Thursday has been about announcements OU football fans have been waiting for. Not about the transfer portal, but about retention.
All month, eyes have been on quarterback John Mateer, wide receiver Isaiah Sategna and linebacker Kip Lewis.
Go ahead and check them all off. Check, check and check.
It started in the afternoon with sources confirming Sategna would indeed be back for the 2026 season. And the evening? It was time for OU to let everybody know that its two No. 10s aren’t going anywhere.
Mateer and Lewis are returning, and Team 132 is ready to take shape.
Following the season, the logic was Mateer would absolutely return to Norman. Maybe the original goal was to be one-and-done, but the 2025 season didn’t go the way everyone had hoped.
Incredibly success, sure, but the thumb surgery for Mateer derailed the second half of his season. Never allowed him to truly showcase who he is and what he can do.
Mateer completed 247 of 397 passes (62.2%) for 2,885 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 431 yards and eight more scores.
Lewis was one of the main leaders of the defense. And following his stellar November, it felt as though Lewis could head to the NFL Draft. He had certainly earned the right, if that’s what he had chosen to do.
Instead, Lewis is also coming back.
He had 76 tackles this season with four sacks and a forced fumble.
Lewis and Mateer were both among the team captains for OU in 2025. And both were huge reasons why the Sooners made the College Footbal Playoff for the first time since 2019.
The season didn’t end the way they wanted it to in a home loss to No. 9 Alabama. And it’s clear the majority of those guys like Lewis, like Mateer, like Sategna have a message – let’s run this back.
Team 132 has its nucleus ready to roll.