The Oklahoma football team has high expectations heading into 2026. After going 10-3 in 2025 and earning a trip to the College Football Playoff, the Sooners return a handful of significant pieces from last year's squad and are poised for another strong season.
Despite OU's impressive 2025 campaign and an encouraging group of returnees, there are still a few areas where Brent Venables' team needs to improve to have another successful season in the SEC.
As a result, there could be a few coaches who are under pressure to see improvement from their position groups in 2026.
Here's a look at which Oklahoma coaches are under the most pressure this season, from the least amount of pressure to the most:
Jason Witten enters his first year coaching at the collegiate level in 2026 after being the head coach at Liberty Christian School in Argyle.
Over the past few seasons, Oklahoma hasn't gotten consistent play at the tight end position, and Witten will be expected to improve the group's performance right away. OU added a trio of tight ends from the transfer portal and should be in for a vast improvement, which could put even more pressure on Witten.
Read more: John Mateer reveals Jason Witten is already impacting far more than Oklahoma's tight ends
As a first-year college coach, though, the former Dallas Cowboys legend will likely be given more grace than other coaches on this list.
The Sooners' longtime offensive line coach has put together plenty of impressive groups during his 13-year stint in Norman, but hasn't found the same success in recent years.
In 2026, though, Oklahoma is slated to have a strong contingent of returning players, including a few former prized high school recruits and multiple transfers. With pieces like Michael Fasusi, Eddy Pierre-Louis and Ryan Fodje, among others, having played under Bedenbaugh's tutelage for more than one season, expectations are high for the group entering 2026.
If OU's offensive line doesn't live up to expectations, fans could begin to question Bedenbaugh once again.
The Sooners' head coach was on the hot seat entering the 2025 campaign, but a strong season helped reignite faith in Brent Venables from fans and administrators.
Still, two of the defensive mastermind's first four campaigns at the helm in Norman have ended with a losing record. Another strong season would likely guarantee Venables a few more years in Norman, but a lackluster campaign could once again put a ticking clock on OU's head coach.
Read more: Analysts who think Brent Venables' job at Oklahoma is safe should probably think again
Ranked No. 10 in the preseason AP Top 25, Oklahoma has high expectations entering 2026, and failing to live up to those expectations could put Venables back on the hot seat.
Entering his second season as OU's offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle is looking for the Sooners' offense to take a step forward in 2026.
Following Seth Littrell's tenure as Oklahoma's offensive coordinator, adding John Mateer and Arbuckle, his offensive coordinator and QB coach at Washington State, was supposed to help improve the Sooners' attack in 2025. While the group was better in 2025 than the previous campaign, OU still struggled on offense. Mateer's injury was partially to blame, but there were plenty of complaints from fans about Arbuckle's play-calling decisions, as well.
After adding multiple key players from the transfer portal, Arbuckle is under pressure to see his group make significant improvements in 2026.
The Sooners' receiving corps has been one of the team's weaker position groups over the past few years.
While there have been a few bright spots, including Isaiah Satenga in 2025, the players OU has brought in from high school recruiting classes haven't developed into valueable pieces of Oklahoma's offense. Injuries have ravaged the group, but even with numerous players out of the lineup, the Sooners have elected to stick with a smaller rotation rather than playing the team's younger wide receivers.
In 2026, Emmett Jones' group is filled with new faces, including Texas transfer Parker Livingstone and Virginia transfer Trell Harris. Alongside the trio of Satenga, Livingstone and Harris, OU will likely need contributions from some of the other receivers on its roster.
If the group fails to meet expectations again, Jones could be on the hot seat.
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