The Oklahoma Sooners will head into Gainesville, Fla., without offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. He was hired to revitalize the Sooner offense after an abysmal 2024 season. However, after a year and a half as the playcaller, the Sooners relieved him of his duties.
Tight ends coach Jason Witten will take over as the play caller in the meantime. This has now become a major concern in the Brent Venables era. Can he find the right person to lead the Sooner offense? In his first two seasons, Jeff Lebby called the plays. Both years Oklahoma had a high-powered offense, but the defense wasn't rebuilt yet. Lebby left to become the head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Seth Littrell then took over, but was fired midseason in 2024 after a poor
start.
Arbuckle was next, and the Sooners improved in 2025; however, after regressing, Venables made the change.
"Jeff was fantastic," Venables said. "He did a great job for two years. His offenses were top 10 in the country both years, and then he took a head coaching job, which obviously didn't work out great in '24. Ben made us better in '25. We went to the playoffs and did some great things. There's been a regression, and that's why we've made the change."
Venables now faces another critical decision as he looks to find long-term stability at offensive coordinator. Success under Lebby showed what Oklahoma's offense could look like with an established play caller, while the changes under Littrell and Arbuckle highlighted how difficult it can be to find the right fit. Jason Witten will have a chance to show what he can do, but the interim arrangement also gives Venables time to evaluate candidates for the permanent position.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma's Brent Venables discusses why he fired Ben Arbuckle
