Oklahoma Lands in Middle of the Pack in SEC Preseason Poll

Oklahoma has a chance to exceed expectations yet again in 2026.

The Sooners landed at seventh in the Southeastern Conference preseason poll, as voted on by media members who attended conference media days.

A year ago, OU was picked to finish 10th in the league, but the Sooners went 6-2 in conference play, including a pair of massive regular-season road victories over Tennessee and Alabama, to return to the College Football Playoff.

Oklahoma lost key pieces off its defense, but the Sooners are still flush with talent.

Defensive linemen David Stone and Taylor Wein were selected to the Preseason All-SEC Second Team alongside linebacker Kip Lewis and defensive backs Peyton Bowen and Eli Bowen.

Lewis led OU with 76 tackles last year, including 10.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. Stone led the defensive line with 42 tackles and he added eight tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and six quarterback hurries while Wein totaled 39 tackles, including 15 tackles for loss, seven sacks and six quarterback hurries.

Eli Bowen earned All-SEC Third Team honors a year ago, and Peyton Bowen was a 2025 All-SEC Second Team selection.

The defensive stars were joined by teammates on the Second Team in receiver Isaiah Sategna and sophomore offensive lineman Michael Fasusi.

Sategna earned All-SEC Second Team honors from the league’s coaches last year after catching 68 passes for 965 yards and eight touchdowns. Fasusi started 10 games of his 11 games at left tackle as a true freshman.

Kicker Tate Sandell was voted to the All-SEC First Team after winning the Lou Groza Award last year, and longsnapper Ben Anderson also earned first-team honors. Punter Grayson Miller was picked to the second team.

Sandell set OU and single-season SEC records in consecutive made field goals (24) last year. He hit eight field goals of 50 yards or more, and his 16 makes of field goals of 40 yards or more set school records.

Anderson earned second-team All-SEC recognition last year, and Miller was the first-team selection by both the coaches and the media last year after averaging 44.4 yards on his 59 punts. He booted 24 punts more than 50 yards last year, which set a single-season program record.

Preseason Media All-@SEC 🏆

» https://t.co/es8dSEXgSq pic.twitter.com/SXho3VuMYs
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) July 24, 2026

Oklahoma trailed Georgia, which was picked to win the SEC in the poll, Texas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, LSU and Alabama in the preseason poll, though two voters did pick the Sooners to win the conference.

Tennessee checked in at eighth, followed by Florida, Missouri, South Carolina, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Arkansas.

OU will battle the preseason favorites, Georgia and Texas, in its first two conference games of the season.

After the trip between the hedges and to the Cotton Bowl, OU will host Kentucky and first-year head coach Will Stein before traveling to Starkville to battle former offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Oklahoma will see another former assistant, South Carolina’s Shane Beamer, on Halloween in Norman.

The schedule picks back up in November.

OU will travel to The Swamp to battle Florida on Nov. 7 before hosting Ole Miss and Texas A&M, who both made the CFP last year, in Norman.

Brent Venables’ team will close the year on the road at Missouri.

The Sooners will kick off the 2026 season in Norman on Friday, Sept. 4 against UTEP before traveling to take on Michigan on Sept. 12. OU will conclude its non-conference slate on Sept. 19 against New Mexico before opening SEC play in Georgia.

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