The Oklahoma Sooners made news on Thursday when they extended head coach Brent Venables, adding two more years to his contract that will now keep him in Norman through the 2031 season. With a couple of 10-win seasons under his belt and coming off of a College Football Playoff appearance, Venables has a lot of momentum heading into the 2026 season.
Though he’s had some success, Venables will always feel like there’s something to prove. With the start of the season right around the corner, former Colorado, Washington, and UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel is on board with Venables ahead of what could be a big year in Norman for the Sooners’ head coach.
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“Before coming to the SEC, they won five straight Big 12 titles,” Neuheisel said. “They are a championship-pedigreed team, and Brent Venables is certainly a championship-pedigreed coach, having been the defensive coordinator at Clemson for a couple of national titles. I don’t worry about the defense. Venables has put himself back in charge. That will be rock solid.”
Venables has been a part of three national championship teams as a defensive coordinator and even more conference championships. Though he hasn’t reached those heights in Norman yet, he’s had success when the pieces came together in 2023 and 2025.
Under Venables, the Oklahoma Sooners are expected to have one of the best defenses in college football once again. There will be new challenges when they take on quarterbacks they didn’t see last year, such as Gunnar Stockton, Marcel Reed, Austin Simmons, Kenny Minchey, and Kamario Taylor. But Oklahoma has the talent at all three levels to be disruptive against even the best offenses.
“What you worry about is the offense,” Neuheisel continued. “John Mateer got a little dinged up last year. He’s got to be healthy. They went for over 400 yards against Michigan in that victory in Norman; they didn’t go for 400 in any game in the SEC. That’s got to change. Ben Arbuckle has got to learn a couple new tricks, and we’ll find out early as they go to Ann Arbor in week two.”
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Mateer is back healthy and will have a bit more help on offense with an improved offensive line, wide receiver and tight end corps, and what should be an improved running game. Those road trips to Ann Arbor and Athens in the first four weeks will certainly provide difficult challenges, along with the Red River Showdown in Week 6, but the Oklahoma offense will be better equipped for the challenges that lie in wait this season.
Oklahoma made the College Football Playoff with an offense that ranked No. 79 in the nation in scoring, No. 92 in total offense, and No. 113 in rushing offense. They were a 10-win team with that offense and they’ll have a better offense this year.
