The Sooners have developed a lot of players on the defensive side of the ball under Brent Venables. Kendal Daniels has been a great example of a portal player coming in and fitting right in with the team and with Venables' defense. We hear from Daniels and Jayden Jackson about their views of the OU locker room, the culture inside the program and having teammates that lead and hold each other up. Ben Arbuckle and John Mateer talk about what Brent Venables has helped build at Oklahoma as well and what they've learned about their head coach since arriving during the offseason. Is Venables a tough guy to work for? And what type of a boss is he? Our Carey Murdock asked him about that this week. A deep dive into the OU program, how it works and what has worked to get the Sooners to the College Football Playoff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's December, 15. OU last played a game in November. It's been sixteen days since the Sooners hit someone else. As a rematch with Alabama approaches, the Sooners are back hard at work on the practice field. Media got a few minutes to view practice this evening and we saw John Mateer throwing without any wrap on his hand. We saw R Mason Thomas look about as full go as anyone else. We saw Jovantae Barnes running through drills like a player preparing to play. But this week is about getting ready to play a football game. Getting guys healthy and teaching players that skills like ball security can go away without playing football against another team. It's also about the mental gymnastics of playing another team for the second time in a month. So much to get through on today's massively packed Practice Report. Oh, and the Sooners have their first national award winner since 2018. Lou Groza Award winner Tate Sandell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Sooners started media festivities on Sunday as the first round of the College Football Playoffs kickoff in Norman on Friday night. So today is basically Monday. We talked with Owen Heinecke, Taylor Wein, Isaiah Sategna and Febechi Nwaiwu. Is Heinecke returning for 2026? The Sooners know Alabama is pissed and they're coming after losing to Georgia badly in the SEC Championship game. Eddie and George are here to break down all the best from Sunday's media availability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Sooners are still ramping things up for Alabama as they haven't quite gotten into full game week practices. But they did meet with the media Wednesday night to talk about their College Football Playoff first round matchup with Alabama. These are two teams that are starting to not like each other very much and OU players know it. They are expecting things to get a little chippy out there next Friday night. The Sooners were well represented on the All-SEC team, but the players certainly felt some of their teammates were snubbed. Kobie McKinzie certainly felt that way about the linebacker group and Peyton Bowen had a lot of names he felt were left off the list. But Tate Sandell being mentioned SEC Special Teams Player of the Year and a Lou Groza finalist is something he's very proud of. Players talk about their impressive kicker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Nagy and the Sooners new front office close their first recruiting cycle. Was Oklahoma's late season success enough to gain some late momentum? Was the front office and coaching staff able to recruit in unison? Will Miguel Chavis adopt a new player?...or be adopted? Hear from Nagy and Venables as Oklahoma closes on a cycle built by evaluation, not stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Mateer and Ben Arbuckle talk about working together to improve this offense. While Isaiah Sategna has been a big target for John Mateer, could Javonnie Gibson be a player who is starting to emerge? Finally? Maybe? Gracen Halton and Damonic Williams have been a huge part of OU's dominant defense this season. But could be playing their final games on Owen Field. For Williams, his time at Oklahoma couldn't have gone better. And it's safe to say with the offense having reliability issues, the special teams have been a big difference between wins and losses in 2025. And what's this s*** about Mateer and green bean casserole???!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the identity of this OU offense heading into the final regular season game? And what's the update with the running back position that has become so thin lately? The Sooners will play the first half against LSU without Reggie Powers on the bench. Brent Venables talks about that as well as handling redshirt requests from players in the age of NIL. Venables also talks about the power of having a great staff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Oklahoma gets set to play a stingy Missouri team at 11am on Saturday in Norman, the Sooners are seeing their names listed in the College Football Playoff as they move up to the No. 8 ranking. How does Brent Venables handle the CFP talk? How do players and Ben Arbuckle handle it? Taboo or out in the open? We also talk to players about their mentality heading into the home stretch with a playoff birth on the line. And the turnover bug is sweeping Sooner Nation but in a good way. The defense has been forcing turnovers and changing games. We ask where it all got started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The offense has clearly improved under Ben Arbuckle and John Mateer. But comparing this offense to 2024's offense is an extreme example of judging on a curve. The running back room is either banged up or not available. The vertical threat in the receiving game hasn't been there since Mateer's hand surgery. This offense does appear to have an offensive line to operate behind. But the explosiveness, the threat this offense presents? It's not really there. In our first William & Lauren practice report of Missouri week, coaches and players talk about getting this offense moving forward as they know it's needed to make a run into the postseason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was an eventful day that started out at the Board of Regents meeting in OKC. The Sooners are getting ready to renovate the west side of GFOMS. Joe Castiglione and Joe Harroz both spoke about the massive undertaking and what that could mean for OU fans already with seats on that side of the stadium. But we're really here for Alabama and OU football's road trip to Tuscaloosa this weekend. OU is undefeated in true road games this season. And after last week's win at Tennessee, everyone is excited about the prospects of doing it again this week at Alabama. We spoke with several players this week about the road dog mentality and the improvements being made on offense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Sooners get set for another huge road test at Alabama, those surrounding OU football are wondering if this team is improving at a pace that can compete and even win in Tuscaloosa. John Mateer is clearly healthier than he's been since his hand surgery. The offensive line and run game seem to be coming together. And the defense continues to be the bright spot of this team showing depth and playmakers all over the field. Does the bye week make this team even healthier and more dangerous for the Crimson Tide. We have a lot to go over in this week's William & Lauren Practice Report. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our final Practice Report of the bye week we take a look at some of the good things that are happening inside the OU football program as they begin their critical stretch run. Kobie McKinzie missed the Tennessee game. But Owen Heinecke was there to step up and even earned SEC Player of the Week honors. And that offensive line continues to come together even though they are insanely young. And Eddy Pierre-Louis has been a big part of this resurgence on the offensive line. We spoke with "EPL" this week as well as Brent Venables and his teammates like Michael Fasusi on how important his play and his energy have been for the line. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a bye week, and as happened during the first bye week of the season, Brent Venables held an interview inside Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Venables talked about his thoughts on the first college football rankings and how the Sooners are handling a second bye week. Venables' likes the double bye weeks? The offensive line performance with so many young faces was also something Venables was happy to talk about following the Sooners first practice since the Tennessee game. And the rest should be good for John Mateer as well, who looked very good in the second half against Tennessee. He'll need to have another big performance if the Sooners hope to upset Alabama in nearly two weeks in Tuscaloosa. So his rest, recovery and healing is paramount. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the second half against Tennessee, you may have noticed the Sooners looked like an offense everyone thought they could have this season. John Mateer had his most productive outing since he had his hand surgery. He also regained his form as a powerful and dynamic runner. Xavier Robinson also is starting to shine at the running back position. But it's the young offensive line that might be one of the biggest reasons the offense seems to be gaining it's footing. Two true freshman at tackle? Sophomore Eddie Pierre-Louis at guard? That's not going to be easy. And it hasn't been, but now it's starting to look like it should. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Tennessee approaches, Ben Arbuckle continues to work to get his offense and John Mateer on track. The offensive line also got a big boost when true freshman Ryan Fodje played well as a member of the starting offensive line last week against Ole Miss. But if the Sooners don't clean up major mistakes in special teams and penalties, this season will enter a desperate mode heading down the home stretch. None of this is easy, but the Sooners have to find a way to stop making it harder than it needs to be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The last three weeks have not been the greatest for John Mateer since his return from hand surgery. Whether it's identifying receivers, struggling with accuracy or making plays with his legs, Mateer hasn't looked the same as he did early in the season. As the Sooners get set for another major SEC battle with Tennessee this weekend, Mateer, Arbuckle and head coach Brent Venables talked about the issues facing this OU offense. This program is looking for a turnaround with a brutal four-game slate to finish the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer talked openly about his recovery from hand surgery this week, including how he manages his rehab and his ability to throw the football as he continues to get more and more healthy. As Mateer continues to get better, he's also starting to rebuild his relationship on the field with Javonnie Gibson, who was a bigger part of the gameplan Saturday against South Carolina. And it appears Xavier Robinson is finally starting to separate from the pack behind Tory Blaylock as the Sooners continue their efforts to build a running game on offense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first practice report of a huge week starts on defense as Brent Venables and Reggie Powers talk about the Cheetah position and why it is playing so well. And what does the future hold for Kendal Dolby? Is he looking to redshirt? Or even transfer? The OU run game has John Mateer smiling after they racked up over 170 yards against South Carolina. It's also been a great season for Tate Sandell as OU's placekicker up to this point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Sooners get ready to take on South Carolina following an emotional loss to rival Texas, Brent Venables has a message for his team: There's still a lot left to play for. At 5-1, the Sooners have the toughest stretch in front of them on the 2025 schedule. First off, the Sooners need to get healthy on the offensive line and there were positive updates in that area early in the week. The defensive is looking for a bounce back performance after giving up more rushing yards than normal against the Longhorns. And the future of Jayden Gibson at Oklahoma has finally been determined. It's the Oklahoma Sooners Practice Report. It's time to move on to South Carolina. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Oklahoma gets set to take on South Carolina, Brent Venables finds himself in a social media war with the Big 12 Conference. But around here, more people are concerned with the lack of run game being displayed by the OU offense. And as this team heads on the road in the SEC, these games are often one score games. Is the running game going to continue holding OU back from being on top of those one score games? Or will they start to figure this thing out. Oh, and the health of the offensive line is also something we'll be paying close attention to this week. And how is John Mateer bouncing back this week after a tough performance against the Longhorns? Is he healthy yet? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices