The evolution of the transfer portal along with the influence of NIL deals has altered the landscape of college football. Michigan splashing money to get Bryce Underwood decommit from LSU dominated the headlines and then we saw Boise State OC Dirk Koetter retire from his position after just one season, citing the program’s inability to compete with schools who were simply “outbidding” them for recruits.

Since the transfer portal opened on December 9, a lot of players started changing schools as if there was no tomorrow. While it allowed many programs to bolster their ranks, the portal wasn’t kind to many programs. Just three days after the portal opened, Arkansas lost over 20 players, but they weren’t the only SEC program to suffer.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ first season in the SEC post-realignment was underwhelming, to put it lightly. A below .500 year inadvertently led to the players perceiving them in a different light. As a result, the Sooners saw six wide receivers enter the transfer portal in three days and the migration continued with eventually a total of 27 players exiting the program.

The Sooners lost 18 offensive players and nine from the defensive side of the ball with some big hits along the way. Quarterback Jackson Arnold left for Auburn, but was replaced with John Mateer, but there were other notable names who went out. TE Bauer Sharp, who led the program in receptions (42) and receiving yards (324), left for LSU, WR Nic Anderson could perhaps be the most damaging loss to OU after tallying 31 receptions, 798 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns as a freshman.

Oklahoma also saw Jalil Farooq, who has 1,200 career receiving yards, enter his name into the portal while J.J. Hester, who racked up a career-high 14 catches for 315 yards this season, also entered the transfer portal.

In December when it was reported that OU had lost 26 players to the transfer portal, HC Brent Venables deemed it as inevitable. “Yeah, this is modern college football. I don’t think any team’s going to be immune to that. Certainly, again, as we’ve said a lot here over the last several months, we’ve been preparing for that. Got to get our roster to 105,” Venables said ahead of the Armed Forces Bowl.

These comments echo the sentiment shared by Boise State’s OC Dirk Koetter, who stepped down after just one season. “College football is changing rapidly, and maybe not for the better. Conference realignment, roster limitations, transfer portal, NIL, lack of a governing body with any power are all issues that have to be dealt with,” he noted in a Facebook post.

While OU losing key players there is a growing fear that the state’s premier footballing school may fall further behind the 8-ball. In order to address this, Governor Stitt has issued an executive order.

According to the state government’s website, the order wants to ensure, “That a postsecondary institution in the State of Oklahoma (that is covered by the Settlement) or a third party authorized to act on behalf of such postsecondary institution in the State of Oklahoma may facilitate payment to, offer payment to, or pay, or cause payment to be directed to, a current or prospective student-athlete for the use of such student athlete’s NIL.”

This executive order, signed by Kevin Stitt on Thursday, essentially allows schools to facilitate and provide direct payments to student-athletes in exchange for using their Name, Image, and Likeness. The order allows for the creation of foundations that will allow entities to contribute to NIL funds without investigation from athletic organizations such as the NCAA or athletic conferences. This provision already exists in a couple of other states, and Stitt has become the latest adoptee.

It gives the Oklahoma Sooners, as well as Tulsa and Oklahoma State, a bit of a head start. So that they can get the infrastructure in place and capitalize from the get-go. It’s a move that expedites what is already expected to happen. The NCAA House Settlement, a federal lawsuit, is proposed to be cleared in the summer. This Oklahoma-exclusive order will automatically vanquish once that happens.

Sooners fans will begrudgingly remember how O-lineman Cayden Green departed under a cloud, stemming from NIL misunderstandings. This step should streamline things and avoid a repeat of such a scenario. Reading what Stitt had to say shows how requisite this order was.

“Oklahoma is home to some of the nation’s most outstanding student-athletes,” an excerpt directly from Kevin Stitt said. “This executive order ensures that these student-athletes have access to the same opportunities as their peers in other states. It’s about leveling the playing field and maintaining the competitive edge that defines Oklahoma athletics. This action is a critical step to protect Oklahoma’s student-athletes and ensures they have the opportunity to succeed on and off the field.”

Stitt has been part of this saga before. In April, he passed Senate Bill 1786, which helped universities and their collectives pay athletes if the NCAA ever approved it, which is now looking likely.

The sheer depletion of resources at OU was evident in their Bowl game loss to the Navy. A program of this ilk losing to a service school is almost unprecedented. Hence, it was no surprise that OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. welcomed the move on X and thanked Gov Stitt for signing the order.

“The University of Oklahoma thanks thanks Governor Stitt for his bold leadership in signing Executive Order 2025-01 which represents a crucial step in ensuring that Oklahoma’s higher education institutions remain competitive and forward-thinking in the rapidly evolving landscape of collegiate athletics…”

As the collegiate athletics landscape continues to shift, the University of Oklahoma is committed to leading with innovation and positioning our student-athletes–and the state of Oklahoma–for enduring success,” Harroz wrote.

Meanwhile, HC Venables would also be happy with the move that will allow his side to be more competitive as he tries to rebuild.

The Oklahoma Sooners look to rebuild after the transfer portal exits

A thin silver lining that transpired from this ordeal was OU acquiring John Mateer. After previous QB1 Jackson Arnold’s departure, Matter shall fill the void under center. The Oklahoma Sooners fended off a bunch of adversaries in attaining him. It did help that they also onboarded his offensive coordinator at WSU, Ben Arbuckle.

Overall, the program has made 14 additions which include 10 offensive players, two on defense, and a pair of specialists. It is likely that Venables will be looking to make more additions in the next transfer portal.

It’s very conspicuous that a new era has commenced down in Norman. The move to the SEC, the upheaval of the roster, and now this verdict by Kevin Stitts. The Oklahoma Sooners are, at least in theory and precedent, simply too big to fail. They’ll seek to utilize this offseason to retool and re-evaluate.