The Oklahoma Sooners have lots to prove this upcoming season. There might not be anything more important to prove than that they can be a good rushing team this season.
The Sooners ranked No. 113 in rushing yards per game last season at 118.5. This was the second-worst among teams that made the College Football Playoff last year. It also put more pressure on quarterback John Mateer. But the Sooners return leading rushers Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson from last year's team. They also added transfer Lloyd Avant and four-star freshman Jonathan Hatton Jr.
On top of that, Oklahoma upgraded the tight end room and put a greater emphasis on fixing the rushing attack during the offseason. College football analyst Josh Pate said that's his biggest question
with the Sooners.
"Let's be real, I want to know the same thing that you want to know," Pate said on 'Josh Pate's College Football Show.' "I want to know if he fixed the run game. Brent Venables wants to know if he fixed the run game… this is clearly the lead story with Oklahoma."
Pate's assessment gets to the heart of Oklahoma's biggest offensive problem from a season ago. The Sooners couldn't consistently create production on the ground, which made life more difficult for an offense that already struggled to find consistency.
The good news is that Oklahoma didn't simply hope the problem would fix itself. The Sooners return Blaylock and Robinson, while Avant and Hatton give the position room additional options. The development of the offensive line will also be critical after Oklahoma relied heavily on inexperienced players up front last season.
The tight end additions could help as well. A more reliable presence at tight end can not only give Oklahoma another weapon in the passing game but also provide additional blocking versatility. If Oklahoma can consistently run the football, Mateer won't have to carry the offense every week, and the Sooners can make better use of the quarterback's ability as both a passer and runner.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: What is Oklahoma's biggest question mark heading into 2026?
