The 2025-26 College Football Playoff has arrived, and with it, the question on everyone's mind is: What's next for the Oklahoma Sooners? After Friday night's elimination, the Sooners find themselves at a crossroads, with a lot of uncertainty looming over their future. But here's where it gets intriguing...
The Sooners' biggest question mark moving forward is their offense. Oklahoma made significant investments in their offensive lineup after the 2024 season, adding quarterback John Mateer, coordinator Ben Arbuckle, and wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III. However, the unit needs to show sustained improvement, or advancing in the CFP will become increasingly difficult. The offense struggled during the stretch run, even in wins against Alabama, Missouri, and LSU. If not for their superb defense and special teams, the Sooners would have missed the CFP for a fifth consecutive season.
Recruiting outlook: The Sooners are poised to add ESPN's 16th-ranked recruiting class in 2026, led by five-star defensive end Jake Kreul, a technically advanced edge rusher from Florida. They also secured intriguing offensive additions, including running back Jonathan Hatton Jr. and wide receiver Jayden Petit. Additionally, dual-threat passer Bowe Bentley, ESPN's No. 2, is a potential quarterback for the Sooners when he joins the program in January.
The biggest portal priority for the Sooners is to surround their QB1 with more premium help on offense. With Mateer potentially returning, the team will look to add proven starters at tight end and wide receiver to complement their returning playmakers. Linebackers could also emerge as a major need if certain players enter the draft and if Owen Heinecke can't get an NCAA waiver for an extra year.
Under-the-radar offseason priority: Oklahoma should focus on bringing back a significant portion of its depth chart on offense for 2026. However, the team could always use more experience on the line. They will lose key players like Febechi Nwaiwu and Derek Simmons, and need to invest in returning players such as Michael Fasusi, who started all but three games at left tackle as a freshman. The Sooners also need playmakers for Mateer, as wide receiver Deion Burks and tight end Jaren Kanak move on, and Sategna, a fourth-year junior, is a candidate to leave for the NFL draft.
2026 prediction: Oklahoma showed they could hold up in a challenging SEC schedule and earn a CFP spot, albeit short-lived. With the personnel picture continuing to improve in Norman, the Sooners should bring back enough to be in the CFP mix again. However, there are significant questions about an offense that stalled out too often, and will be challenged early next season with Georgia, Texas, and Michigan all within the first five games. Another 10-win season is possible, but I'll say 9-3 for Oklahoma and very much on the CFP bubble.
