Three Underrated Retentions for Oklahoma’s Offense That Will Pay Dividends

The Sooners brought in plenty of new talent to bolster the offense, but Brent Venables and general manager Jim Nagy also kept key pieces in Norman.

Oklahoma returns quarterback John Mateer and receiver Isaiah Sategna to lead the charge, but OU also retained pieces that flew under the radar but could prove to be big moves later this fall.

Guard Heath Ozaeta

Oklahoma Sooners, Heath Ozaeta — Oklahoma offensive guard Heath Ozaeta waits before starting a drill at one of the Sooners' practices. | Ryan Chapman / Sooners on SI

The emergence of Eddy Pierre-Louis meant that Heath Ozaeta was going to have to battle his way back into the starting lineup when he returned to full health.

Febechi Nwaiwu and Derek Simmons’ departures meant that there were some holes in the offensive line rotation, but Bill Bedenbaugh and Nagy worked quickly to land E’Marion Harris from Arkansas to start at right tackle.

Pierre-Louis and Ryan Fodje may well win the jobs to start at guard this fall, but keeping Ozaeta in Norman guarantees that the Sooners have three options who have played meaningful snaps in the SEC alongside center Jake Maikkula.

Injuries have disrupted the offensive line plenty over the past two years, illustrating that you can never have too much depth up front in the SEC.

Wide Receiver Jer’Michael Carter

Oklahoma Sooners, Jer'Michael Carter — Oklahoma wide receiver Jer'Michael Carter catches a pass against Alabama in the CFP. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Jer’Michael Carter’s 2025 contributions may not look like much.

He caught nine passes for 101 yards, but Carter needed some time to break into the rotation.

The 6-foot-2 receiver was a post-sprint transfer portal addition, meaning he was playing catch-up throughout fall camp to learn Ben Arbuckle’s offense and get on the same page as Mateer.

Carter became a player that Mateer was comfortable looking to on third downs in November, however, and while the Sooners’ frontline will consist of Sategna and Virginia transfer Trell Harris and Texas transfer Parker Livingstone, Carter has an opportunity to earn more snaps in the rotation from the beginning of the 2026 season to give Emmett Jones depth throughout the position group.

Quarterback Whitt Newbauer

Oklahoma Sooners, Whitt Newbauer — Oklahoma quarterback Whitt Newbauer looks across the defense before taking a snap during practice. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

The goal is for Mateer to stay healthy all year, relegating Whitt Newbauer to meaningless snaps at the end of blowouts.

But keeping Newbauer around serves a few purposes.

First, it gives the Sooners a backup quarterback who has already spent a year in the system working with Arbuckle. That means Newbauer is familiar with the scheme and with how Arbuckle likes things to be run, so he can quickly be brought up to speed if he’s thrust into the middle of a game.

But Newbauer’s presence also allows the coaching staff to bring freshman Bowe Bentley along at his own pace.

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If Bentley is ready to compete for the backup job by the end of fall camp, that is great news for the player that Arbuckle hopes will be able to take over once Mateer’s career is done with the Sooners.

If Bentley is still working through the highs and lows of a freshman season, however, Newbauer’s presence affords Bentley all the time in the world to learn and grow, as Newbauer can draw on his experience starting games as a freshman at Mercer to serve as Mateer’s backup.

It’s a bit of retention that the Sooners hope is never needed, but if called upon, it could make a huge difference for OU this fall.

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