They said the SEC was gonna make Oklahoma better. But it didn’t elevate the Sooners—it straight up Bautista Powerbombed ’em. What was supposed to be a power move turned into a public execution. That 6–7 record in 2024? It wasn’t a pothole. It was a whole ditch. Meanwhile, the Longhorns had a pretty smooth transition into the SEC, unlike Brent Venables‘ Sooners. But just when folks thought the Sooners were out for the count, Brent Venables might be cooking something in 2025. And it starts with two new faces that got the fanbase buzzing: QB John Mateer and RB Jaydn Ott.
Oklahoma insiders Jay Smith and John Williams hopped on the Locked on Sooners podcast on May 9, and let’s just say, they aren’t hiding the optimism. Smith called it how he sees it: “Oklahoma is going to always be a program that people are going to want to have interest in. It has brand power.” But this ain’t just about legacy talk. Smith didn’t mince words when he doubled down: “We brought in a lot of talent. Now we just need to see it mesh. And the way it sounds based upon these spring practices, a lot of meshing has been happening.” Translation? The Sooners aren’t pulling up to the 2025 party empty-handed.
Last year, the defense held its own, only giving up 21 points a game. Solid. But the offense? That unit was somewhere in the 120s. You know how bad you gotta be to hit those numbers with a top-tier D? Bad bad. But Coach Venables knew the script had to flip. Being a defense-first guy, he knows that he had to prioritize offense as well. He did the best thing possible he could do: Snatch John Mateer (led the nation in most total touchdowns in 2024) and his OC, Ben Arbuckle, out of Wazzu. And this wasn’t some random pickup. Arbuckle and John Mateer are like Batman and Alfred. Arbuckle knows the plan, and John knows how to execute. No wonder he cooked in the 2024 season.
And then Brent Venables pulled Jaydn Ott, who led the Pac-12 in rushing yards in 2023 with 1,315. That’s no fluke—Injury aside. The man’s a baller. Jay Smith didn’t hold back when talking about the O-line either. “If Mateer and Jaydn Ott and this offensive line are now healthy and actually has a two-deep, they show up—we’re good.”
Let’s keep it real. The 2024 offensive line was a mash unit. The trenches were dropping like flies. But in 2025? It’s looking like a whole army. Troy Everett returns, better under Bill Bedenbaugh’s guidance. Derrick Simmons and Heath Ozaeta add beef up front. Freshman Eddy Pierre-Louis and 5-star Michael Fasusi? They are already throwing folks around like lawn chairs. Not going to lie, that’s some quality depth. That’s what builds real SEC-ready units.
Let’s not forget the weapons around Mateer. JaVonnie Gibson, an FCS All-American in 2024, and Purdue transfer Deion Burks are expected to be his go-to guys. That’s speed and hands. Combine that with a rebuilt line and a workhorse in Ott? That’s not just competent. That’s dangerous.
Look, Brent Venables’ biggest Ops? Same as last season, minus offense. The schedule. The Sooners’ 2025 schedule looks like something out of Saw. Football gods showed zero mercy. Vegas already saw the setup. Win total projection? 6.3. That’s cold. Strength of schedule rating? 0.771. That’s some King Von type downright evil.
Joel Klatt keeps it real about Sooners and their diabolical schedule
FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt isn’t the type to sugarcoat things. He’s seen enough football to smell smoke before the fire. And when he looked at Oklahoma’s 2025 slate, he didn’t even blink: “Terrible,” he said on his podcast. “Brutal.”
Klatt might’ve barely squeezed the Sooners into his post-spring Top 25, but that came with a big old warning label. He said, “A lot of people up until this point have overlooked Oklahoma in this process, but I’m not going to do that… Here’s the hard part for Oklahoma and you Sooner fans, you know this. The schedule is still absolutely rigid.”
He’s not exaggerating. Week 2? They host Michigan. Then it gets nasty: Texas, at South Carolina, Ole Miss, at Tennessee, bye week (finally), then back at it with Alabama, Missouri, and LSU. That’s a schedule designed by a supervillain. All these teams have a 9+ win season in 2024 and are potentially competing for the playoffs. Even Klatt admitted, “There’s not many easy games in that conference. And this Oklahoma schedule is evidence of that.”
Now let’s add some spice: while Oklahoma’s getting beat down by the SEC’s best, Texas is out here on vacation. Again. In both 2024 and 2025, the Longhorns dodged most of the conference’s heavy hitters. Only Georgia shows up to the party (And got whooped twice by Georgia in a season). That’s not scheduling—that’s witness protection. So yeah, when fans cry foul over conference balance, it ain’t paranoia—it’s pattern recognition.
Still, Klatt sees reason for hope. He pointed at the new offensive direction: “They got in Ben Arbuckle and he brought his quarterback… that will help them, there’s no doubt.” And on the other side of the ball, Brent’s back in his bag. “Venables goes back to calling the defense, which is obviously what his forte was at Clemson when they were winning national championships,” Klatt said.
That shift matters. Oklahoma’s D was one of the few bright spots in 2024. With Venables back pulling the strings, that unit should only level up. The real question is whether Arbuckle and Mateer can engineer an offense that matches that energy. And more importantly: Can they stay healthy enough to even try?
So, Oklahoma’s margin for error in 2025 is razor thin. The schedule’s a monster. The expectations are sky high. But if Mateer and Ott hit the ground running, and Venables gets that defense humming again? This team punches way above Vegas’ 6.3 win forecast.
Smith said it best: “There’s no reason at all for us to not have one of those massive seasons and everybody’s like, ‘Oh, you know, Oklahoma has surprised us…’ Nah, don’t say that mess. We knew the team had a good roster.”
That’s the energy in Norman. No more excuses.
The post John Mateer & Jaydn Ott Trigger Oklahoma Insider’s Strong Verdict for Brent Venables After Joel Klatt’s ‘Brutal’ Warning appeared first on EssentiallySports.
