John Mateer and 3 other Sooners on the chopping block if Brent Venables starts making changes

A loss in college football should mean looking at ways to improve to ensure it doesn't happen again, and with that, it usually means change.

The Sooners dropped to 1-1 on Saturday with an underwhelming 17-10 loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor. Brent Venables' defense wasn't perfect, but it was still the reason the Sooners had a chance to win. The offense, though, showed no signs of change compared to last season, as the unit was once again the reason the team couldn't notch a massive win.

Venables hasn't been known for knee-jerk reactions, but he definitely proved he's willing to make a dramatic move if needed when he fired Seth Littrell as offensive coordinator early in the 2024 season. If Venables starts making changes for different results in 2026, these are the most likely candidates

Oklahoma players and an assistant in danger of losing their jobs after the Michigan loss

Considering the offense has been the Sooners' biggest issue for years now, fans want another change at offensive coordinator. Venables has a lot of faith in the young Ben Arbuckle, and firing your OC usually feels like waving the white flag for a season, but Venables has an easy transition already in the building.

Kevin Wilson was a longtime successful OC for the Sooners during some of their best days. Now, he's back on staff as Assistant Head Coach for Offense. Wilson joined as a great mentor for Arbuckle, but now it might be time for him to take over.

Even if Arbuckle doesn't get fired, Wilson could at least take over play-calling duties.

Any time a team struggles, especially offensively, the first thing that fans usually want to see change is the quarterback. Of course, Sooner Nation is screaming for John Mateer to lose his job after a lackluster performance against Michigan (and most of last season).

The reality is, this is probably the least likely immediate change for the Sooners, especially if Ben Arbuckle is OC. The Sooners just don't have good options behind Mateer, with Mercer transfer Whitt Newbauer and true freshman Bowe Bentley.

However, with all that being said, there's always a breaking point, and it feels like Mateer is close to reaching it. New Mexico isn't a cupcake this week, but Mateer should still look much better. If not, then we might see a swap even sooner than anticipated.

After hosting New Mexico, the Sooners have No. 2 Georgia on the road and No. 1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry. Those are maybe the two best defenses in college football, and both will magnify the same problems we just saw from Mateer against Michigan.

If the Sooners are 2-3 and it's obvious Mateer ain't it, then Arbuckle might be forced to give someone else a chance at that point. If the season is already toast, then Bentley would be the best option, considering he has the most raw talent of the group and could gain valuable experience as the heir to the position.

It wasn't just Eddy Pierre-Louis at left guard; the Sooners' entire offensive line was uninspiring against Michigan. Pierre-Louis, though, was the worst of the group, at least based on PFF grades, and also has the best replacement breathing down his neck.

If the Sooners' O-line was finally completely healthy, the front would look like: Michael Fasusi (LT), Pierre-Louis (LG), Jake Maikkula (C), Ryan Fodje (RG) and E'Marion Harris (RT). That would leave freshman Noah Best on the bench after starting at center in Week 1 and at right guard last week because of multiple injuries.

Best has held his own, and against Michigan, only Maikkula earned a better grade from PFF. If Pierre-Louis keeps struggling while Best outdoes him as a freshman, then there's no reason to keep the young talent off the field, no matter who's healthy.

There are a lot of mouths to feed in the Sooners' backfield, and thanks to Ben Arbuckle, not a lot of carries to go around to keep those running backs satisfied. At some point, OU will have to start relying heavily on two guys, and after the first two games, Xavier Robinson might not make the cut.

Even on a day when the running backs combined for only 13 total carries, it was still clear that Lloyd Avant is RB1 with nine carries. After that, it was Robinson with three and Tory Blaylock with one in his season debut. One of either Robinson, Blaylock or freshman Jonathan Hatton Jr. will eventually take control of the RB2 role, or even surpass Avant as the lead back.

Robinson just hasn't gotten the job done yet this season. It's been a minimal opportunity, but he's averaging just 3.6 yards on 10 carries. He hasn't been explosive with the ball in his hands and has run into trouble instead of finding holes.

Blaylock outdid Robinson as a freshman last year, leading the Sooners with 480 rushing yards. As Blaylock recovers from a hamstring issue that hindered him for most of the offseason, he could again demand more touches than Robinson.

Hatton also has fans antsy to see what he can do. He was a top-5 running back in the 2026 class and got to campus already physically ready, now listed at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds. He didn't touch the ball this past week, but in Week 1 against UTEP, Hatton took three carries for 21 yards. If Robinson or Blaylock isn't cutting it, then go with the freshman who has the highest ceiling.

If anything changes for the Sooners' offense, it will be to improve the run game, and that will start with finding the right guy to lead the way.

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