Five Questions Left Unanswered Following Oklahoma's Spring Game

With Trell Harris missing all of spring due to an offseason procedure, and both Parker Livingstone and Jer’Michael Carter either limited or sidelined, it was difficult to get a clear picture of Oklahoma’s receiving corps.

This may not seem significant, but Jim Nagy has already pointed out that Deion Burks and Isaiah Sategna weren’t an ideal fit due to positional overlap. You can’t just stack talented pass catchers, group them together, and expect greatness — they have to fit and complement one another.

We won’t know until September whether Harris elevates Sategna — and vice versa. We also won’t know if Livingstone’s move to Oklahoma yields more than what he produced in Austin.

What we do know is Oklahoma has options at receiver. But if the offense is going to take a step forward, Harris, Livingstone and Sategna not only have to produce, they have to elevate the standard set a year ago.

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Backup Quarterback Capability

Make no mistake, if the season began today and John Mateer went down with an ankle roll, Whitt Newbauer is jogging onto the field. Newbauer showed both a command of the offense and some arm talent during the Red/White game.

Bowe Bentley was a different story with an expected result — Brent Venables wanted his highly-touted freshman to sturggle against much of the Sooners' starting defense. Bentley obliged.

But after last season, the strength of the quarterback room becomes all the more impotant.

Last year, when Mateer went down, there was never any real consideration of life without him — Oklahoma rushed him back just 17 days after surgery. The offense then struggled with Mateer at the controls, clearly hampered by injury.

If the quarterback room had been in better shape — if Michael Hawkins Jr. had shown more development or readiness — perhaps Venables would have taken a more cautious, measured approach to Mateer’s return.

So, is the room better than it was a year ago? After the Spring Game, it’s hard to say yes. The safer answer is that it simply has to be.

Yeah, Let's Talk About Punters

Before a chuckle escapes your lips, remember that punting miscues played a huge role in Oklahoma blowing a 17-point lead in a College Football Playoff game.

Grayson Miller, who most of last season, punted on ther red team. This was no doubt due to his status as the returning starter. Special Teams coach Doug Deakin already mentioned that the starting punter spot is up for grabs this offseason. Considering Miller's performance agaisnt Alabama in December, it makes sense why.

Jacob Ulrich, the original starter last season, had a better day during Oklahoma's Spring Game with the white team. Miller was fine until a late-shank punt ruined an otherwise solid outing.

Oklahoma is a defensive team under Venables. That means punting and field position are valued commodities within the walls of the Barry Switzer Center. Miller can very well return to form from last season prior to his poor performance in the playoff. If he doesn't, Ulrich will be the guy.

Cornerback Depth

Nobody questions Eli Bowen, Courtland Guillory or even Jacobe Johnson. Bowen and Guillory present one of the more feared cornerback duos in the SEC — and Johnson gives OU a rotational weapon.

But OU enjoyed playing four corners a lot last season. Devon Jordan was that fourth corner option and his second half of the season gave Venables a true second-wave option.

With Jordan gone, the question remains of who exactly will be that fourth corner in the rotation.

Dakoda Fields, Trystan Haynes and Prince Ijioma all played and made some routine plays here and there throughout the Spring Game, but no one truly stood head and shoulders above the rest. True freshman Derrick Johnson II also announced himself with a few nice plays.

Perhaps it was a luxury to go four-deep with confidence. Considering the depth of skill talent in the SEC, it would behoove the Sooners to find that fourth cornerback.

Can the Offensive Line Be a Strength?

At this point, no one is questioning whether or not OU's offenseive will be good or not. The question is — how good can they be?

With the talent they return and the experience that comes with it, the Sooners should assert themselves on the offensive line. But with the starters going against some glorified 2s and 3s — rememeber, no David Stone and Jayden Jackson meant that Oklahoma's starting offensive line went against some not-so-ready-for-primetime competition.

If the Sooners want to make a true leap in 2026, the offensive line will need to be one of the strengths of the team. The starting unit was great in the Spring Game, but the situation was not going to prove their arrival as a strength or not. Like most things, we will have to wait until September when the games matter.

With Michigan and Georgia looming early on the schedule, Oklahoma will need that answer to be a resounding “yes.”