Oklahoma Sooners Practice Report

It's December, 15. OU last played a game in November. It's been sixteen days since the Sooners hit someone else. As a rematch with Alabama approaches, the Sooners are back hard at work on the practice field. Media got a few minutes to view practice this evening and we saw John Mateer throwing without any wrap on his hand. We saw R Mason Thomas look about as full go as anyone else. We saw Jovantae Barnes running through drills like a player preparing to play. But this week is about getting ready to play a football game. Getting guys healthy and teaching players that skills like ball security can go away without playing football against another team. It's also about the mental gymnastics of playing another team for the second time in a month. So much to get through on today's massively packed Practice Report. Oh, and the Sooners have their first national award winner since 2018. Lou Groza Award winner Tate Sandell.

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The Sooners started media festivities on Sunday as the first round of the College Football Playoffs kickoff in Norman on Friday night. So today is basically Monday. We talked with Owen Heinecke, Taylor Wein, Isaiah Sategna and Febechi Nwaiwu. Is Heinecke returning for 2026? The Sooners know Alabama is pissed and they're coming after losing to Georgia badly in the SEC Championship game. Eddie and George are here to break down all the best from Sunday's media availability.

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The Sooners are still ramping things up for Alabama as they haven't quite gotten into full game week practices. But they did meet with the media Wednesday night to talk about their College Football Playoff first round matchup with Alabama. These are two teams that are starting to not like each other very much and OU players know it. They are expecting things to get a little chippy out there next Friday night. The Sooners were well represented on the All-SEC team, but the players certainly felt some of their teammates were snubbed. Kobie McKinzie certainly felt that way about the linebacker group and Peyton Bowen had a lot of names he felt were left off the list. But Tate Sandell being mentioned SEC Special Teams Player of the Year and a Lou Groza finalist is something he's very proud of. Players talk about their impressive kicker.

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Jim Nagy and the Sooners new front office close their first recruiting cycle. Was Oklahoma's late season success enough to gain some late momentum? Was the front office and coaching staff able to recruit in unison? Will Miguel Chavis adopt a new player?...or be adopted? Hear from Nagy and Venables as Oklahoma closes on a cycle built by evaluation, not stars.

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John Mateer and Ben Arbuckle talk about working together to improve this offense. While Isaiah Sategna has been a big target for John Mateer, could Javonnie Gibson be a player who is starting to emerge? Finally? Maybe? Gracen Halton and Damonic Williams have been a huge part of OU's dominant defense this season. But could be playing their final games on Owen Field. For Williams, his time at Oklahoma couldn't have gone better. And it's safe to say with the offense having reliability issues, the special teams have been a big difference between wins and losses in 2025. And what's this s*** about Mateer and green bean casserole???!!

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What is the identity of this OU offense heading into the final regular season game? And what's the update with the running back position that has become so thin lately? The Sooners will play the first half against LSU without Reggie Powers on the bench. Brent Venables talks about that as well as handling redshirt requests from players in the age of NIL. Venables also talks about the power of having a great staff.

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As Oklahoma gets set to play a stingy Missouri team at 11am on Saturday in Norman, the Sooners are seeing their names listed in the College Football Playoff as they move up to the No. 8 ranking. How does Brent Venables handle the CFP talk? How do players and Ben Arbuckle handle it? Taboo or out in the open? We also talk to players about their mentality heading into the home stretch with a playoff birth on the line. And the turnover bug is sweeping Sooner Nation but in a good way. The defense has been forcing turnovers and changing games. We ask where it all got started.

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The offense has clearly improved under Ben Arbuckle and John Mateer. But comparing this offense to 2024's offense is an extreme example of judging on a curve. The running back room is either banged up or not available. The vertical threat in the receiving game hasn't been there since Mateer's hand surgery. This offense does appear to have an offensive line to operate behind. But the explosiveness, the threat this offense presents? It's not really there. In our first William & Lauren practice report of Missouri week, coaches and players talk about getting this offense moving forward as they know it's needed to make a run into the postseason.

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It was an eventful day that started out at the Board of Regents meeting in OKC. The Sooners are getting ready to renovate the west side of GFOMS. Joe Castiglione and Joe Harroz both spoke about the massive undertaking and what that could mean for OU fans already with seats on that side of the stadium. But we're really here for Alabama and OU football's road trip to Tuscaloosa this weekend. OU is undefeated in true road games this season. And after last week's win at Tennessee, everyone is excited about the prospects of doing it again this week at Alabama. We spoke with several players this week about the road dog mentality and the improvements being made on offense.

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As the Sooners get set for another huge road test at Alabama, those surrounding OU football are wondering if this team is improving at a pace that can compete and even win in Tuscaloosa. John Mateer is clearly healthier than he's been since his hand surgery. The offensive line and run game seem to be coming together. And the defense continues to be the bright spot of this team showing depth and playmakers all over the field. Does the bye week make this team even healthier and more dangerous for the Crimson Tide. We have a lot to go over in this week's William & Lauren Practice Report.

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