Oklahoma coach Brent Venables led the Sooners back to the College Football Playoff after a commendable 10-2 record during the regular season. The Sooners boasted one of the best defenses in college football, earning a PFSN College Defense Impact score of 95.8, the third best in the country.
The Sooners are getting a lot of offseason hype as possible SEC championship game contenders after returning several core players, including quarterback John Mateer, wide receiver Isaiah Sategna, and linebacker Kip Lewis.
Brent Venables Reveals Oklahoma’s Championship Ambitions
While speaking to reporters on Tuesday after spring practice, Venables revealed the qualities that made the returning players pivotal to his team while detailing the Sooners’ championship-winning ambition next season.
“Huge. Experienced players that have played at elite level sometimes,” Venables said. “Isaiah (Sategna) might be my most favorite football player on our team. I love Isaiah, the competitive spirit, the way that he trains, his durability. He shows up every day with the right kind of mindset to compete and selfless in every way.”
“I love watching Kip play on game day. His focus and why to come back was great wisdom, his motives are pure and one of the most disruptive linebackers in college football that’s invested in this program. He wants to help us improve and compete for a national championship.”
Sategna tallied 965 receiving yards on 67 receptions, resulting in 8 touchdowns, while Lewis managed 38 solo tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 forced fumble for the Sooners last season.
Josh Pate Predicts Oklahoma Resurgence Next Season
During Monday’s segment of the “Josh Pate College Football Show,” analyst Josh Pate predicted that the returning Sooners stars will make them a better team next season than they were the last.
“What about Oklahoma? Teams that should have been better last year, but they couldn’t run the ball, so they didn’t maximize their potential,” Pate said. “John Mateer is back at quarterback. Lots of competing theories last year about how good he can be. I’ve got two top tailbacks returning here, defense is always gonna be good ’cause it’s Brent Venables.”
Pate added, “Four or five offensive linemen being back, I just gotta have them being better. Because 113th rushing, is not good enough. That’s what will teach me of the ultimate ceiling of this team. I don’t wanna talk about them as if they went 6-6, they went to the playoff. The problem was, they were a one-story house and you needed to be 2-3 stories to win.”
The Sooners will face a tricky slate next season, including road games against the Michigan Wolverines, Georgia Bulldogs, and Florida Gators, a neutral-site matchup against the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, and home games against the Ole Miss Rebels and Texas A&M Aggies.
