After blowing a 17–0 point lead against the weakest version of Alabama in the last five years in the first round of the playoffs, Brent Venables once again hit the reality check of SEC football. To thrive in America’s toughest conference, Brent Venables knows that averaging 26 points and dreaming of a natty don’t go hand in hand. That loss prompted Brent Venables to dive into the transfer portal like never before.

“After locking down Florida TE Hayden Hansen earlier today, the #Sooners are trending to add another offensive commit out of the portal,” Sooners Boomers’ insider Parker Thune took it to X on January 4.

There’s no doubt that once Brent Venables got up from that post-Alabama game press conference, the first thing on his mind was to hit the portal as hard as possible once the calendar hit January 2.

That’s exactly what the Oklahoma Sooners front office did. Judging solely by the two-day portal progress, it looks like they’re planning to hit the jackpot. So far, they’ve landed one worth flexing on offense.

The first big-name Sooners locked in: Florida tight end Hayden Hansen.

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Hayden Hansen is a fabulous addition to Ben Arbuckle’s RPO offense. He is labelled as a reliable player who can block well and catch passes, especially near the end zone. He was a long-time starter for the Gators and brings a ton of experience to the Sooners.

Sooners fans are flipping on social media on Hayden’s arrival because Oklahoma lost all four of its top tight ends from last season. However, the good news is they’re not done with just Hansen. Word on the street is they’re hell-bent on closing some more.

Reports suggest they are on the verge of adding a key offensive player, this time a running back from Colorado State named Lloyd Avant (417 yards and five touchdowns), who is set to visit Norman soon. It would be a blessing if this one works out.

The Sooners’ run game was pretty much non-existent all season long, ranking 11th or 12th in the SEC this season. If the Sooners had a top-three or even top-five running back corps, they might have even made the SEC Championship Game.

The Sooners aren’t stopping there. They remain really focused on building their offensive line. The trenchmen were ranked 94th in the nation, which is pretty horrendous for a team of Sooners caliber. So, they are flying out a couple of promising offensive linemen to Norman soon.

Caleb Nitta from Western Kentucky, who is currently visiting. Zach Cochnauer from Nevada, who has a visit scheduled for next week. The real question is, can this work out in 2026?

The promising outlook for the 2026 season

The competition in the SEC is brutal. Most analysts aren’t putting them at the top of their lists just yet. Their national championship betting odds are currently quite long, around +5000, which essentially means that oddsmakers consider it an outside shot.

At the same time, some are making “bold predictions” about them winning more games. The consensus among those involved is that navigating the SEC’s gauntlet will be a massive challenge.

A big reason for the skepticism is their schedule. They have some brutal road games coming up against powerhouses like Michigan and Georgia. Plus tough home matchups with teams like Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

To compete for 10 wins, the Sooners probably need a top-five transfer class in the SEC and wideouts like Cam Coleman and Trell Harris for John Mateer to throw the football to (yes, if he comes back).

The good news is players like David Stone are sticking around for one more year, believing in Brent Venables’s play-calling. You couldn’t go wrong building an SEC-title caliber team around players like Stone.

Overall, Oklahoma is serious about using the transfer portal to achieve a better than 10–3 record next season. With Hansen’s commitment already secured and others potentially on the way, the 2026 season is already shaping up to be an exciting one for Oklahoma football fans.