Oklahoma Sooners Unofficial 40

Latest Episodes:

It's National Signing Day on the Unofficial 40 Dec 04, 2025

Show notes

Jim Nagy and Brent Venables put together their first full recruiting class together in the 2026 cycle. How do we feel the partnership is going after listening to both of them talk about the class on National Signing Day? And what about the standouts in this class? Josh McCuistion thinks he can make an argument that the offensive side of the ball has more talent than the defensive side of the ball. And what about the ones that got away? And the ones, like Jonathan Hatton, that didn't? We also hit on some College Football Playoff talk and a little bit of hoops. Always a big show week when it's signing day!

THE FULL RUNDOWN FOLLOWS BELOW:

0:00 - Welcome back to the Unofficial 40! Sooners wrap up NSD with 24 signees

10:00 - Did OU quietly sign good RB and TE classes? George thinks so!

17:00 - DE group is impressive

21:00 - What did OU do to flip Jonathan Hatton?

29:00 - The program is in a better place than it was 365 days ago

48:00 - How close did OU get to flipping Frisco Lone Star WR Davian Groce?

53:00 - CFP theories

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U40: Will LSU leave it all out on the field? Or are they already done? Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

It's one of the biggest games anyone has seen in Norman in a long time. OU is one win away from heading to the College Football Playoff. Speaking of that, there are a couple of teams that could really blow this thing all up if things fall the right way. We discuss OU's position in the playoff race. Are the Sooners destined to play Notre Dame in Norman? It's also going to be a MASSIVE recruiting weekend for the Sooners. A commitment happened just after we stopped taping actually. Josh with more on the big names in town. It also seems to be a weekly tradition now. We pick a room on the offensive side of the ball and just tear it to shreds. This week, it's the wide receiver room. We pour one out for the death of the green bean casserole. John Mateer may have killed it in Oklahoma. Keep Eddie away from him during pregame warmups. He isn't taking this well.

THE FULL RUNDOWN FOLLOWS BELOW:

0:00 - Welcome back to the Unofficial 40! Thanksgiving + OU chance to clinch in Norman. What. A. Week.

5:30 - CFP Committee did it again. Confusing everyone. Eddie thinks Heather Dinich is the star of the show.

18:00 - Why does John Mateer hate GBC

20:55 - OU offensive identity heading into the final week of the regular season

29:29 - Little 2027 QB Peyton Houston talk

32:00 - Role reversal for OU/LSU this season

42:00 - Fixing the offense — Deep dive

50:00 - Who will be back-up Cheetah on Saturday with Reggie Powers out for the first half?

53:00 - Recruiting - Sooners flip Jonathan Hatton

1:18:00 - George is ready to attack his neighbor

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U40: Can Sooners get to 10-2 with this RB situation? Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

Oklahoma is currently ranked No. 8 in the College Football Playoff Rankings. That means that as long as OU wins out, they should be good for inclusion in the playoff. It also means they are in the running for a first-round home game. Carey, Josh, Eddie and George talk about the playoff hunt and more importantly, Missouri. The Tigers head into Norman trying to play the spoiler role. And there is an issue. The Oklahoma running back room has few available bodies with Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock all banged up right now. How did this happen? We also take a deep dive into the play of John Mateer. What do we attribute his struggles to? And is he for sure the guy next year for the Sooners? What role does Ben Arbuckle play in all of this? Next we talk recruiting and the impact this season is having on potential recruits. New commitment is in! It's another edition of the Unofficial 40 podcast.

THE FULL RUNDOWN FOLLOWS BELOW:

0:00 - Welcome back to the Unofficial 40! Sooners No.8 in CFP rankings. OU controls its own destiny in terms of making the Tournament … but is it that easy to host?

7:00 - OU/Oregon resume comparison

18:00 - OU RB room?

25:00 - OU/Missouri 48:00- Mateer vs. DG
52:00 - Mateer still the future?
1:01:00 - Brent as a head coach
1:05:00 - Ben Arbuckle
1:08:00 - Recruiting. New commitment, CB recruiting
1:10 :00 - future of portal
1:20:00 - Coaching openings
1:24:00 - Recruit excitement around OU

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OU heads to Alabama with playoff hopes firmly within reach Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

The Sooners get set to head to Alabama for one of the biggest SEC games of the season. The Sooners can likely punch their ticket to the CFB Playoffs with a win. Otherwise, it's hoping other things can fall their way. We also dive into the west side stadium expansion and what that will look like in the coming years. What about stadium capacity? What about people losing their seats? And coaching changes and buyouts have us all asking ourselves what is going on in college football. Brian Kelly suing LSU? LSU saying they never fired him? We're here for all the drama. And how much could the Sooners benefit from the uncertainty at other schools that have fired their coaches. OU is already making inroads with Penn State's recruiting class. Is there more to come? Basketball us underway and we've seen the OU women and men against quality competition already.

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U40: Venables' depth on defense, CFP rankings and OU gameday atmosphere Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

The Unofficial 40 is back for the least tense episode in a while. It's a bye week and we have plenty to talk about with the first CFP rankings released last night. We also get into a discussion about the depth of the OU defense and how uncommon this team is from that perspective. How has Venables done it? And has there ever been a great cornerback at Oklahoma that people didn't complain about at one time or another? Coaches are being fired left and right. We're living in unprecedented times. We're also wondering if Jackson Arnold has a home after struggling at Oklahoma and Auburn? Where could we see him land next? Carey isn't happy that the WR position in college isn't valued higher by the Oklahoma front office. And what can the Sooners do to improve their gameday operations that Eddie and George took away from their trip to Tennessee? That and much more on another edition of the Unofficial 40.

THE FULL RUNDOWN FOLLOWS BELOW:

0:00 - Welcome back to the Unofficial 40! Scoop office network talk; Eddie tries to save you the listener the time. Hero.
6:00 - Bye week in Norman; CFP initial rankings on Tuesday: OU is No.12
26:00 - Where does Jackson Arnold end up?
32:00 - Value in developing a high school QB
38:00 - More focus should be on WR portal?
48:00 - Sooners have, indeed, developed DEPTH on the defensive side of the ball
1:02:00 - Recruiting
1:11:00 - Quick sidebar: How can OU make its gameday atmosphere comparable to Neyland Stadium? We have some thoughts

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What this week has taught us about where the offense is now Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

It's been a full week of trying to figure out what is wrong with John Mateer and Oklahoma's offense. We started out with Saturday frustrations and worked our way through players and coaches to try and find answers as to what is really happening with Mateer and the OU passing game. With a road battle with Tennessee looming, the Sooners have to get better. And the mistakes have to disappear quickly if this team is going to do anything in these next two road trips. Josh is here to talk about the recent commitment of Jahsiear Rogers, the former Penn State commitment, and some other nuggets out on the recruiting trail. Eddie gets a little basketball talk in and we talk a little about the madness all over the world of college football with mass firings happening all over. Could Venables be joining that list if things go a certain way down the stretch? It's this week's edition of the Unofficial 40!

THE FULL RUNDOWN FOLLOWS BELOW:

0:00 - Welcome back to the Unofficial 40! The gang preps for a trip to Knoxville

11:40 - Sooners get a commit from 2026 WR Jahsiear Rogers

16:00 - OU far from done in 2026?

39:00 - OU-Tennessee talk

47:00 - What’s wrong with John Mateer?

1:12:00 - CFB Roundtable

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U40: Can the offense keep climbing as Ole Miss comes to town? Oct 22, 2025

Show notes

We're back to big games in Norman as the Sooners have rebounded from their loss to Texas and seem to have found a running game. A big part of this being a big game is also a healthier hand from John Mateer even though we still don't think he's all the way back yet. We also talk about the weirdness surrounding Kendel Dolby and Jovantae Barnes as both have been absent from the lineups recently. And we know lots of rumors are flying about Dolby. It's also going to be an important recruiting weekend in Norman. And with coaches being fired left and right, could the Sooners find some room for some key 2026 prospects as most of the recruiting efforts have turned to 2027? Is it uncool to take your dogs to Lowe's? It's a big week. Let's go!

THE FULL RUNDOWN FOLLOWS BELOW:

0:00 - Welcome back to the Unofficial 40! The University of Oklahoma plays in a massive college football game this weekend against Ole Miss

10:00 - Did Oklahoma find something offensively? Can they build off it?

18:30 - John Mateer’s hand is healing. The world is healing.

24:00 - Tory Blaylock, Xavier Robinson is a nice 1-2 punch in the backfield. We’re on board

30:00 - Weird sidebar: Eddie & George haven’t been blown away by SEC stadiums (so far!, will change with trips to Knoxville/Tuscaloosa)

36:00 - Brent Venables loves the OU ‘cheetah’ position/What’s up with Kendel Dolby?

51:00 - Recruiting segment; Big recruiting weekend ahead?

55:00 - Full court press on 2027 Broken Arrow safety offer Semaj Stanford

1:05:00 - George story time

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U40: Venables facing another must win situation at South Carolina Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

Brent Venables is no stranger to these matchups. Win, and the monkey is off your back. For now. Lose, and the seat immediately warms up. The Sooners are favored, but they're on the road. They have the defense, but they lack the run game. How much healthier will John Mateer be this week? And who do the Sooners lean on at the running back position? And where are we with the amount of blame that should be placed on the offensive line? And the Sooners have offered a Penn State commit that could help bolster the receiving corps. It's a key week and a key edition of the Unofficial 40.

THE FULL RUNDOWN FOLLOWS BELOW

0:00 - Welcome back to the Unofficial 40! The University of Oklahoma community is under attack.

11:15 - WR Jayden Gibson is no longer with the program

16:00 - Picking life back up after the Texas game

30:00 - Monster weekend at South Carolina

51:00 - Run game. WTF

1:01:00 - Offensive line talk

1:11:00 - Recruiting: Sooners offered Penn State WR decommit Jahsiear Rogers

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U40: We can't figure out if Mateer will play, much less who will win Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

We're halfway through the week and the John Mateer news continues to confuse. Indoor practices, interesting press conference answers, good-on-good, hiding in bushes, it's part OU-TX part media frenzy this week in Norman. The guys all get together to try and make sense out of the nonsense while also trying to figure out whether OU can win this game. Expect the unexpected, but we're trying to predict off the expected. Which never seems to work out in this game. Who are some players we could see stepping up that aren't really expected? What about the Venables/Sarkisian matchup? Is Texas doomed because of its offensive line? Or is Arch Manning ready to have his breakout moment in Dallas? Some recruiting talk as Milan Paris decommits from Iowa State. Does OU want to play in the money sandbox with Miami and Oregon to secure his services?

THE FULL RUNDOWN FOLLOWS BELOW:

0:00 - Welcome back to the Unofficial 40! It’s OU-Texas week. The best week.

25:00 - Regardless of QB, is there concern with OU offensively?

37:00 - Can OU dominate the game defensively?

58:00 - Recruiting; Texas is the home team and responsible for invite(s)

1:04:00 - 2026 WR Milan Parris recommits from Iowa State on heels of Norman visit

1:18:00 - CFB Roundtable

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OU football returns with Michael Hawkins at the helm Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

Oklahoma football comes off their bye week without their starting quarterback as John Mateer had surgery last week. But that doesn't mean we're not excited to see what Michael Hawkins Jr., can do in his absence. Let's face it, Kent State is not the story this week. It's Texas. At least for the fans. We're also looking forward to Javonnie Gibson's first game as a Sooner after working to make it all the way back from a broken leg suffered last spring. Can OU run the ball against what will probably be their worst opponent of the season? And Josh is here to talk some recruiting as the Sooners appear to be on the verge of getting another commitment soon. And the gang goes around college football where we see how everyone views Oklahoma nationally right now and what teams might deserve a little skepticism. Could OU have some skeptics in the studio? Find out more on this week's edition of the Unofficial 40.

THE FULL RUNDOWN FOLLOWS BELOW:

0:00 - Welcome back to the Unofficial 40! Can you feel the excitement in the air? It’s Kent State Week.

17:00 - Is Oklahoma really the 5th best team in the country?

24:07 - Michael Hawkins takes over at QB1

43:00 - Recruiting. 2027 recruiting is off to a great start in 2027

1:02:00 - CFB Roundtable

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