Tag: Brent Venables

Oklahoma Sooners have the toughest schedule in college football, per 247Sports

OU enters a pivotal season with a brutal schedule for the second straight year.

The Oklahoma Sooners had one of the hardest schedules in the country in 2024, their first season in the Southeastern Conference. OU went 6-7 in [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ third season at the helm. Oklahoma’s 4-1 nonconference record wasn’t enough to overcome a 2-6 mark in [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play.

The league’s schedule-makers didn’t do the Sooners any favors last year, with a gauntlet of a slate, especially compared to conference foes like Texas, who played just two league opponents with a winning conference record. OU, by comparison, played six, not including the Longhorns themselves.

With the eight conference opponents in 2025 merely flipping from 2024, Oklahoma again will have to navigate a brutally tough schedule in a pivotal season in Norman. And once again, their archrivals will get the easy end of things for the second straight year, playing only Georgia and Texas A&M.

Brad Crawford, who writes for 247Sports, ranked the ten toughest schedules in college football for 2025. He ranked OU’s gauntlet as the hardest in the entire country. He projected that the Sooners will play a ridiculous eight ranked opponents in one season.

No one’s taking up a plate and offering relief for Brent Venables’ program in 2025, which is coming off a disappointing finish and landed quarterback [autotag]John Mateer[/autotag] in the portal in hopes of reversing fortunes. The Sooners have a prime opportunity in Week 2 for a statement win against Michigan, the first of eight ranked opponents over the final 10 games. – Crawford, 247Sports

Five other SEC teams made the list, all within the top seven. Mississippi State, Florida, Arkansas, LSU, and Vanderbilt will also be facing quite a brutal road in 2025.

Oklahoma adds a big nonconference bout with Michigan to their league slate. Fortunately, their other three nonconference games are against Illinois State, Temple, and Kent State.

However, that’s where the easy things end. OU’s conference schedule features home games against Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri, and LSU. Those games are interspersed with road tilts against South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. Throw in the yearly neutral-site game against Texas, and you’ve got a schedule that looks even tougher than last year’s.

Entering a crucial season for the program, Venables and his team will have to pull it together and be better than just about everyone is expecting. Otherwise, there will be big changes coming to one of college football’s premiere programs.

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Dillon Gabriel to wear helmet featuring UCF, Oklahoma, Oregon at Senior Bowl

Dillon Gabriel is one of college football’s most well-traveled player and will honor his three college programs with a unique design.

Former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] is hoping to be drafted in April’s 2025 NFL Draft. He’s taking part in this week’s Senior Bowl festivities down in Mobile, Alabama along with former teammate [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] in an effort to show scouts what he’s got.

NFL teams won’t have to look far for college film on Gabriel, as he’s got more of it than just about anyone ever has. His helmet for the Senior Bowl reflects that.

Gabriel will be honoring Oklahoma, along with the UCF Knights and the Oregon Ducks, his three schools over six years in college football. He spent three seasons at UCF, starting as a true freshman in 2019. He held the job until he was injured in 2021, a year he ended up redshirting in.

Gabriel made the move to OU, along with former offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby in 2022. He was the starting quarterback for the first two seasons of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era, starting 24 games in Norman.

He decided to transfer for his final year of eligibility for the 2024 season, ending up at Oregon. He led the Ducks to a Big Ten title, and the team went 13-1 this year.

Gabriel posted a hype video on social media, chronicling his college football journey, as he hopes to improve his draft standing with a good showing this week. It’s not the first time we’ve seen a similar situation play out, as Jalen Hurts had an Alabama-Oklahoma helmet in the lead-up to the Senior Bowl in 2020, though Gabriel’s helmet this year has a bit more to it that Hurts’ helmet did.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFRhQ0Fxtcd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Oklahoma Sooners Prospect Profile: 2026 Defensive Tackle Valdin Sone

A look at Oklahoma Sooners four-star 2026 defensive tackle target Valdin Sone.

The Oklahoma Sooners have revamped their defensive line over Brent Venables three seasons in Norman. Impact additions like Da’Jon Terry and Damonic Williams via the transfer portal, along with recruiting wins of [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag], and Trent Wilson, have given the Sooners a strong defensive tackle group for Todd Bates to work with.

The Sooners are hoping to continue that trend. This weekend, OU hosted 2026 defensive tackle prospect Valdin Sone. Sone was born in Sweden but plays his high school ball in Virginia.

He comes in at an imposing 6-foot-3 and 325 pounds. According to 247Sports, he has an athletic background in soccer and jiu jitsu, which will bode well for his endurance, athleticism, flexibility, and ability to shed blockers with his hands.

He’s considered a four-star prospect by 247Sports as the No. 35 defensive tackle prospect in the country and the No. 9 player in the state of Virginia.

Sone is a force in the middle. He has the strength to push back opposing offensive linemen and get in the backfield to make plays. He displays strong hands and is able to shed blockers at the point of attack. When asked to rush the passer, Sone displays good quickness and can shrink to fit in between blockers and get to the quarterback. He plays with great effort as both a run defender and a pass rusher.

Still new to football, Sone has the size and the demeanor to be a force in the middle of a Power Four defensive line. He has the ability to be a starting nose tackle at the Power Four level.

Valdin Sone’s Recruiting Profile

Film

Hudl

Rating

Stars Overall Position State
ESPN — — — —
Rivals 3 — 29 14
247Sports 4 — 35 9
247 Composite 3 378 45 19
On3 Recruiting 3 — 28 —
On3 Industry 4 326 37 —

Vitals

Hometown Dyke, Va. (By Way of Sweden)
Projected Position Defensive Tackle
Height 6-3
Weight 325 pounds

Recruitment

  • Offered on
  • Visited for Junior Day weekend of January 25, 2025.

Notable Offers

Per 247Sports

  • Alabama
  • Auburn
  • Florida
  • Florida
  • Florida State
  • Georgia
  • Kentucky
  • LSU
  • Miami
  • Nebraska
  • Oklahoma
  • Penn State
  • South Carolina
  • Texas A&M

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Defensive Coordinator target Jim Knowles heading to Penn State per Report

The Oklahoma Sooners are still looking for their next defensive coordinator as Jim Knowles is reportedly heading to Penn State.

The Oklahoma Sooners were rumored to be in discussions with Ohio State defensive coordinator [autotag]Jim Knowles[/autotag] to replace [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag], who departed for West Virginia. Well, in a turn of events, it looks like Knowles is staying in the Big Ten and joining James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions.

According to KREF radio host and Oklahoma radio play-by-play voice Toby Rowland, the Nittany Lions are set to make Knowles the highest-paid coordinator in college football. ESPN’s Pete Thamel also confirmed Rowland’s report.

“Reliable sources confirm that barring last-second change of heart, Jim Knowles is headed to Penn State,” Rowland said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He has notified James Franklin that he’ll accept their offer of well over $3 million to be highest-paid coordinator in college football history. Knowles is from Philly.”

Knowles helped Ohio State have the No. 1 scoring defense in the nation in 2024. In 2023, the Buckeyes finished No. 2 in the nation in scoring defense.

Oklahoma will now pivot in their defensive coordinator search. Brent Venables could take over playcalling duties for the Sooners in what could be a make-or-break season for the Sooners head coach.

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Oklahoma Sooners offer 2026 4-star linebacker Brayden Rouse

This week, the Oklahoma Sooners offered one of the best linebackers in the 2026 recruiting class.

The Oklahoma Sooners are looking to add to their [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag] with an offer going out this week to four-star linebacker Brayden Rouse.

Rouse hails from Marietta, Georgia, and is considered the No. 4 linebacker in the 2026 cycle by 247Sports. Rivals ranks him as the No. 9 linebacker in the class. Rouse has received 17 Power 4 offers, including SEC schools like Oklahoma, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Texas A&M.

According to his Hudl profile, Rouse recorded 105 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and one interception as a junior in 2024. He also had 25 receptions for 378 yards and eight touchdowns, lining up at tight end for Kell High.

Rouse’s athleticism is the first thing that jumps off the screen. He displays the ability to carry receivers one-on-one down the field. He’s got good length to make plays on the football in the air. His ability as a tight end shows up in the way he attacks the football in the air on defense. He displays great instincts but also plays disciplined football within the scheme, flowing to the ball and maintaining gap integrity. When lined up on the edge, Rouse uses his athleticism, quickness, and strength to defeat offensive linemen on the pass rush. He displays good timing when blitzing from an off-ball linebacker position.

He has the frame to grow into a weakside linebacker at the collegiate level but also has the athleticism to operate in Oklahoma’s cheetah role.

Brent Venables and Miguel Chavis made the trip to Kell High School earlier this week to meet with Rouse and give him his offer. The Sooners have gone light at linebacker each of the last couple of recruiting classes, so 2026 could be a cycle they try to add a number of talented players and Rouse has a chance to be one of the best in the class.

Brayden Rouse’s Recruiting Profile

Film

Hudl

Rating

Stars Overall Position State
ESPN — — — —
Rivals 4 214 9 32
247Sports 4 67 4 7
247 Composite 4 195 17 23
On3 Recruiting 3 — 29 51
On3 Industry 4 275 22 33

Vitals

Hometown Marietta, Georgia
Projected Position Linebacker
Height 6-foot-3
Weight 205 pounds

Recruitment

  • Offered on 1/21/25

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Did the Oklahoma Sooners make USA TODAY Sports’ Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2025?

Were the Oklahoma Sooners included in this Way-Too-Early Top 25 list for 2025?

The Oklahoma Sooners went 6-7 in 2024. Year 1 in the Southeastern Conference and Year 3 under head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] did not go how most fans hoped it would. They didn’t come close to reaching the standard of OU football.

The Sooners went just 2-6 in [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play but did go 4-1 in nonconference games. However, the Sooners fell to 0-3 in bowl games under Venables with a 21-20 loss against the Navy Midshipmen in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.

With the 2024 college football season officially ending earlier this week, USA TODAY Sports and staff writers Paul Myerberg and Erick Smith compiled their Way-Too-Early Top 25 list for 2025. The Sooners were not featured on the list, a rare sight over the last quarter-century.

A total of eight SEC teams made the top 25, including Texas, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina and Ole Miss.

Oklahoma was also unranked in ESPN’s version of the rankings but did check in at No. 18 in On3 Sports’ way-too-early top 25.

It was a second losing season under Venables. That after more than two decades of above .500 football under Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley. The last coach to go below .500 before Venables’ arrival was John Blake, who coached the Sooners from 1996 to 1998.

Needless to say, 2025 is a massive season for both Venables and the program. Oklahoma did extend their bowl streak with a shockingly dominant win over Alabama on Senior Night, but just barely making a bowl again won’t be enough to save Venables this time around.

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Oklahoma Sooners player makes On3 Sports analyst’s list of best returning QBs

On3 analyst ranked the top 10 quarterbacks for 2025. Where did John Mateer land?

By far, the biggest transfer portal addition for the Oklahoma Sooners this offseason has been former Washington State quarterback [autotag]John Mateer[/autotag]. The first-year starter led the FBS in total touchdowns in 2024 and was the top available player in the portal.

Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and the Sooners got a big win when they landed him, with plenty of help from offensive coordinator [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag], who coached Mateer at WSU. Their familiarity will hopefully pay dividends when the Sooners have the football next year.

With a game changer back under center again in Norman, there is some optimism heading into 2025 for Sooner Nation. OU’s new QB has been getting love from various analysts since he decided to sign with Oklahoma.

With the conclusion of the 2024 college football season, On3 Sports’ J.D. PicKell took to social media to rank his Top 10 returning quarterbacks for the 2025 season. Mateer ranked sixth on the list. South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers was the best of the bunch, according to PicKell.

Mateer was ranked third out of five [autotag]SEC [/autotag]quarterbacks in PicKell’s rankings. He fell behind Sellers and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and ahead of both Florida’s DJ Lagway and Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava.

Mateer will have duels with Sellers, Nussmeier, and Iamaleava next season, along with Texas’ Arch Manning, in a very pivotal season for Venables and the program.

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What grade did USA TODAY Sports give the Oklahoma Sooners for 2024?

What grade did the Oklahoma Sooners receive from USA TODAY Sports after a rocky 2024 season?

It was a very rough 2024 season that saw the Oklahoma Sooners go 6-7 for the second time in three years under head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag].

The 2024 season came to a close earlier this week when Ohio State beat Notre Dame in the national title game. USA TODAY Sports handed out letter grades on report cards for all 134 FBS teams this season.

Staff writer Paul Myerberg gave OU a C-minus for their performance, a year that featured arguably the best defense Oklahoma has had in 15 years and inarguably the worst offense the Sooners have had in 25 years. Venables is again replacing both coordinators this offseason.

Oklahoma earned the same grade as USC, with both schools falling well below expectations. The Trojans did finish above .500, going 7-6 with a bowl game victory.

The Sooners have lost 22 scholarship players to the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag], along with eight walk-ons. They’ve tried to replenish the roster with 18 scholarship players and two walk-ons in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] and 15 portal additions this winter. Some of those portal losses could be considered a good thing for the team, and some will be tough for this coaching staff to overcome.

Venables is hoping that a new coordinator calling the shots on offense, [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag], and the new players coming to the roster can offset some heavy losses that came from graduation, the NFL Draft, exhausted eligibility, and the portal.

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Oklahoma Sooners fail to make ESPN’s 2025 Way-Too-Early Top 25

Oklahoma misses the cut in ESPN’s way-too-early top 25 for the 2025 football season.

The 2024 college football season came to an end on Monday night in Atlanta, Georgia. The Ohio State Buckeyes won the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] National Championship Game, defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a score of 34-23. It was the first national title for the Buckeyes in 10 years, as they won in the first year of the 12-team [autotag]CFP[/autotag]. They also won the inaugural four-team playoff back in 2014.

With the season coming to a close, it’s time to look ahead to the 2025 campaign. After a disappointing 2024, the Oklahoma Sooners are looking to bounce back after going 6-7 in head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ third year. As many are beginning to compile early rankings for next year, there’s no guarantee that OU is included in the Top 25.

That is the case for ESPN. Staff writer Mark Schlabach put together his way-too-early college football top 25 for the 2025 season and the Oklahoma Sooners missed the cut. They were also excluded from the “also considered” category.

The Sooners were ranked in On3’s version of the list, as OU landed at No. 18. That goes to show the variance of what analysts believe Oklahoma could look like in 2025.

There were a total of nine SEC teams included in ESPN’s Top 25 as Texas, Georgia, LSU, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Ole Miss all found their way on the list. Both Auburn and Missouri were teams that were also considered for the Top 25.

It’s a startling reminder of how far things have fallen under Venables’ leadership. The Sooners would be at best the No. 12 team in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] going into the season, according to ESPN. The head coach has to oversee a very dramatic turnaround in Norman, or he’ll be elsewhere in 2026.

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Where does John Mateer land in The Oklahoman’s ranking of SEC QBs?

Where does John Mateer rank among SEC quarterbacks according to The Oklahoman?

The Oklahoma Sooners are hoping for a total turnaround on the offensive side of the football in 2025. The 2024 season was a nightmare and OU fell to a 6-7 record primarily because of ineptitude on offense.

Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] can’t survive another bad season in Norman, and he’s got to engineer a very impressive 2025 season to avoid a full free-fall into John Blake territory.

One of the primary reasons for optimism in Norman is transfer portal quarterback [autotag]John Mateer[/autotag], a gigantic portal win for Veanbles and his coaching staff. The former Washington State QB led the FBS in total touchdowns in 2024, his first year as a starter for the Cougars and in college football overall.

But there is no lack of great quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference, though the Sooners look to have a player who can get the job done in the conference again after lacking in that department last year. The [autotag]SEC[/autotag] is loaded with stars at that position, and The Oklahoman looked to rank the 16 projected starting quarterbacks next year, now that the 2024 season has concluded.

Staff writer Ryan Aber pegged Mateer as the No. 6 QB in the league for 2025, sandwiching him between Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava and Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier tops Aber’s list, followed by Florida’s D.J. Lagway, Texas’ Arch Manning, and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers.

Mateer was excellent for Washington State after two seasons behind Cam Ward. Aber said. The Little Elm, Texas, product threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns with just seven interceptions and ran for 826 yards and 21 touchdowns. Landing Mateer was one of the Sooners’ biggest wins of the offseason. – Aber, The Oklahoman

The Sooners will have to get a star effort from Mateer far more often than not in 2025 because there are still plenty of holes elsewhere on offense. Mateer also ranked six spots above his predecessor, Auburn’s [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], who landed at No. 12 on the list.

The Tigers’ offense was boom or bust this season, struggling with turnovers for much of the year. Enter Arnold, who had a rough first season as a starter with 1,421 yards and 12 touchdowns with just three interceptions though he struggled with ball-security issues. Arnold rushed for 444 yards and three touchdowns. Much of his struggles were tied into the lack of protection from OU’s offensive line and a lack of targets among wide receivers. Arnold still has the potential that made him one of the most coveted quarterbacks in the 2023 class. – Aber, The Oklahoman

What has Sooner Nation excited is that Mateer seems to be set up for success much more than Arnold was. Arnold had the trio of Seth Littrell, Joe Jon Finely, and Kevin Johns as co-offensive coordinators throughout various portions of the 2024 season. Mateer has [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag] as the sole play-caller and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2025.

Mateer will also have [autotag]John Kuceyeski[/autotag] as his senior offensive assistant/assistant quarterbacks coach next season, another familiar face from his days at WSU. Arnold wasn’t working with a coordinator or an official position coach who had coached his position before until Littrell was fired and Johns held the role in the interim.

Venables has clearly made it a point of emphasis to handle the quarterback spot (and hopefully the entire offensive leadership as a whole) better than he did in 2024. Oklahoma should show a lot of improvement on offense in 2024.

Mateer is also a proven commodity under center, while Arnold, a former five-star prospect, is still hoping he can live up to his potential.

Overall, it’s an upgrade at a position that desperately needed one. Will it be enough to propel the Sooner offense back to the heights we’ve all seen it at before? And would that offensive improvement be enough to get the program back to its winning ways in a crucial season in 2025? We’ll have to wait until late August to begin to find out.

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