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Oklahoma to Bat Leadoff at SEC Media Days

The Sooners will help kick off the conference's yearly event in Tampa in July.
Ryan Chapman|
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables talks with the media at 2025 SEC Media Days in Atlanta.
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables talks with the media at 2025 SEC Media Days in Atlanta. | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

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Oklahoma Sooners

The schedule is set for SEC Media Days.

Oklahoma will bat leadoff when the entire conference descends upon Tampa, Fla., in July.

The Sooners will participate on the first day of the event, with Brent Venables and his players scheduled to share the stage with Kentucky's Will Stein, Missouri's Eliah Drinkwitz and Tennessee's Josh Heupel on July 20.

SEC players, coaches and fans will book out Tampa from July 20-23.

Georgia's Kirby Smart will be joined by South Carolina's Shane Beamer, Vanderbilt's Clark Lea and Auburn's Alex Golesh on July 21.

The third day, July 22, will consist of Alabama's Kalen DeBoer, Florida's Jon Sumrall, Ole Miss' Pete Golding and Texas A&M's Mike Elko.

LSU coach Lane Kiffin will close the event on July 23 alongside Steve Sarkisian and Texas, Mississippi State's Jeff Lebby and Arkansas' Ryan Silverfield.

Coaches are generally flanked by four players at SEC Media Days, as each program rolls through the car wash consisting of local and national media, ESPN and the SEC Network.

Last year, the Sooners took the stage at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, and Dallas hosted the event in OU and Texas' inaugural season in the conference.

Venables is hoping to build on a resurgent 2025 campaign that saw Oklahoma return to the College Football Playoff and participate in the 12-team model of the CFP for the first time.

The Sooners finished the regular season at 10-2 overall and 6-2 in SEC play before falling to Alabama at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in the CFP.

OU returns familiar faces on both sides of the ball, who will likely be candidates to join Venables to represent the Sooners in Tampa.

Quarterback John Mateer is back for his second year in Norman, as is last year's leading receiver Isaiah Sategna.

On the other side of the ball, linebacker Kip Lewis, who led the team in tackles in 2025, returns alongside breakout star Taylor Wein.

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The defensive end totaled 15 tackles for loss, which led the team, as well as seven sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and 39 total tackles.

Defensive tackles Jayden Jackson and David Stone are also back after emerging as leaders on the Oklahoma defensive line, as are projected starters Courtland Guillory, Eli Bowen and Peyton Bowen in the OU secondary.

Before turning their attention to the summer, the Sooners will first be back on the field on April 18 for the 2026 Spring Game.

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is co-publisher at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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