16powers.com takes a look at each SEC team’s biggest strength and biggest weakness heading into the 2026 season. In this segment we’ll look at the Oklahoma Sooners.
Oklahoma Sooners
Biggest Strength — Defense
Oklahoma’s defense is unquestionably its greatest strength. Brent Venables has finally built the kind of unit people expected when the longtime defensive coordinator became the Sooners’ head coach. Oklahoma finished fourth nationally in defensive SP+ last season, and PFF enters 2026 describing the defense as elite. Defensive tackle David Stone anchors the front, while the Sooners also possess one of PFF’s five highest-rated linebacker units. Oklahoma’s combination of speed, physicality and scheme makes life miserable for quarterbacks, and the defense proved capable of directly deciding games in 2025. Defensive touchdowns were crucial in victories over Tennessee and Alabama. That kind of scoring isn’t sustainable, but the underlying defensive quality certainly is. Oklahoma should enter virtually every game knowing its defense can keep the Sooners within striking distance.
Biggest Weakness — Offensive Consistency
The Sooners’ biggest weakness remains the offense. Oklahoma reached the playoff last season despite ranking only 51st in offensive SP+, and the offense was often dependent upon the defense creating short fields or scoring itself. Quarterback John Mateer’s hand injury contributed to his struggles, and his ability to return to his early-2025 form will heavily influence Oklahoma’s ceiling. The running game also must become more dependable. An elite defense can carry a team a long way, but asking it to repeatedly win low-scoring games against SEC opponents is dangerous. Oklahoma doesn’t need a top-five offense; even becoming consistently good would dramatically change the Sooners’ championship prospects. If Mateer protects the football and the offense converts more opportunities created by the defense, Oklahoma becomes a legitimate SEC contender. Until that happens, however, offense remains the obvious limitation.