Tate Sandell Starred on Special Teams for Oklahoma, Helping Fuel OU's CFP Return

With Oklahoma’s 2025 season fully in the rearview, Sooners on SI is handing out position-by-position grades for every area of the team, continuing today with the special teams.

Doug Deakin’s special teams unit played a key role in some of Oklahoma’s best moments in 2025.

Transfer kicker Tate Sandell quickly became a fan favorite, and he earned the program’s first Lou Groza Award.

Punter Grayson Miller started the season as the backup, but he stepped up after an injury and ended the year as one of the country’s best punters, though he did endure a tough moment in the biggest game of the season.

Isaiah Sategna added to his already fantastic offensive season by delivering explosive punt returns, including a crucial return in the regular season victory over the Crimson Tide.

In total, the group mostly complemented OU’s lights-out defense to help the Sooners win the field position battle throughout the season.

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It took just two games for Sandell to show everyone on the Oklahoma sideline that he’s a true weapon.

He made 24-of-27 field goal attempts, hitting 24-straight kicks after he missed his first attempt as a Sooner, and his range was a game-changer for the OU offense.

Sandell went 8-for-9 from 50 yards or longer, and his longest kick of the year was a 55-yarder.

He nailed three kicks of longer than 50 yards in OU’s victory over Tennessee, and he hit a 50-yarder in each of the Sooners’ contests with Alabama.

Because of Sandell, John Mateer and the Oklahoma offense only ever had to get to the 35-yard line to feel as if the team was in Sandell territory.

Miller transferred to Norman from UCO, and despite losing the starting kicking battle in fall camp, he finished 13th in the FBS in average distance per punt (45.85 yards).

Unfortunately, a Miller error helped Alabama flip the College Football Playoff contest in Norman.

With the Sooners up 17-7, Miller missed the ball on a punt, which allowed the Crimson Tide to block the kick and start with fantastic field position.

Oklahoma’s defense held tight to limit the damage from the mistake on the scoreboard to just a field goal, but momentum had already begun to turn at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, and the Sooners struggled to get it back.

On the punt return team, Sategna finished the season 11th in the FBS in average return yardage. He averaged 13.2 yards per return on 24 attempts.

His first return of the game against Alabama in the regular season went nearly 50 yards to set OU’s offense up for a field goal to take an early lead, which was perhaps his most impactful punt return.

Sategna also had one bad moment, a fumble against Ole Miss, which proved costly in one of the Sooners’ other two losses.

Oklahoma did allow Texas punt returner Ryan Niblett to house a punt return in the Cotton Bowl, though later coach Brent Venables said the SEC had acknowledged a missed penalty on the return that would have negated the play.

All told, OU’s special teams played a huge role in a number of wins, but miscues loomed large in each of Oklahoma’s three losses in 2025.

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Special Teams Grade: B+