5 most important offensive players Oklahoma needs back in 2026

Gone are the days of fans knowing exactly who the Oklahoma Sooners will return the next season.

The Sooners just put together a 10-2 regular season that earned a spot in the College Football Playoff, so there was obviously plenty of talent on OU's 2025 roster. However, between the NFL Draft calling and the second option of the Transfer Portal, that doesn't guarantee another talented roster in 2026.

The Sooners will inevitably lose talent before next season kicks off, and some will even seem detrimental at the time, but there are some players OU needs to make a top priority to have back in 2026 if the offense is going to improve enough to not only get back to the playoff, but beyond the first round.

Who the Sooners need to retain the most

Tory Blaylock, RB

Tory Blaylock is primed for even more of a breakout season than he just had as a freshman. This season, he emerged from a crowded backfield to lead the Sooners with 480 rushing yards on 120 carries with four TDs.

It would also require keeping the young offensive line around, but Blaylock and Xavier Robinson together again could finally end the Sooners' running game woes in 2026. However, if one or both leave, running back is a position usually overpaid for with often little return worth the price (see Jaydn Ott).

Michael Fasusi / Ryan Fodje, OT

Speaking of that young offensive line, freshmen Michael Fasusi and Ryan Fodje are equally important to keep around as pillars of the offensive front at the tackle spots. If Fasusi or Fodje leave, they can't be replaced with a portal addition considering how talented they are so young while already having a season of starting experience in Ben Arbuckle's system.

John Mateer, QB

This will be the most controversial player on this list as many OU fans hope John Mateer chooses to head to the NFL early, or the Sooners look to the portal for an upgrade whether he leaves or not.

The truth is, Mateer, no matter how shaky he seemed down the stretch, is the least riskiest option for the Sooners. Before his injury, Mateer was a Heisman frontrunner, and even at his worst, the Sooners were still playoff contenders. In 2026, he should be healthy and improved, and he knows Arbuckle's system just as well as Arbuckle himself.

If Mateer does decide to leave after just one season in Norman, it's fair to say Michael Hawkins Jr., who could also transfer, won't be an upgrade. Bowe Bentley will eventually be a stellar player, but not yet as a true freshman in 2026.

That would leave the portal as the Sooners' best option to find a QB for 2026, and according to On3's Pete Nakos, a top tier QB this year will cost programs $4-5 million with no guarantee of that player being worth that at a new program. The Sooners have other needs that money can be used for to build around Mateer rather than relying on one play to transform the offense with mediocre talent around him.

Tate Sandell, K

Tate Sandell might not technically be an offensive player as a specialist, but he accounted for 101 of OU's 317 points (32%) during the regular season as he was named the winner of the Lou Groza Award and SEC Special Teams Player of the Year. It wasn't a good ending for Sandell in the CFP, but he was vital to even getting the Sooners there, so fans shouldn't forget how big of a secret weapon he was this season.

Sandell has one year of eligibility left with the option to head to the NFL or enter the portal.

Isaiah Sategna III, WR

Keeping Isaiah Sategna III in Oklahoma means the Sooners almost always having the fastest guy on the field, and that's the guy you want on your team. OU has struggled with keeping wide receiver talent out of the portal, and an even harder time reloading at the position, but Sategna was a gem from the last transfer cycle that the Sooners need to keep more than anyone else at receiver, especially if Mateer is also back. He's also essentially like bringing back two players as the Sooners' punt returner, as well.

If Sategna stays, then the Sooners could have the most dangerous receiver in the SEC next season.