HC Brent Venables has Oklahoma looking like a playoff team this season. With a 6-1 record, the Sooners go into the Saturday matchup against Ole Miss with confidence. However, not everything is going great. Recent developments in the transfer portal confirm that the HC will miss out on landing a 265-pound OT, affecting his 2026 roster build.

Touted as one of the best in his class, Daniel McMorris has been of keen interest to many teams. The 3-star OT has Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Cal battling it out for his signature. However, he has seemingly decided on his future, which comes at the expense of Brent Venables. In a post on X, Daniel confirmed that he has decided not to take an official visit to the OU Memorial.

This thwarts Brent Venables’ 2026 plans for rebuilding and strengthening his team. McMorris will now officially visit Lubbock and Berkley. He will reportedly decide on his commitment within a week, on October 31st. He visited Berkley at the start of October, making the California Golden Bears the favorites for Daniel’s next destination.

Speaking on the visit, Daniel said, “I was connecting with the whole staff, and I never felt an environment I wouldn’t want to be in or around. I really think they’re turning that program around to what it used to be. For sure, I could see myself there. I really love the opportunity that I have with them. It’s definitely starting to heat up with them”. We can infer from his words that he prefers the Golden Bears, which is a problem for Brent Venables.

Oklahoma has a solid offense, but it’s not the best. They face depth issues. OLs like Troy Everett, Jacob Sexton, and Jake Taylor are all on Oklahoma’s injury list. They could be out for next season, hence why Daniel McMorris’ defection could hurt Brent Venables in the future. For now, the HC will have his full focus for the game on Saturday.

Can Brent Venables avoid another loss this week?

Oklahoma Sooners host Ole Miss Rebels at the OU Memorial. With both teams at a 6-1 record this season, it is a banger SEC clash that can’t be missed. It will be the ultimate battle of defense vs offense, making it one of the most anticipated matches of the weekend. While odds favor Oklahoma to win, Lane Kiffin will be a tough foe to beat.

Oklahoma’s defense has been solid this season and is among the best in stopping first downs and limiting rushing yards. They have allowed about 213.0 yards per game in over seven games this season. That is approximately 3.68 yards per play, which is an outstanding stat. While these are impressive, Brent Venables’s side will face an explosive Ole Miss offense, which could make things rough for them.

QB Trinidad Chambliss has been at the forefront of Ole Miss’ offense, making plays left, right, and center. He has 104 pass completions out of 166 attempts for 1,549 yards, which is a 62.7% completion rate. His dual-threat ability makes him a menace to defenses. He’s had 5 rushing touchdowns this season, and has rushed 70 times for 323 yards. Brent Venables will be aware of the threat Chambliss possesses and will probably instruct his team to keep the pressure on the QB.

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If his side manages to keep the Rebels in check, then Oklahoma can take control of the game. So, a win in this high-stakes matchup would push the Sooners further towards playoff contention.