain & Cone, ESPN, CBS Sports, USA Today, The Sporting News, Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports and The Athletic. A point system was used for the composite – 25 points for No. 1, 24 for No. 2, etc. Here is the full Way-Too-Early Top 25 Composite. – Nick Schultz, On3
The Oklahoma Sooners came in at No. 10 in their composite rankings. The Sooners edged out BYU at No. 11 and LSU at No. 12. Oklahoma came in behind national champion runner-up Miami and Texas A&M, who tied for No. 8 in the average rankings.
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Ohio State took the No. 1 spot, followed by national champion Indiana, Texas at No. 3, and then Georgia and Oregon round out the top five.
Oklahoma’s ranking is in large part due to the success they had in 2025, the development of the defense under Brent Venables, and the return of quarterback John Mateer, who is expected to take a step in year two with the Sooners and year two in the SEC.
But Oklahoma also added significant pieces in its transfer portal class to help Mateer. Wide receivers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone bring experience and production to the Sooners’ wide receiver trio to add to the return of leading receiver Isaiah Sategna. Oklahoma bolstered its offensive line with E’Marion Harris, a two-year starter for Arkansas. The run game should improve as the offensive line develops, and with the addition of Harris and portal tight ends Hayden Hansen, Rocky Beers, and Jack Van Dorselaer.
The Sooners had a really good year in 2025, winning 10 games and making the playoff. But they won’t sneak up on anyone this season. Oklahoma will have to go back and prove it once again. With road trips to Michigan, Georgia, and Florida, combined with the Red River Showdown and Texas A&M coming to town, the Sooners schedule is fraught with obstacles that could derail a trip to the playoff.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma behind national championship runner-up in composite rankings
