Oklahoma emphasized improving around quarterback John Mateer.Head coach Brent Venables and general manager Jim Nagy combined to scour the transfer portal, landing a handful of key additions, and the college football world took notice. “I think it’s the best receiving corps that Venables has put on the field in his four years,” Phil Steele, the author of Phil Steele’s College Football Preview, said in an interview on The Franchise Morning Show. “You look at (Isaiah) Sategna coming back, adding in a Parker Livingstone coming in from Texas, Trell Harris coming in from Virginia; those are a couple of key pickups there.”ICYMI: @philsteele042 joined @Eddie_Rado and @_RyanChapman to talk College Football! #CFB #SECFootball https://t.co/klDBHGV1Gj— The Franchise Sports (@FranchiseOK) July 9, 2026Harris earned All-ACC Third Team honors a year ago after catching 59 passes for 847 yards and five scores. Livingstone, who stands 6-foot-3, caught 29 passes for 516 yards and six scores a year ago for the Longhorns.OU also added a trio of experienced tight ends — Hayden Hansen, Rocky Beers and Jack Van Dorselaer — with the hope of making gains both through the air and on the ground. The rushing attack, which was hampered by injuries to running backs Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock last year, must get better, but Steele is buying into seeing growth up front for the Sooners. “The offensive line has been injury-plagued the last couple of years. But I love Bill Bedenbaugh,” Steele said. “I think he’s one of the best offensive line coaches out there. And if he can keep this group healthy, then I think they’ll have an improved o-line. So overall, with a healthy John Mateer, I’m looking for an improved offense with Oklahoma.”The Sooners ranked 92nd in total offense last year, averaging 354.3 yards per game, and OU finished 113th in rushing offense, averaging 118.5 yards per game. But Oklahoma was able to lean on Venables’ elite defense and excellent special teams play in the regular season to finish 10-2 and earn a bid to the College Football Playoff. The Sooners raced out to a 17-0 lead over Alabama in the CFP contest in Norman before the Crimson Tide came roaring back, but any offensive improvement will be a welcome development for an OU team that is expected to be stout again on defense. “For me, they should be just as good as last year’s defense,” Steele said. “In fact, I rated them the number three defense in the country coming in. They do lose some key players up front. “… But I love David Stone inside. I think they’ve got one of the best linebacking corps in the country, one of the top secondaries in the country. And the defensive line, which I had rated number one in the country last year, I only rate them number three this year. So really good there. … They are complete.”Oklahoma will open the 2026 season at home on Sept. 4 against UTEP. Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow