Fueling high donor buy-in and record ticket sales, Eric Morris has already revitalized Oklahoma State Football, led with a potential first-round quarterback in Drew Mestemaker
This week on The Jones Report, Tyler Jones is joined by Tulsa World Sports Columnist Bill Haisten, who gives his insights on both the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys.
For the Cowboys, Haisten believes that the fans and donors are buying into what new head coach Eric Morris is selling. He cited that their ticket sales for this upcoming season are strong, and Morris has done a solid job with outreach for the program.
There is a lot of excitement about new quarterback Drew Mestemaker, with many experts already saying that he can play his way into being a first round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Haisten believes that with Mestemaker leading the offensive attack, they should be explosive, but much like OU, their offensive line will need to do its part to keep him upright.
While many are already mentioning the Cowboys as a sleeper for a Big 12 Championship this season, Haisten said that if Morris can get the Cowboys just back to a bowl game, that will be a successful season, and something that the Pokes can build upon for the future.
Meanwhile, the Sooners enter 2025 off of a College Football Playoff appearance in 2026, and are looking to build upon it for not just this upcoming season, but many years to come.
For this year, Haisten believes that Oklahoma has what it takes to make it to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game, which would be their first. He mentioned that they face one of the most difficult schedules in the country, but if they can have a healthy John Mateer playing at a high-level, then the Sooners can contend with anyone in the league.
As Haisten pointed out, the Sooners have what they need at the skill positions and on the defense. Oklahoma’s offensive line will need to protect Mateer and keep him upright, and if they can do that, they will be in great shape.
Haisten also pointed to expectations being changed for OU. While the Sooners dominated the Big 12 year-after-year, he said that winning the SEC would be nice, but the top goal should be getting to the playoff, and winning the conference championship would just be gravy on top.
In the interview, Haisten credited Oklahoma for the foundation that has been built around Brent Venables’ Sooners, with how GM Jim Nagy is structuring the program. One big thing that Haisten pointed out was the buy-in from the fanbase.
He said that donations to the athletic department and the football program are among the highest in the SEC, and that everyone is on the same page that Oklahoma is heading in the right direction.
You can hear the entire interview with Bill Haisten on The Jones Report, available now on Apple, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.
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