Oklahoma Sooners will need someone to have a breakout season on offense in 2026, and there are a few obvious candidates
The Oklahoma Sooners are in for a tough year with the second-hardest schedule in college football. They will need one of Elijah Thomas, Manny Choice, or Jonathan Hatton Jr. to step up.
The Oklahoma Sooners enter 2026 with national championship expectations, and the offense will need someone to emerge as a difference-maker if this team wants to compete at that level. Several candidates exist on the roster, but the conversation keeps circling back to a few names who could take the leap.
A post from KREF highlighted three players worth watching: wide receiver Elijah Thomas, wide receiver Manny Choice, and true freshman running back Jonathan Hatton. All three have legitimate cases, but their paths to a breakout season look different.
Elijah Thomas and Manny Choice bring different skill sets
Thomas was the name on everyone’s lips heading into last season. He showed up in every spring practice and fall camp clip, flashing the kind of athleticism and skill level that had fans expecting a significant role. That role never fully materialized, though. Thomas didn’t see the field as much as the hype suggested he would. The talent is still there, and the opportunity should be, too. Whether he capitalizes on it remains the question.
Choice occupies a different space in the receiver’s room. He’s bigger than Thomas, more of a true X receiver who can win downfield and go up and get the ball in contested situations. That body type and play style could carve out a meaningful role in the passing game, especially if the Sooners want to stretch the field more consistently.
Both receivers have the tools to break out. The question is whether either gets the volume to make it happen.
Hatton has the clearest path to production
If forced to pick one name, the answer leans toward Hatton. The true freshman running back enters the year as probably the third running back on the depth chart, but history tells us that won’t last. The Sooners have dealt with running back injuries year after year, and last season was no exception. Oklahoma essentially operated with two backs, and both were banged up throughout the season.
That injury history alone suggests Hatton will see real playing time. But it goes beyond just filling in. He has the kind of talent that should earn him touches regardless of what happens with the backs ahead of him.
A realistic projection puts Hatton somewhere around 400 to 500 receiving yards as a true freshman. That total would represent a strong season for a player entering the year at RB3. He also profiles as a red zone weapon, the kind of back who can make an impact in short-yardage and scoring situations where freshman jitters matter less than raw ability.
The Sooners need someone to step up
The bigger picture here is simple. Oklahoma is supposed to contend in 2026. The talent is there across the roster, and the expectations reflect that. But contending teams need players who take the next step, guys who go from rotational pieces or unproven recruits to reliable contributors who change games.
Whether that player ends up being Hatton, Thomas, Choice, or someone else entirely, the Sooners need production to materialize early. Someone on this offense has to emerge, and the sooner that happens, the better Oklahoma’s chances look in a loaded SEC.