Oklahoma Sooners Practice Report

We had a chance to catch up with OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle Monday evening to talk in-depth about the state of the offense at the start of spring practices. The receiving room has a much different look to it with additions in the portal and young players starting to step up. The run game has been a big point of emphasis and Arbuckle addresses his approach to improving the offense and the other members of the staff that he works with to improve the physical nature of the offense heading into 2026. Kicking ass is becoming a common theme early in camp. We also talk about the early play of freshman quarterback Bowe Bentley as well as several other aspects of the offense, which include a physical group of running backs.

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We spoke over the weekend with John Kuceyeski, OU quarterbacks coach who has been working with John Mateer for the last three years. And we definitely got down to the nuts and bolts of Mateer's season last year, his throwing motion, his injury and what he and Mateer are working on during spring practices. We also talk about the evolution of Ben Arbuckle at offensive coordinator as Brent Venables is demanding a stronger running game out of the offense in 2026. On top of speaking with Kuceyeski, we speak with Special Teams Coordinator Doug Deakin about the lack of kick returns last season and whether or not there is a true punting competition going on in spring camp. Lots of details about the latest from camp on this edition of the Practice Report.

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Thursday was the first day we had a chance to speak with Brent Venables about the players since spring football practices started at the University of Oklahoma. Brent talked a lot about the wide receiver room which has been revamped with the additions of Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone. But he also sees a lot of promise in returning youngsters and former transfers. Nigel Smith is also making a lot of noise on the defensive line as he talked about his transformation physically in order to handle moving from rush end to the interior line. James Nesta is a man of few words, but Venables has been happy with his progress as the linebackers can use some depth while they await word whether Owen Heinecke will be able to return to the team. And Michael Fasusi is looking to take that next step and become one of the most dominant offensive tackles in the SEC. Hear from everyone involved in a player centric Practice Report to take you into the weekend.

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OU football held it's second sports practice today at the stadium and SoonerScoop.com was there to speak with players and head coach Brent Venables. Venables spoke with the media for 20 minutes and talked about some key players who were sitting out the early practices as well as his impressions of guys making big leaps so far this spring. One of those players is Nigel Smith at defensive tackle. But Venables had another notable player at the position who is new to the program. Venables was asked about the absence of Owen Heinecke as he fights to regain eligibility, as well as the emergence of others at the LB position. And on offense, Venables has demanded more from the running game. During OU's first practice, Venables spent most of his time during our viewing session with the offense and making his way from group to group. He talked about the mindset of establishing physicality on the offensive side of the ball this spring. And a lot of that starts with the tight end room, which Venables talked about today as well. Eddie and George bring you all the best moments from Venables' meeting with the media on Thursday.

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The Sooners held their first spring practice for 2026 on Wednesday and the Scoop crew was there to take in an hour of practice. Eddie and George sit down with some of their impressions from day one. We also got to talk to John Mateer about his offseason and what he's been working on for 2026. Guess what? It's his throwing motion. Mateer talks about the changes in his receiving corps as well as the tight end room and what it's like having Jason Witten on the coaching staff. We also talk with Kip Lewis about coming back and what the decision was like. Taylor Wein talks about replacing key pieces and expecting to be even better on defense. It's the start of SoonerScoop's marathon spring football coverage!

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We had a chance to catch up with all newcomers during OU football's spring media day that week and that included true freshman. Come along with us as we catch up with a player who could potentially be John Mateer's backup this season, freshman Bowe Bentley. The Sooners want to start developing the next wave of players at linebacker and we catch up with freshmen linebackers Beau Jandreau, Jacob Curry and Dane Bathurst. There is a new line of young receivers in the program and they look impressive, either physically or athletically. Meet freshmen Jahsiear Rogers and Jayden Petit. And finally, Jake Kreul looks to become that next freak on the edge for Miguel Chavis as we hear him talk about his love for Oklahoma and desire to develop in Norman.

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In the last portal session, the Sooners struck early and landed a nice class. There weren't a lot of fireworks down the stretch, but as spring football gets set to begin, it's clear the Sooners did a lot of work that needed to be done. We've already talked about the tight end room being rebuilt. But the receivers around Isaiah Sategna were key as well. We talk with some of the new faces about their roles in OU's offense moving forward. The Sooners also needed immediate help at linebacker with the departures of Kobie McKenzie and Sammy Omosigo along with Owen Heinecke not being granted an extra year of eligibility. We also catch up with E'Marion Harris about his quick decision to come to OU as a player that should make an immediate impact on the offensive line. The Practice Report! Back at ya.

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In the day of the portal, spring football means a lot. Especially when a football program like Oklahoma has major changes in their staff. The Sooners bring in Jason Witten to take over a rebuilt tight end room. Witten and his tight ends talk about the relationship they have started building. How much excitement is there for some players who signed with Oklahoma before Witten was even hired? Deland McCullough takes over a running back room that already had a legend in charge in DeMarco Murray. How does he take over for a group that was expecting to be playing for a coach with a similar pedigree to Witten? And LaMar Morgan talks about taking the job at Oklahoma and how instrumental Brent Venables was in recruiting him to be his next cornerbacks coach after Jay Valai left to become an NFL coach.

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It's been a long but productive day as OU football held it's own pre-spring media day with all the new players on campus, new assistant coaches along with Jim Nagy and Brent Venables taking the podium. We were impressed in our time with Jason Witten, the new tight ends coach at Oklahoma. And so is Brent Venables and the entire staff that has spent more time with him. Brent Venables talked a lot about the growth of John Mateer during the offseason and Jim Nagy addressed the upgrades at the receiver position during the portal period. Jim Nagy and Brent Venables have spent a year together as they work to get this program back on top. Hear from Nagy and Venables on how their relationship has progressed. Eddie and George hop in studio to breakdown the biggest takeaways from Venables, Nagy and Witten from Monday.

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The Sooners have developed a lot of players on the defensive side of the ball under Brent Venables. Kendal Daniels has been a great example of a portal player coming in and fitting right in with the team and with Venables' defense. We hear from Daniels and Jayden Jackson about their views of the OU locker room, the culture inside the program and having teammates that lead and hold each other up. Ben Arbuckle and John Mateer talk about what Brent Venables has helped build at Oklahoma as well and what they've learned about their head coach since arriving during the offseason. Is Venables a tough guy to work for? And what type of a boss is he? Our Carey Murdock asked him about that this week. A deep dive into the OU program, how it works and what has worked to get the Sooners to the College Football Playoff.

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