The Oklahoma Sooners are heading into the 2026 season with sky-high expectations, and it looks like the national media is starting to take notice. After a productive spring practice, USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg dropped his comprehensive rankings of all 138 FBS teams, and the Sooners find themselves in a prime position.
Myerberg slots Oklahoma as the No. 7 team in the country, making them the third-highest ranked team in the SEC behind only Texas (No. 3) and Georgia (No. 4). That's some serious company, but the Sooners have the talent to back it up. The SEC is as deep as ever, with eight teams landing in Myerberg's top 20, including Texas A&M (No. 9), Alabama (No. 12), Ole Miss (No. 13), LSU (No. 16), and Tennessee (No. 18). Oklahoma's 2026 schedule is no cakewalk either—they'll face five teams from that top 20: Texas, Georgia, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Michigan (No. 20).
Head coach Brent Venables is entering his fifth season in Norman, and he's got plenty of reasons to be optimistic. On offense, the return of coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer provides stability and firepower. The running game is in good hands with Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock back, while Isaiah Sategna III leads a talented receiver corps. The offensive line also looks strong, with four returning starters—Michael Fasusi, Eddy Pierre-Louis, Jake Maikkula, and Ryan Fodje—plus a key portal addition in E'Marion Harris.
The Sooners didn't stop there in the transfer portal. They added three tight ends—Hayden Hansen, Rocky Beers, and Jack Van Dorselaer—to revamp that position group, along with wide receivers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone to stretch the field.
Defensively, Venables will be calling the plays again, and he's got a solid foundation to work with. Jayden Jackson, David Stone, and Taylor Wein are expected to anchor the unit, giving Oklahoma a balanced squad that could make some serious noise in the SEC and beyond.
With a mix of returning talent, smart portal additions, and a proven coaching staff, the Sooners are shaping up to be a force in 2026. Whether they can live up to that No. 7 ranking will depend on how they handle that brutal schedule, but one thing's for sure: Oklahoma is ready to compete.