The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545685
THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 123 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Oklahoma is in run-it-back mode head- ing into the 2026 season, with the 16th- most returning production in the FBS, per ESPN, plus some reinforcements from the transfer portal such as former Michigan linebacker Cole Sullivan, who posted 44 tackles, 5 TFL, 3 interceptions and 2 sacks for the Wolverines in 2025. Head coach Brent Venables broke through with a College Football Playoff berth in 2025, going 10-3 overall, earning the No. 8 seed and losing a home game to Alabama in the first round. Now that the Sooners got a taste of the playoff, they have their sights set even higher. The Oklahoma defense, which will be called by Venables for a second consecutive season, should be elite again. The Sooners finished No. 6 in the nation in total defense (272.5 yards allowed per game) and seventh in scoring defense (15.5 points surrendered a contest) a year ago. There are stars at all three levels, begin- ning up front with 6-foot-4, 266-pound redshirt junior end Taylor Wein, a second- team All-SEC performer. He recorded 39 tackles, including 15 for loss and 7 sacks, along with 1 interception last year. Junior defensive tackle David Stone, a mammoth at 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, had 42 tackles with 8 for loss and 1.5 sacks. No team aver- aged more sacks (3.5) and tackles for loss (9.4) per contest last season, and the Soon- ers look like they'll be disruptive again. As is the way of college football in 2026, a court case was consequential for Okla- homa. Redshirt senior linebacker Owen Heinecke was granted a preliminary in- junction that gave him an extra year of eligibility in 2026, so he and classmate Kip Lewis are two returning starters on the second level of the defense. Those were the team's two leading tacklers last season, Lewis with 76 and Heinecke with 74. Another second- team All-SEC pick, senior safety Peyton Bowen is one of the best defensive backs in America, and he's one of three returning starters in the second- ary. He's appeared in 39 career games with 20 starts, posting 117 tackles and 2 inter- ceptions. Last year, he tied atop the team with 7 pass breakups. The offense must take a big step for- ward in its second season under Ben Ar- buckle. That starts with establishing a run game, which was almost nonexistent last fall, with the Sooners ranking 118th nation- ally with 3.6 yards per carry and 113th with 118.5 yards per game. The top three rushers are back — sophomore running back Tory Blaylock (480 yards, 4 TD), redshirt senior quarterback John Mateer (431 yards, 8 TD) and junior tailback Xavier Robinson (421 yards, 4 TD) — along with three starting offensive linemen, so that's a start. The 6-foot-1, 224-pound Mateer was electric behind center in the 24-13 win over Michigan in Week 2, but that was as good as it got for the Sooners. A hand injury hin- dered him, but his decision-making and overall development didn't live up to ex- pectations. It's time for him to take a jump forward in his second season in the SEC and fourth with Arbuckle as his coordina- tor and position coach (two at Washington State). The Little Elm, Texas, native con- verted on 62.2 percent of his passes for 2,885 yards and 14 touch- downs with 11 inter- ceptions in 2025. His yards per attempt were down from 9 at WSU in 2024 to 7.3 last year. The top offensive weapon is redshirt senior Isaiah Sat- egna III, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound slot re- ceiver who led the S o o n e r s w i t h 67 catches, 965 yards and 8 touchdowns a year ago, after transfer- ring in from Arkan- sas. Redshirt sophomore Parker Living- stone transferred in from rival Texas, a big pickup, after he made 29 grabs for 516 yards and 6 scores last fall. Oklahoma even has its starting kicker, redshirt senior Tate Sandell, and punter, redshirt senior Grayson Miller, returning. Sandell was first-team All-SEC in 2025, making 24 of his 27 field goals with a 55- yard long. ❑ Oklahoma Building Off CFP Berth Redshirt senior linebacker Owen Heinecke (No. 38) was a second-team All-SEC selec- tion by the Associated Press in 2025. PHOTO COURTESY OKLAHOMA ATHLETICS 2026 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2025 Result Sept. 5 UTEP — Sept. 12 at Michigan W, 24-13 Sept. 19 NEW MEXICO — Sept. 26 at Georgia — Oct. 10 TEXAS L, 23-6 Oct. 17 KENTUCKY — Oct. 24 at Mississippi State — Oct. 31 SOUTH CAROLINA W, 26-7 Nov. 7 at Florida — Nov. 14 OLE MISS L, 34-26 Nov. 21 TEXAS A&M — Nov. 28 at Missouri W, 17-6 REASONS FOR OPTIMISM • Elite defense • 12 returning starters • John Mateer's potential If quarterback John Mateer and the of- fense take the next step, the Sooners could definitely make it back to the CFP. REASONS FOR CONCERN • Mateer's development • Offensive line struggles • Losing seven draft picks Oklahoma has talent returning, but a lot of those pieces on offense have to prove they can take this team to the next level. GAME 2 • OKLAHOMA SOONERS • SEPT. 12 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Oklahoma leads 2-0 First Meeting: OU 14, U-M 6 (Jan. 1, 1976 in Miami) Last Meeting: OU 24, U-M 13 (Sept. 6, 2025, in Norman, Okla.) Head Coach: Brent Venables (32-20 at OU and overall) 2025 In Review: 10-3 overall, 6-2 SEC Final 2025 Ranking: No. 13 AP, No. 10 coaches Returning Starters: 6 (1 offense, 4 de- fense, 1 specialist) Last Bowl/Playoff Appearance: 2025 (first round vs. Alabama, L 34-24) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: John Mateer (2,885 yards, 14 TD) Rushing: Tory Blaylock (480 yards, 4 TD) Receiving: Isaiah Sategna III (965 yards, 8 TD) Tackles: Kip Lewis (76) Sacks: Taylor Wein (7) Interceptions: Eli Bowen, Peyton Bowen, Jacobe Johnson (2)