Will OU return more kicks in 2026? Special teams coordinator Doug Deakin says ‘absolutely’

OU was not a team that threatened opponents in the kickoff return game last season.

The Sooners returned just two kickoffs all of last season, which was the lowest number in the entire FBS. A big reason for that was that they weren’t good at it, averaging just 8 yards per return, and because their offense didn’t need any more setbacks than it already was facing.

But that sounds like it will change in 2026. Special teams coordinator Doug Deakin told reporters on Saturday that OU will “absolutely” return more kickoffs in 2026.