Historically, teams that leave the Big 12 Conference have had a hard time finding regular success in their new, displaced homes. In 2024, the Oklahoma Sooners were the most recent football program to figure that out the hard way.
As if Texas’ recent ascent back to the top of the sport wasn’t hard enough to watch, Oklahoma fans have had to stomach two 6-7 seasons in the past three years, and last year’s squad was far from competitive in a few games.
OU’s offense was historically bad, and could barely stay on the field for more than a few plays at a time for major stretches of the year.
The folks in Norman have reason to believe that there could be a significant difference in 2025, though, as the Sooners have made some of the biggest offensive portal additions in the country.
Among a host of newcomers along the offensive line and in the wide receiver room, Oklahoma made significant changes at quarterback and running back, with John Mateer (Washington State) and Jaydn Ott (Cal) set to take point this season.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), that combination gives OU one of the best QB/RB duos in the country.
Both Mateer and Ott were among the most sought-after players at their position in this cycle. In his first year as a starter, Mateer threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns (7 INT), while also running for another 826 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
Meanwhile, Ott spent most of the 2024 season hobbled by a lingering ankle injury, but don’t let that fool you. Ott is one of the most productive players returning to college football in 2025, with 3,460 all-purpose yards and 30 touchdowns over his first three seasons.Â
If Oklahoma gets even 75% of that production from those guys in 2025, the Sooners offense should be plenty good to keep them in the SEC title hunt. It’s been an up-and-down tenure for Brent Venables in Norman, but if his program strikes gold with these two portal additions, it could be the best team we’ve seen for him yet.
