Veteran Analyst Phil Steele Believes Oklahoma Sooners Are Poised for a Major College Football Breakthrough in the 2025 Season
When Phil Steele speaks, the college football world listens. Known for his in-depth analysis, encyclopedic annual previews, and nearly three decades of insight into the sport, Steele has long been considered one of the most respected voices in the college football community. And this year, he’s turning heads with a particularly bullish outlook on one of the sport’s most iconic programs — the Oklahoma Sooners. As the 2025 college football season approaches, Steele is making it abundantly clear: the Sooners are on the brink of something special.
Oklahoma’s 2024 campaign was filled with both growing pains and moments of promise under head coach Brent Venables. The Sooners finished with a solid record, but fell short in key matchups, particularly within the daunting SEC. Despite this, Steele sees a significant leap coming in 2025. It’s not just optimism — it’s confidence rooted in returning talent, staff stability, player development, and a schedule that may just align favorably for a championship run.
One of Steele’s core reasons for optimism is Oklahoma’s quarterback situation. Jackson Arnold, who took significant strides in 2024, returns as the clear leader of the offense. Once a highly touted five-star recruit, Arnold’s maturation into a complete quarterback has been a focal point in offseason workouts. Steele notes Arnold’s improved decision-making, arm strength, and leadership as pivotal to Oklahoma’s offensive resurgence. Surrounded by weapons on the perimeter and a retooled offensive line, Arnold could very well be in the conversation for national awards by season’s end.
Wide receiver play has long been a staple of Oklahoma’s identity, and 2025 looks to be no exception. Jalil Farooq and Nic Anderson provide a powerful one-two punch, with younger prospects like Zion Kearney and Jaquaize Pettaway emerging as reliable options. Steele points to their versatility and ability to stretch the field as major assets, especially in the context of offensive coordinator Seth Littrell’s fast-paced, high-efficiency scheme. The Sooners’ offense, in Steele’s words, is “explosive, deep, and dangerously balanced.”
But it’s not just the offense that has Steele so enthused. The defense — once a liability during the final Lincoln Riley years — has transformed under Venables’ guidance. The 2025 unit, Steele predicts, could be one of the most dominant in the SEC. Anchored by linebacker Danny Stutsman and a physically imposing front four, the Sooners bring a ferocity to the field that matches Venables’ defensive pedigree.
Steele particularly emphasizes the improvement in the secondary, a unit that struggled with consistency last season. Returning veterans like Billy Bowman Jr. and the development of younger players such as Makari Vickers give Oklahoma not just depth, but versatility. The ability to shift between man and zone schemes, to disguise coverages, and to generate turnovers will be crucial against high-powered offenses in the SEC — and Steele believes Oklahoma is up to the task.
Recruiting is another area where Oklahoma has laid the foundation for sustained success. The 2025 class is loaded, and Steele is especially high on five-star safety Michael Patterson and defensive lineman Elijah Thomas. While true freshmen may not always make an immediate impact, Steele believes both players have the physical tools and mental edge to crack the rotation early. More importantly, their presence is a signal that Venables and his staff are building for both the present and the future — a dynamic that Steele says separates championship contenders from mere competitors.
One underrated aspect of Steele’s bullishness on Oklahoma is coaching continuity. The Sooners return nearly all key assistants from last season, including Littrell on offense and Ted Roof in a key defensive analyst role. Continuity breeds cohesion, and for a team still relatively early in its SEC transition, having a coaching staff that knows the personnel, the playbook, and the expectations is invaluable. Steele notes that in contrast to many SEC rivals dealing with staff overhauls, Oklahoma’s stability will give them a leg up, especially in close, high-pressure games.
Schedule analysis also plays a key role in Steele’s projections. While no SEC slate is ever “easy,” Oklahoma’s 2025 schedule has a manageable layout. Crucial games against Alabama and LSU are at home, where the Sooners have historically been strong. Road trips to Florida and Auburn will test their mettle, but Steele believes the team will have enough momentum by midseason to weather any road struggles. An early non-conference showdown with Michigan provides both a national platform and a chance to build CFP résumé credibility. Steele sees the Michigan game as a potential turning point — win there, and Oklahoma could ride that momentum all the way into November undefeated.
In Steele’s power ratings, which factor in everything from returning production to historical trends and predictive analytics, Oklahoma ranks inside the top five nationally. That’s a major jump from where they began the 2024 season, and a testament to the program’s accelerated development under Venables. Steele doesn’t shy away from bold predictions, either: he believes Oklahoma has a legitimate shot at the College Football Playoff, and if they stay healthy, they may even challenge for the national title.
Of course, success will hinge on a few critical factors. Steele notes the offensive line, though experienced, must gel quickly and avoid injuries. Discipline — particularly penalties in crucial moments — was an issue last season, and the team will need sharper execution across the board. Steele also points to the depth at linebacker and cornerback as potential weak spots if injuries strike. However, he believes the current staff has recruited well enough to patch those holes.
In an era of college football defined by transfers, NIL, and realignment chaos, Steele sees Oklahoma as a program that has managed to hold onto its identity while adapting to the future. They’ve kept their top players out of the transfer portal, landed impact transfers of their own, and embraced NIL without losing focus on fundamentals. Steele praises the culture Venables has instilled — a hard-nosed, no-nonsense approach that values development, discipline, and unity.
It’s also worth noting Steele’s track record when it comes to spotting breakout teams. He was ahead of the curve on Michigan’s 2021 resurgence, LSU’s 2019 title run, and TCU’s 2022 Cinderella story. If history is any indication, Oklahoma fans should be excited — because Steele rarely misses when he goes all in on a team.
The national media is slowly starting to echo his sentiments. Other analysts have begun ranking Oklahoma in their preseason top ten, citing many of the same reasons — quarterback growth, defensive strength, coaching stability, and a favorable schedule. But none have been as firm in their praise as Steele. His belief isn’t just a preseason buzz — it’s a projection backed by film, data, and three decades of watching what makes great teams tick.
Oklahoma football has always existed on the sport’s main stage. From Bud Wilkinson to Barry Switzer to Bob Stoops, from Jason White to Baker Mayfield to Kyler Murray, the Sooners have consistently been a pillar of college football excellence. The move to the SEC was supposed to be a challenge — and it has been. But now, entering year two in the nation’s toughest conference, Phil Steele sees a program not just ready to compete, but ready to dominate.
If the Sooners deliver on the promise Steele sees, 2025 could go down as one of the most significant seasons in program history. For fans in Norman, the message is clear: get ready for something big. The Sooners are back — and according to one of the sport’s sharpest minds, they might just be better than ever.
