Year 4 of the Brent Venables era at Oklahoma is here as the Sooners start fall camp this week. Before the Sooners kick off the 2025 season against Illinois State on Aug. 30, though, Venables has plenty of unknowns that need to be figured out during fall camp to avoid his third losing season in four years.
5 burning questions heading into Sooners' fall camp
How will the offensive line shake out?
This isn’t just a question heading into fall camp, but THE question.
The Sooners were historically bad up front last season while cycling through seven different combinations. They were exceptionally poor pass blocking, giving up 3.85 sacks a game, which was the third-worst in all of FBS.
The Sooners returned some of those players from last season and added a few more from the Transfer Portal and an exceptional signing class. First, who will earn the starting jobs, because none really seem to be a lock right now? Second, will they be better? (they can’t be worse, right? Right?)
Sooner Nation is hopeful for an offensive turnaround, but it doesn’t matter what Ben Arbuckle calls and how good quarterback John Mateer is if the offensive line is any close to the level it was last season.
Are the Sooners healthy and can they stay that way?
Health was OU's biggest issue last season, contributing to OU's abysmal offensive line and terrible passing game with the top five receivers hurt most of the season. Sooner Nation has been sweating all offseason that won't be an issue again in 2025.
However, the Sooners haven't even started fall camp yet and there are already injury concerns. Arkansas-Pine Bluff transfer receiver Javonnie Gibson, who is projected to crack the starting lineup, already broke his leg during spring ball. Venables said during SEC Media Days that Gibson is still on track to play in the season opener, but how much fall camp will he miss while needing to acclimate to a new system?
For those that are healthy, Venables has to make sure they stay that way. Wide receiver Jayden Gibson was injured during fall camp last year and we haven't seen him on the field since. Both Gibsons have to get and stay healthy, as does the entire roster for the Sooners to avoid another season like the last.
Can Arbuckle and Mateer’s success translate at a new program in a tougher conference?
There's been a lot of hope in OU's 2025 offense thanks to the additions of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer from Washington State, but so far, everything the duo has accomplished came against basically a Group of Five schedule last year. Now, that offensive productivity needs to carry over to the Sooners with a stout SEC schedule. On the plus side, there are more weapons at OU than they ever had at Washington State and they'll practice against OU's defense daily.
Step 1, though, is getting the system comfortably installed by the end of fall camp before anything can be accomplished during the season.
Who fills Danny Stutsman’s leadership void?
Stats can be replicated, no matter how gaudy Danny Stutsman's were at OU, but his voice and leadership might be the most important things to replace. We'll find out when the lights come on who will emerge as the Sooners' best tackler this season to help fill Stutsman's void at linebacker, but now during the grind of fall camp in the heat of August is when Venables should learn who will step up as the voice and leader of this 2025 team.
Can Brent Venables juggle two jobs?
Venables made the decision this offseason to take over defensive play-calling duties as head coach. He has surrounded himself with a tremendous staff to help handle that task, but now Venables will have to figure out all the above questions and more while focusing more than ever on just one side of the ball.
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