Ep. 428 - John Mateer’s Championship Chance and Fall Camp is Here!

Ep. 428 - John Mateer’s Championship Chance and Fall Camp is Here! John Mateer’s got an incredible opportunity to win a National Championship this season. He’s got the defense, but what must he and the offense do in order for the Sooners to win Number 8? The guys react to early Fall Camp video and practice buzz. Topics include Courtland Guillory’s impressive clips, David Stone’s dominance, Trent Wilson’s development, defensive line depth, PJ Adebawore’s role, Michael Boganowski becoming more technical, safety depth concerns and the possibility that OU’s defense may be even better in 2026. On offense, the conversation shifts to Deland McCullough and the running back room. We liked his comments about yards after contact. Thoughts on Tory Blaylock and Trell Harris, a possible surprise wide receiver may break out, and will Jason Witten influence Ben Arbuckle’s offense so much that the style changes? Plus brief thoughts on the Coaches Poll, the new five-year eligibility ruling, Taylor Tatum’s departure from Michigan, and more hot Lincoln Riley/Brent Venables talk! Chapters/Timecodes 00:00 — Opening Take – John Mateer’s massive opportunity 05:03 — Week Zero is getting close 07:12 — Fall Camp practice videos, a lot has stood out to Grant 08:10 — Deacon Schmitt may be ready to play early 08:31 — Manny Choice looks the part physically 09:00 — Cole Sullivan’s length and Austin Stogner flashbacks 09:34 — Courtland Guillory’s aura and defensive back clips 11:00 — Deland McCullough’s running back drill philosophy 12:38 — Why “yards after contact” matters for OU’s run game 15:07 — Tight ends, receivers and who looks comfortable in practice clips 17:04 — Running back talk begins with Lloyd Avant and Xavier Robinson 19:00 — Lee declares he’s not concerned with the D-line depth 21:00 — Trent Wilson as a potential breakout defensive lineman 25:00 — Defensive tackle depth and the benefit of the doubt for OU’s defensive staff 26:13 — Jayden Jackson and the question of durability 30:00 — Venables downplaying defensive line strength 30:56 — Edge rusher questions behind the defensive line hype 32:00 — PJ Adebawore entering a huge season 35:00 — Defensive front possibilities and pressure packages 36:00 — Michael Boganowski becoming more technical 37:00 — Safety play, deep passing concerns and OU’s secondary 44:00 — Peyton Bowen, Reggie Powers and young safety depth 46:00 — Linebacker depth behind Kip Lewis and Owen Heinecke 51:00 — Length on the edge and disrupting screens 54:41 — YouTube community poll: which offensive position group worries fans most? 56:00 — Tory Blaylock not available for Practice number 3 57:00 — Lloyd Avant appears to be RB1 if the game were tomorrow 01:00:00 — Lloyd Avant’s experience at Tulsa and Colorado State 01:01:00 — Avant’s wiggle, burst and potential fit at Oklahoma 01:03:00 — Xavier Robinson’s instant impact when healthy 01:04:00 — Deland McCullough compares Lloyd Avant to Damien Williams 01:06:00 — Trell Harris participates in individual drills with cameras present 01:10:10 — John Mateer says Manny Choice has grown a lot   01:15:07 — Tight end room discussion begins 01:15:28 — Hayden Hansen as a massive blocking presence 01:15:48 — Gabe Ikard’s interest in OU running out of 12 personnel 01:17:06 — Jason Witten’s influence on Oklahoma’s tight ends 01:19:47 — Ben Arbuckle’s Washington State personnel usage 01:23:32 — Is Arbuckle’s run scheme good enough?   01:28:54 — Offensive line thoughts and remaining offensive questions 01:30:11 — Grant’s frustration with OU’s transfer portal approach 01:31:58 — Oklahoma ranked No. 9 in the preseason coaches poll 01:32:58 — Five-year eligibility ruling and possible roster impacts 01:34:49 — Would Jaren Kanak help OU if he could return? 01:35:36 — Taylor Tatum no longer with Michigan 01:37:14 — Responding to Brady Trantham’s rebuttal to the Venables/Lincoln Riley debate 01:40:25 — Why that debate still matters today Subscribe to the West of Everest YouTube channel Follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and please leave a five-star rating and review if you enjoy the podcast. Follow West of Everest on X, Instagram and Facebook. #OklahomaFootball #OUFootball #Sooners #CollegeFootball #SECfootball #BrentVenables #JohnMateer #FallCamp #WestOfEverest