West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast

By Lee and Grant BensonSports

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West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast episodes

July 27 Ep. 426 - OU Has 3 Future NFL Tight Ends?
Ep. 426 - OU Has 3 Future NFL Tight Ends?
SEC Media Days have come and gone, and one of the most interesting comments of the week came from Sooners general manager Jim Nagy. Does OU really have three tight ends on the roster who will be playing on Sundays?
Lee and Grant also react to Brent Venables’ correctly acknowledging OU’s flaws from 2025 and mentioning that nine offensive linemen can play winning football. The guys answer listener questions about the effectiveness of Tory Blaylock, and whether their opinions have changed on Brent Venables.
Later, Brady Trantham of Oklahoma Sooners on SI and Through the Keyhole joins the show to give his boots-on-the-ground perspective from SEC Media Days in Tampa. Brady discusses what actually mattered from Media Days, Brent Venables’ confidence in the tight end room, Oklahoma’s offensive questions, Trell Harris, the difficulty of adjusting to the SEC, Greg Sankey’s comments about the future of college football, the possibility of the SEC and Big Ten reshaping the sport, and more!
Chapters/Timecodes
00:00 — Opening Take – Jim Nagy’s Bold Claim at SEC Media Days
06:50 — Could OU really have three future NFL tight ends?
10:12 — Can better tight ends actually fix Oklahoma’s run game?
19:26 — Brent Venables correctly identifies OU’s biggest 2025 problems
21:41 — Receiver room changes and Trell Harris questions
25:14 — Venables says OU has nine offensive linemen who can play winning football
25:32 — Who are Oklahoma’s offensive line depth pieces?
28:36 — Listener question: Why does Grant not like Tory Blaylock?
35:33 — Listener question: Has your view of Brent Venables changed?
42:48 — Brady Trantham joins the show to talk SEC Media Days
48:49 — Brent Venables’ confidence in OU’s tight end room
01:03:36 — Greg Sankey, OU hate watching, and what a SEC breakaway looks like
01:06:33 — The case for a 35-to-45 team highest level of college football
01:13:03 — Bedlam, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and the future “big boy table”
01:15:31 — Is college football trying to grow like the NFL or NBA?
01:17:48 — Why the Big 12 did not make Oklahoma better for the playoff
01:25:04 — Mid-majors, expensive football and who belongs in a playoff
01:28:55 — Could some programs eventually stop playing major football?
01:33:26 — OU’s Big 12 years, playoff failures and defensive depth issues
01:38:06 — Why beating bad Big 12 teams became an unhealthy fan experience
01:42:04 — Why a softer league can hide flaws
01:43:47 — SEC Preseason Poll and no defensive players on First Team All-SEC
Subscribe to the West of Everest YouTube channel
Follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and please leave a five-star rating and review if you enjoy the podcast.
Follow West of Everest on X, Instagram and Facebook.
1 hr 51 min
July 20 Ep. 425 - OU Football Breakouts, Red Flags, and SEC Predictions
Ep. 425 - OU Football Breakouts, Red Flags, and SEC Predictions
Lee and Grant open with a look at OU’s second-year players heading into the 2026 season. Which young Sooners will contribute, and which players will disappoint?
Lee and Grant also discuss Oklahoma’s SEC Media Days representatives — John Mateer, Eddie Pierre-Louis and Taylor Wein — and whether there is any real meaning behind who Brent Venables chose to bring to Tampa.
Then the guys finish their SEC team-by-team predictions ahead of SEC Media Days. This episode covers Florida, Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Mississippi State, LSU and Texas.
The show closes with Lee and Grant unveiling their full predicted SEC order of finish, SEC Championship Game picks and SEC champion predictions.
Chapters/Timecodes
00:00 — Welcome. Lee’s sunburn advice
02:15 — Which second-year Sooners could contribute in 2026?
06:32 — Lee picks Darius Afalava as a possible offensive contributor
09:15 — Why Oklahoma’s offensive high school recruiting track record is concerning
12:24 — Omarion Robinson and Trent Wilson as obvious defensive breakout options
17:36 — Marcus James, high school recruiting and the modern transfer portal era
22:02 — Nigel Smith and whether 2026 is his make-or-break year
24:51 — Lee picks Elijah Thomas as a possible offensive non-factor
27:03 — Grant’s concerns about Emmett Jones and wide receiver development
30:45 — J.J. Hester’s strange Kentucky stat line
33:47 — John Mateer, Eddie Pierre-Louis and Taylor Wein heading to Tampa
41:54 — The Athletic’s All-SEC team and Kip Lewis being left off
43:17 — Lee’s Florida breakdown: John Sumrall, Buster Faulkner, Aaron Philo and Jadan Baugh
45:35 — Grant agrees on Florida going 7-5
47:18 — Florida’s skill talent and offensive line concerns
48:43 — Could Florida have the worst quarterback situation in the SEC?
51:25 — Grant predicts Alabama at 9-3
55:36 — Could Kalen DeBoer struggle with the Alabama culture fit?
56:32 — Ole Miss prediction. Crossfire here.
01:02:15 — Texas A&M prediction
01:02:54 — Grant’s hesitation with the Aggies and Marcel Reed
01:07:34 — Arkansas prediction
01:09:16 — Mississippi State prediction
01:11:40 — LSU prediction. Grant’s skeptical, but still high on LSU.
01:14:54 — Lee predicts LSU at 11-1
01:17:40 — Lee’s hopefully wrong Texas prediction
01:20:09 — Texas red flags: offensive line, Arch Manning and portal questions
01:22:47 — Full SEC predicted order of finish
01:23:34 — Grant’s Oklahoma prediction in the SEC standings
01:24:21 — Georgia as the default SEC champion pick, Lee’s surprise teams
01:26:39 — Most confident and least confident SEC predictions
01:27:54 — Grant’s Oklahoma uncertainty: SEC champion or 6-6?
01:28:50 — Bonus World Cup and soccer talk
01:31:59 — Why the U.S. still lags behind elite soccer countries
01:35:43 — Soccer popularity, money and American sports culture
Follow West of Everest
Subscribe to the West of Everest YouTube channel for full episodes, clips and Shorts. Follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and please leave a five-star rating and review if you enjoy the podcast.
Follow West of Everest on X, Instagram and Facebook.
#OklahomaFootball #OUFootball #Sooners #CollegeFootball #SECfootball #SECMediaDays #WestOfEverest
1 hr 42 min
July 12 Ep. 424 - The Weird 2025 OU Defense Stat You Probably Forgot About
Lee and Grant open the show by digging into OU’s strange takeaway numbers from last year and talk about why 2025 was a major outlier in Brent Venables' career.
The guys also discuss Parker Thune’s observation about Oklahoma’s projected defensive starters being almost entirely recruited and developed by OU, and what that says about the defensive staff under Venables.
Later, the guys make predictions for half of the SEC, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Auburn, South Carolina, Georgia, Vanderbilt and OU.
Chapters/Timecodes
00:00 — Opening Take -- Oklahoma’s bizarre 2025 takeaway numbers
05:04 — Revisiting the takeaway discussion from Through the Keyhole
14:23 — What would be a satisfying takeaway total for Oklahoma in 2026?
17:32 — Parker Thune’s tweet about OU’s projected defensive starters
21:26 — Why OU’s defensive trajectory under Venables still has room to grow 27:16 — Running back development concerns and offensive staff questions
30:17 — Brent Venables vs. Lincoln Riley: defensive head coach vs. offensive head coach 32:05 — What OU needs to show against UTEP in the season opener
38:26 — SEC Media Days setup and preseason prediction format
42:37 — Kentucky season prediction
51:57 — Tennessee season prediction
54:02 — Lee’s concern about Tennessee and a possible late-season collapse
58:18 — Missouri season prediction
01:03:27 — Auburn season prediction
01:07:34 — South Carolina season prediction
01:10:16 — Grant predicts trouble for South Carolina
01:11:20 — Georgia season prediction 01:14:37 — Vanderbilt season prediction is a crossfire
01:17:48 — Oklahoma season prediction (we reserve the right to change this)
01:26:34 — Big 12 media days and conference realignment discussion
01:29:33 — SEC vs. Big Ten, ESPN/FPI criticism and media narratives
01:34:08 — How to compare SEC and Big Ten depth
Follow West of Everest
Subscribe to the West of Everest YouTube channel for full episodes, clips and Shorts. Follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and please leave a five-star rating and review if you enjoy the podcast.
Follow West of Everest on X, Instagram and Facebook.
#sooners #oklahomafootball #oufootball #sec #secfootball #collegefootball #cfb #georgiafootball #kentuckyfootball #vanderbiltfootball
1 hr 37 min
July 06 Ep. 423 - EVERYONE is Talking About John Mateer
John Mateer has been the talk of the college football world for the last 6-9 days.
Lee and Grant discuss Mateer’s viral offseason moments and the recent reports about his thumb injury, throwing motion, mechanics, and offseason work to become a better passer.
Plus the guys talk about OU moving its 2026 season opener against UTEP to Friday night, the NCAA’s proposed five-year eligibility model, and a few corrections from last week’s episode!
We save some World Cup talk for the end if that interests you.
Chapters/Timecodes
00:00 — Opening Take -- John Mateer’s big week: viral squat video, Manning Passing Academy and throwing mechanics
06:16 — Show correction: 31 personnel vs. 13 personnel
07:19 — Lee and Grant reintroduce themselves to new YouTube viewers
10:07 — West of Everest’s role in the OU football podcast ecosystem
12:29 — Grant’s reaction to all the John Mateer offseason attention
14:52 — Mateer’s viral front squat video and Manning Passing Academy look
19:50 — Breaking down Mateer’s throwing motion and release
20:08 — Why Mateer still looks like a natural three-quarter arm passer
21:15 — Comparing pre-injury and post-injury Mateer
24:01 — Watching Mateer’s Oklahoma debut against Illinois State
24:45 — Mateer’s arm angle, release style and natural throwing motion
25:03 — Mateer’s arm strength and the Josh Allen comparison
25:49 — Why changing quarterback mechanics takes time and thousands of reps
28:15 — Evaluating recent Manning Passing Academy clips
31:09 — Reviewing more Mateer throws from Manning Passing Academy
36:41 — Oklahoma’s 2026 season opener against UTEP moves to Friday night
37:02 — Roger Denny’s statement on the Friday night opener
37:51 — Why the Friday opener gives OU an extra day before Michigan
41:04 — Looking back at OU’s previous Friday night opener against Temple
41:20 — Why West of Everest sounded the alarm early on the 2024 OU offense
43:25 — Comparing the Temple opener to Mateer’s Illinois State debut
44:33 — What elite Oklahoma offenses used to look like against overmatched opponents
45:58 — NCAA’s proposed five-year eligibility model
47:06 — How the new age-based eligibility clock would work
48:33 — Why the proposed model could change redshirts and record books
52:52 — Can the NCAA actually enforce new eligibility rules after recent lawsuits?
54:02 — Collective bargaining, unions and the future of college athlete rules
57:02 — Show corrections segment begins
57:52 — Revisiting the Kip Lewis linebacker discussion
01:00:00 — Curtis Lofton correction: best OU linebacker since Rufus Alexander?
01:01:16 — Minnesota football and paying players in the 1980s
01:04:29 — Happy Fourth of July and World Cup talk
01:04:48 — Why the USMNT in the World Cup still feels like a big deal
01:06:02 — Folarin Balogun, red cards and FIFA decision-making
01:10:19 — Soccer replay debate: slow motion, red cards and rule interpretation
01:13:01 — Comparing replay in soccer to replay in football
01:16:17 — Should red cards punish intent, danger or outcome?
01:22:41 — What soccer might look like with a few rule tweaks
01:25:19 — Closing thoughts and where to follow West of Everest

Follow West of Everest
Subscribe to the West of Everest YouTube channel for full episodes, clips and Shorts. Follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and please leave a five-star rating and review if you enjoy the podcast.
Follow West of Everest on X, Instagram and Facebook.
#OklahomaFootball #OUFootball #Sooners #JohnMateer #CollegeFootball #WestOfEverest
1 hr 27 min
June 29 Ep. 422 - OU's Defense Underrated? Plus John Mateer Would You Rather
The guys are back for a full summer reset as the 2026 college football season gets closer.
The guys start with the three most interesting things about OU football in 2026, including whether Brent Venables’ Oklahoma defense can be even better this season, why the Sooners may be underrated nationally, the importance of John Mateer taking a step forward, and what to make of Oklahoma’s difficult SEC schedule.
Then, Lee and Grant play a John Mateer “Would You Rather” quarterback game, comparing Oklahoma’s QB to several major names around college football, including Arch Manning, CJ Carr, Marcel Reed, Darian Mensah, Gunnar Stockton, Rocco Becht, Connor Weigman, Kevin Jennings, Sam Leavitt and more.
Later, the guys hit on Owen Heinecke’s preliminary injunction before diving into the wild Brendan Sorsby gambling/NCAA/Texas Tech/Big 12 situation, what it says about NCAA enforcement power, and why courts are becoming such a major part of modern college football.
The episode wraps with thoughts on OU baseball winning the national championship and how the Sooners got hot at the perfect time.
West of Everest is an Oklahoma football podcast hosted by Lee Benson and Grant Benson.
Chapters / Timecodes
00:00 — Intro: West of Everest is back
04:50 — Ratings, reviews, and growing the show
05:30 — Top 3 most interesting things about OU football in 2026
06:00 — Why OU’s defense may be underrated nationally
10:00 — David Stone, Kip Lewis, Owen Heinecke and Oklahoma’s defensive ceiling
11:20 — Comparing Brent Venables’ OU defense to his Clemson defenses
15:35 — OU player ratings, David Stone hype, and Kip Lewis appreciation
21:00 — John Mateer, Ben Arbuckle and Oklahoma’s offensive continuity
23:00 — Running back room concerns: Xavier Robinson, Tory Blaylock, Lloyd Avant and Deland McCullough
27:10 — Can tight ends really fix Oklahoma’s run game?
28:25 — Oklahoma’s 2026 win total and brutal SEC schedule
30:35 — Michigan, Georgia, Texas and OU’s season-defining early stretch
35:15 — John Mateer “Would You Rather” quarterback game begins
37:30 — John Mateer or Connor Weigman?
39:35 — John Mateer or Kevin Jennings?
41:10 — John Mateer or CJ Carr?
43:30 — John Mateer or Josh Hoover?
46:40 — John Mateer or Marcel Reed?
48:15 — John Mateer or Sam Leavitt?
51:10 — John Mateer or Darian Mensah?
57:00 — John Mateer or Gunnar Stockton?
59:30 — John Mateer or Rocco Becht?
01:01:10 — John Mateer or Arch Manning?
01:03:55 — Notable other QBs around the nation
01:11:00 — Brady Trantham’s wild OU rushing stat
01:13:00 — Owen Heinecke preliminary injunction discussion
01:14:15 — The UNC Charlotte example that may have helped Heinecke’s case
01:17:40 — Grant’s view: Heinecke was probably always getting the injunction
01:18:40 — Brendan Sorsby discussion begins
01:19:45 — Sorsby timeline: gambling investigation, NCAA ruling, injunction and Big 12 response
01:21:50 — NFL Supplemental Draft and CFL fallout for Sorsby
01:23:00 — Courts, NCAA rules and the “toothless NCAA” debate
01:45:20 — New NCAA eligibility rule lawsuits and where this could be headed
01:46:35 — OU baseball wins the national championship
01:47:40 — How OU baseball got hot at the perfect time
01:51:50 — OU baseball’s title as a potential curse-breaker
01:54:35 — Closing: follow West of Everest on YouTube, X, Instagram and Facebook
1 hr 57 min
April 12 Ep. 421 - The People* vs. Owen Heinecke
Lee and Grant are back after nearly 2 months off to discuss Owen Heinecke's legal action against the NCAA*. The Benson bros go over the twists and turns in the saga since they last recorded. But first, they go over major storylines in the OU Football universe since the last show. The Sooners have a new RB coach! John Mateer is changing his throwing motion! And oh yeah - Spring practice is nearly over and the Spring Game is randomly back. Come hang out with us for 2 hours. 145 days until UTEP...

Subscribe to the show on YouTube: @WestofEverest | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter/X: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter/X: @LeeBensonTweets
2 hr 1 min
February 16 Ep. 420 - The Kansas City Chiefs Solve Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray Problem
Lee and Grant are back to discuss the goings on in the world of OU Football in the last month. DeMarco Murray is no longer the most overpaid coach in college football, as the Chiefs do Oklahoma a huge solid. Jay Valai has been poached by the Buffalo Bills, and OU has a new Athletic Director. In the second half of the show - Lee and Grant have the most in-depth and honest discussion on the Owen Heinecke eligibility controversy that you will hear on the inter-webs. It is appointment listening if you want to understand the NCAA's decision. 201 days until UTEP...

Subscribe to the show on YouTube: @WestofEverest | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter/X: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter/X: @LeeBensonTweets
1 hr 48 min
January 22 Ep. 419 - The 2025 College Football Season is Over
Lee and Grant are back to talk about the end of the 2025 college football season. Indiana has won a National Championship in tackle football, Curt Cignetti is the master of the universe, and Lee & Grant want to talk about DeMarco Murray and his failure in the RB room. But first, we put a wrap on OU's portal season and talk in-depth about Owen Heinecke's situation with the NCAA. 226 days until UTEP...

Subscribe to the show on YouTube: @WestofEverest | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter/X: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter/X: @LeeBensonTweets
1 hr 52 min
January 11 Ep. 418 - Has Portal Combat Produced a Sooner Flawless Victory?
Lee and Grant are back after a CFP-exit hiatus to discuss the goings on in the College Football Transfer Portal. OU has received 11 commits in the portal thus far, and Lee and Grant are going to rank their impact from 1 to 11. They also go over each of the 29 portal defections to tell you whether it's a big deal or not. All that, plus thoughts on new TE coach Jason Witten, the offensive coaching staff as a whole, and they give their pick for the National Championship game. Grant really despises Miami.

Subscribe to the show on YouTube: @WestofEverest | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter/X: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter/X: @LeeBensonTweets
2 hr 8 min
December 21, 2025 Ep. 417 - Sooners' Season Ends in CFP with 2nd Quarter Implosion
Lee and Grant are back to discuss OU's very difficult home loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Come on in and let's all be miserable together. The sun will (hopefully) come out tomorrow.

Subscribe to the show on YouTube: @WestofEverest | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter/X: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter/X: @LeeBensonTweets
1 hr 49 min