Oklahoma Sneaks Into Sports Illustrated's Preseason Top 25

The Sooners landed in Sports Illustrated's Preseason Top 25 poll ahead of a massive year for OU head coach Brent Venables.

Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables greets fans at the Crimson Combine. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma snuck into SI.com’s Preseason Top 25.

The Sooners were rated as the No. 25 team in the country entering the year by Bryan Fischer as Brent Venables enters a make-or-break year in Norman.

“It would not be a surprise if Oklahoma became one of the most improved teams in the country simply as a result of having an offense that goes from atrocious to slightly above mediocre,” Fischer wrote about the Sooners. “The SEC slate is always difficult, but the overall talent level is better in what promises to be a 2025 season that will go a long way in determining whether Venables’s massive buyout gets paid in December or not.”

Venables posted his second losing season in three years at Oklahoma in 2024.

The hire of Seth Littrell at offensive coordinator proved to be an atrocious decision, and had the Sooners not upset then-No. 7 Alabama in Norman, Venables would have snapped OU’s bowl streak. 

Instead, the Sooners lost to Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl after Jackson Arnold entered the transfer portal, which left the starting job for the bowl game in the hands of Michael Hawkins Jr. 

There is plenty of optimism that this year will be different for OU’s offense. 

Venables hired Ben Arbuckle, the 29-year-old offensive guru, from Washington State. 

Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle coaches quarterback John Mateer during the Crimson Combine. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

In the weeks that followed the hire, John Mateer eventually entered the portal himself and followed Arbuckle to take over at quarterback in Norman. 

Oklahoma brought in a slew of wide receivers, and new general manager Jim Nagy added former California running back Jaydn Ott in the spring transfer portal window to give the Sooners plenty of shiny new toys on the offensive side of the ball. 

Defensively, the Sooners will have to replace key contributors at every level. 

Linebacker Danny Stutsman and safety Billy Bowman were drafted by NFC South rivals, with Stutsman in New Orleans and Bowman in Atlanta, and defensive linemen Ethan Downs and Da’Jon Terry both graduated at the end of the season. 

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Linebackers Kobie McKinzie and Sammy Omosigho are poised to try and replace Stutsman, while a healthy Peyton Bowen has a chance to return to form at safety alongside Robert Spears-Jennings in 2025.

R Mason Thomas is expected to have another big year at defensive end, and the Sooners hope Adepoju Adebawore or Danny Okoye can emerge as a running partner across from Thomas. 

Still, the Sooners have one of the toughest schedules in the country this fall. 

Oklahoma was picked to finish 10th by credentialed media members at SEC Media Days last week, and the Sooners only had three representatives on the All-SEC preseason teams. 

Thomas and Ott were voted to the All-SEC second team, while long snapper Ben Anderson was voted to the All-SEC third team.