The Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List has selected two Sooners.  R-Jr. Quarterback John Mateer  and Sr.  Running Back Jaydn Ott, both transfers.  Mateer is a transfer from Washington State, with a hometown of Little Elm, Texas. In 2024 Team he was named team captain as well as being a Manning Award finalist and an Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award semifinalist and garnering Pac-12 Conference Offensive Top Performer honors.  He was responsible for 20-plus touchdown passes and 10-plus rushing TDs.

Ott is a transfer to Oklahoma from California, where he gained 2,597 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns on 532 carries and 712 yards and six touchdowns on 95 receptions. He earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors as a sophomore in 2023 and Freshman All-America recognition.

Three OU players were selected in the preseason SEC   All-Conference teams.  R Mason Thomas, senior defensive lineman,  and Jaydn Ott, senior running back  were chosen to be on the Second Team. Ben Anderson, redshirt junior long snapper was picked for the third team.

This will be the fourth season for Head Coach Brent Venables, and their second year in the SEC.

Thomas, from Fort Lauderdale, FL was also a second-team All-SEC selection last season.  He also led the Sooners with his 12.5 tackles for loss and 11 QB hurries. More than half of his 23 tackles last season went for lost yardage (totaling 65 yards). He was credited with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He won Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honors twice and SEC’s dominant lineman of the Week one time.

Ott is a transfer to Oklahoma from California, where he gained 2,597 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns on 532 carries and 712 yards and six touchdowns on 95 receptions. He earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors as a sophomore in 2023 and Freshman All-America recognition.

Anderson, from Charlotte, NC was third-team All-SEC honors last season and  a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award (presented to the nation’s best long snapper). He was the long snapper on all of OU’s punts and placekicks for the last two seasons.

The Sooners were picked to finish 10th in the SEC Preseason Media Poll with 1,613 points and received three first-place votes (sixth most). Texas (3,060 points), Georgia (2,957 points), Alabama (2,783 points), LSU (2,668 points), South Carolina (2,109 points), Florida (1,986 points), Ole Miss (1,979 points), Texas A&M (1,892 points) and Tennessee (1,700 points) comprised the top nine teams in the poll. Auburn (1,272 points), Missouri (1,170 points), Vanderbilt (936 points), Arkansas (764 points), Kentucky (512 points) and Mississippi State (343 points) rounded out the poll.

Eight of Oklahoma’s 2025 SEC opponents are among the top 12 teams in the SEC Preseason Media Poll. The Sooners will play five of the top seven teams and six of the top nine.

Only 10 times since 1992 (33 years) has the predicted champion prior to the season at SEC Media Days proceeded to win the SEC Championship Game.

2025 PRESEASON MEDIA DAYS ALL-SEC TEAM

OFFENSE

First Team

QB – LaNorris Sellers, South  Carolina

RB – Quintrevion Wisner, Texas

RB – Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M

WR – Ryan Williams, Alabama

WR – Cam Coleman, Auburn

TE – Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt

OL – Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

OL – Cayden Green, Missouri

OL – DJ Campbell, Texas

OL – Austin Barber, Florida

C – Jake Slaughter, Florida

Second Team

QB –Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

RB – Jaydn Ott, Oklahoma

RB – Caden Durham, LSU

WR – Aaron Anderson, LSU

WR – Ryan Wingo, Texas

TE – Oscar Delp, Georgia

OL – Ar’maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M

OL – Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M

OL – Jaeden Roberts, Alabama

OL – Fernando Carmona Jr., Arkansas

C –  Parker Brailsford, Alabama

Third Team

QB – Arch Manning, Texas

RB – Nate Frazier, Georgia

RB – Jam Miller, Alabama

WR – Eric Singleton, Auburn

WR – Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri

TE – Jack Endries, Texas

OL – Earnest Greene III, Georgia

OL – Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M

OL –  Xavier Chaplin, Auburn

OL – Trevor Goosby, Texas

C – Connor Lew, Auburn

DEFENSE

First-Team

DL – Keldric Faulk, Auburn

DL – Dylan Stewart, South Carolina

DL – Colin Simmons, Texas

DL – Christian Miller, Georgia

LB – Anthony Hill Jr., Texas

LB – Whit Weeks, LSU

LB – CJ Allen, Georgia

DB – KJ Bolden, Georgia

DB – Michael Taaffe, Texas

DB – Daylen Everette, Georgia

DB – Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

Second Team

DL – Caleb Banks, Florida

DL – Tim Keenan III, Alabama

DL – LT Overton, Alabama

DL – R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma

LB – Deontae Lawson, Alabama

LB – Harold Perkins, LSU

LB – Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss

DB – Malik Muhammad, Texas

DB – Domani Jackson, Alabama

DB – Will Lee III, Texas A&M

DB –  Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina

Third Team

DL – Tyreak Sapp, Florida

DL – Trey Moore, Texas

DL – Cam Ball, Arkansas

DL – Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss

LB – Taurean York, Texas A&M

LB – Arion Carter, Tennessee

LB – Princewill Umanmielen, Ole Miss

DB – Keon Sabb, Alabama

DB – Boo Carter, Tennessee

DB – Bray Hubbard, Alabama

DB – Isaac Smith, Mississippi State

SPECIALISTS

First Team

P – Brett Thorson, Georgia

PK – Peyton Woodring, Georgia

LS – Beau Gardner, Georgia

KS – Peyton Woodring, Georgia

RS – Zachariah Branch, Georgia

AP – Zachariah Branch, Georgia

Second Team

P – Jack Bouwmeester, Texas

*PK – Trey Smack, Florida

*PK – Lucas Carneiro, Ole Miss

LS – Rocco Underwood, Florida

KS – Trey Smack, Florida

RS – Barion Brown, LSU

AP –  Zavion Thomas, LSU

Third Team

*P – Devin Bale, Arkansas

*P – Aidan Laros, Kentucky

PK – Alex McPherson, Auburn

LS – Ben Anderson, Oklahoma

KS – Will Stone, Texas

RS – Zavion Thomas, LSU

*AP – Eugene Wilson III, Florida

*AP – Jadan Baugh, Florida