Saturday's 42-25 upset loss at the hands of South Carolina sparkled the dismissal of Ben Arbuckle as Oklahoma's offensive coordinator, according to multiple reports. And with Arbuckle out, the Sooners will turn to a big name as his replacement.
Former NFL All-Pro tight end turned coach Jason Witten will assume the play calling duties throughout the rest of the 2026 season, per SoonerScoop.com. Witten joined the Oklahoma staff as tight ends coach in January of this year. He served as the head coach of Liberty Christian School in Texas from 2021-25, leading the high school to back-to-back state championships in 2023 and 2024.
Witten, 44, will now be tasked with trying to ignite a stagnant Sooners offense. Oklahoma ranks No. 111 in the entire FBS in total offense through eight games, only producing an average of 336.9 yards per game. The Sooners are only slightly better at No. 108 in scoring offense, putting up just 22 points per game.
The lack of offensive fire power has derailed a once-promising season, as the Sooners hold a 4-4 overall record and sit at 11th in the SEC with a 2-3 mark in conference play.
Before embarking on his coaching career, Witten played 17 seasons in the NFL, 19 of which were spent with the Dallas Cowboys . He caught 1,228 passes for 13,046 receiving yards and scored 74 touchdowns in 271 games (252 starts). Witten was named an 11-time Pro Bowler, a two-time first-team All-Pro, a two-time second-team All-Pro and the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2012.
A product of Tennessee, Witten was drafted by Dallas in the third round in 2003. It's believed that Witten could retain the offensive coordinator position if he can create a spark in the Sooners' final four games and possibly a bowl game.
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