Jason Witten could ultimately end up being the Oklahoma Sooners' offensive coordinator of the future, but as of now, Brent Venables not only still needs to find a replacement at OC for 2027, but also a new starting quarterback.
Less than two years after bringing in Ben Arbuckle and John Mateer as a package deal from Washington State to immediately revitalize OU's offense, Arbuckle has already been fired, and Mateer's job has been in jeopardy all season. Even if Mateer turns things around, he'll still be out of eligibility after this season, and with no proven quarterback left on the roster, the Sooners will be on the hunt for an OC and QB1 this offseason.
Yes, it obviously didn't work out the last time that Venables shopped for a 2-for-1 bargain, but it was likely the issues with Arbuckle and Mateer, not the philosophy. Venables could once again hire a new OC with a quarterback who could follow and give instant chemistry, with hopefully also immediate success.
Hiring the right OC, whether there's a QB or not, should be the top priority, but of the candidates mentioned as the Sooners' next OC, three of them have young, talented quarterbacks they could bring with them. It's also worth keeping in mind that if it's the QB the Sooners want, then they could probably lure most of them to Oklahoma, no matter who's coaching.
Mitch Dahlen, OC, Oregon State
Mitch Dahlen will be one of the hottest OC candidates in college football this offseason after having Oregon State with a top-10 offense in the FBS, thanks to a No. 1 passing attack that's led by sophomore quarterback Braden Atkinson.
Entering Week 11, Atkinson leads all of college football with 352.1 passing yards per game and is fourth with 25 touchdowns, compared to only three interceptions. Atkinson has been seamless since making the jump to the FBS level from Mercer, where he actually replaced current OU backup Whitt Newbauer. Both started there as freshmen before transferring, but Atkinson's numbers put Newbauer's to shame.
BRADEN ATKINSON IS THE MOST UNDERRATED QB IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL đĻĢđĨ
â CFB Performances (@performancesCFB) October 21, 2026
2,604 YDS, 24 TDS, 2 INT through 7 games
He leads the country in passing yards and TD passes. A year ago he was at Mercer. pic.twitter.com/jYEqN5sQZk
Atkinson has also been throwing to one of the best receivers in the country, Jesse Legree, who leads the FBS with 134.3 receiving yards per game. Legree has already announced he'll return to Oregon State, but his mind could change if both his OC and QB leave for Oklahoma, where he could also play in bigger games for more money.
This is a move OU fans will hesitate on, though. A QB-OC combo jumping to the SEC after one successful season together in the Pac-12 hits too close to home.
Kevin Decker, OC, Memphis
Memphis OC Kevin Decker has already been mentioned on a previous list of candidates the Sooners should avoid, but he's still in the mix, as the Tigers have the No. 5 offense in the FBS.
Redshirt junior quarterback Marcus Stokes has been a big reason behind the Tigers' success. After transferring from West Florida, Stokes is tied with Atkinson for 25 touchdowns this season. He's a lot more accurate than Atkinson, though, completing 69.1% of his passes. He's also 10th in FBS with 281.3 passing yards per game.
Stokes can also use his legs when necessary, with three rushing TDs.
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â The American (@American_Conf) November 2, 2026
Marcus Stokes x @MemphisFB đ #BuiltToRise x #AmericanFB pic.twitter.com/fZOywddeMb
Rob Ezell, OC, Wake Forest
Wake Forest QB Gio Lopez will likely be entering the portal again no matter what, but whoever hires Rob Ezell will definitely have an advantage after he unlocked Lopez this season.
After transferring from South Alabama, Lopez flopped for North Carolina, but basically everyone did in Chapel Hill last year. Now, he's 13th in the FBS with 272.0 passing yards per game, plus 18 touchdowns and only one interception. He also has six rushing scores as a proven dual-threat weapon.
Lopez has been so stellar this season that Wake Forest even launched a Heisman campaign.
The look of a #H3ISMAN contender đ pic.twitter.com/B09VqoBvrW
â Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) November 5, 2026
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