Blatant Homerism: Arbuckle-ing down
A lot has happened since we last spoke. Let’s go through the latest news, one piece at a time.
Ben Arbuckle is the new offensive coordinator
Oklahoma tabbed the fast-rising offensive coordinator from Washington State for the same role with the Sooners. It seems like a good move. But throughout this process, one question has gnawed at me: Who are the good offensive coordinators in college football right now?
As someone who was familiar with Lincoln Riley before Bob Stoops hired him as OU’s offensive coordinator in 2015, I can safely say there wasn’t a candidate out there this time around with a similar level of appeal. Joe Craddock of Tulane interested me in the beginning, but his track record beyond this season isn’t overwhelming. Georgia Tech’s Buster Faulkner has become a hot name, but the Yellow Jackets ranked 41st over all in Offensive SP+ this season – strikes me as pretty mediocre for a star coaching prospect.
The top offenses in the country this season as measured by SP+ include Miami, Oregon and Alabama. Do Shannon Dawson, Will Stein and Nick Sheridan really strike people as offensive geniuses?
Frankly, football is going through a weird moment – the kind of disconnection that usually accompanies major shifts in cultures or industries. Not so long ago, programs were adapting to the growth of the spread offense and the implications of injecting it into the sport’s bloodstream. The spread today is more mainstream and less counterculture. As defensive tacticians continue coming up with ways to stymie spread passing games and RPOs, it certainly feels like that side of the ball is catching up to offensive innovations.
Like I said, things are just weird right now.
Jackson Arnold, Nic Anderson chuck the deuces
Now that OU has its offensive coordinator, the next big issue becomes identifying a quarterback for Arbuckle in the immediate future. With Arnold’s entry into the transfer portal on Wednesday, it seems like a virtual certainty he will not be that QB.
I don’t believe we saw the best of what Arnold has to offer in his only collegiate season as a starting quarterback. A host of factors outside of Arnold’s control conspired against him in 2024 to produce a legitimately dismal campaign. It should surprise no one if he thrives at his next destination, but I feel bearish about the likelihood of Arnold pulling that off at OU. He appeared to lose his composure often enough this year to indicate that starting somewhere fresh was in everyone’s best interest.
Honestly, Brent Venables needs a successful season with the Sooners in 2025. He simply doesn’t have the luxury of waiting another year to find out if Arnold has the goods. Not to mention, the former five-star prep QB could get some sweet NIL packages thrown his way during his latest courtship. I doubt OU’s donors would be keen to match those offers.
As for Anderson, what a frustrating career at OU. Don’t know what more you can say.
Sighs of relief in recruiting
Eighteen high schoolers signed whatever qualifies as a letter of intent now to play for the Sooners in 2025, a small number as recruiting classes go. You can surmise that means large crop of transfers will likely join the program in the coming weeks.
The brightest spot in the recruiting haul has to be the offensive line. After too many seasons of neglect, OL coach Bill Bedenbaugh came through in a pinch, landing two of the best offensive tackles in the nation in Michael Fasusi and Ryan Fodje. The Sooners rounded out the OL class with interior players in Darius Afalava and Owen Hollenbeck who fall more into the project category.
Bedenbaugh apparently fended off a late push from Texas to secure the five-star Fasusi’s services. It seems surprising that the Longhorns nabbed what is largely viewed as the best recruiting class in the nation this year, but failed to land a top-flight OL. That could hurt UT down the line.
As for the rest of OU’s class, the absence of a big name at quarterback probably factors into its overall lack of pop. Keep an eye on receiver Emmanuel Choice as the freshman most likely to make a significant impact in 2025.