Tag: Miguel Chavis

Oklahoma announces three members of Brent Venables’ coaching staff

Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables announced Miguel Chavis, Brandon Hall and Jerry Schmidt are joining the Sooners’ staff.

Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables announced the hirings of Miguel Chavis, Brandon Hall and Jerry Schmidt to the OU coaching staff.

Chavis joins OU as the Sooners’ new defensive ends coach, Hall is Oklahoma’s new safeties coach and Schmidt returns to OU as director of sports enhancement and strength and conditioning.

Chavis served in a defensive player development role over the past five seasons at Clemson. During his tenure, Chavis helped develop 2019 NFL Draft picks Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence and Austin Bryant.

Ferrell (No. 4 overall), Wilkins (No. 13 overall) and Lawrence (No. 17 overall) were each first-round NFL Draft selections, while Bryant was taken in the fourth round.

“Miguel is a great story. He’s a former player at Clemson who was recruited by Coach (Dabo) Swinney and went on to play in the NFL, but he’d probably be the first to tell you he thought he would play there a lot longer. After going back to school, getting his degree and becoming an ordained minister, he found his calling in coaching. He was a real blessing to me at Clemson in our room as we built that program – on defense, in particular.

“He’s very passionate, he’s intense, players love him. He’s very gifted as a coach, as a communicator, teacher and mentor. And he’s high on life. We have a lot of similarities, even in our journeys. These players are really fortunate with what they’re getting. He’s genuine and authentic and will connect with them. He’s got a unique way of pulling the best out of people – adults and young people alike. He’ll be a dynamic recruiter and a tenacious coach who will demand perfection. But he leads with optimism and love. That’s what I love about him,” Venables said of Chavis.

Chavis described Oklahoma as a “dream job” and said he and his family are excited for the opportunity to come to OU.

“As a football fan, I’ve always looked at about four schools as the cream of the crop – Clemson, OU, Alabama and Ohio State. All I knew about OU is I thought they were at the top of college football and that my mentor Brent Venables came from there. This is what I’ve been preparing for, even back to my playing days at Clemson. I’ve always loved coaching – always wanted to know the ‘why’ behind what we were doing, loved preparing in the NFL and appreciated the different schemes and philosophies. The past five years I’ve been attending the Brent Venables school of defense, and I was getting a Ph. D.

“I’m excited to be with the guys and develop them on and off the field. That’s my passion – to develop defensive ends into great players, but also into great men, great husbands, fathers and neighbors. And I get to do that through football. The fan base here is amazing and they have great energy. And that’s perfect because I’m a passionate guy, an energy guy who will also bring knowledge, toughness and excitement. I can’t wait. My biggest message to our current players is, ‘You didn’t choose me, but I chose you. I chose to be here and this is my dream job. And I’m excited and I’m ready,” Chavis said.

Up next: The Sooners’ new safeties coach

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Oklahoma Sooners land 2022 defensive tackle Alton Tarber out of Florida

The Oklahoma Sooners landed a commitment from three-star defensive tackle Alton Tarber out of Deerfield Beach, Florida.

Brent Venables is picking up steam and he’s picking it up fast. The new Sooners head coach made immediate offers the Monday after he signed his contract with the Oklahoma Sooners and sent one to 2022 defensive tackle Alton Tarber out of Deerfield Beach, Florida.

Tarber announced his commitment to Oklahoma in a post via his Twitter page. His recruitment moved along very fast due to Venables’ connection with Tarber while the defensive coordinator at Clemson and Tarber camping at Clemson.

Tarber had been committed to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets since August and seemed fairly set in his recruitment. Venables sent out an offer upon his first full day as Oklahoma’s head coach and things sped up in a hurry. New Sooners’ defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis visited Tarber in Florida and that led to Tarber taking an official visit to Oklahoma where it seems things went well.

Days after his visit he de-committed from Georgia Tech and completed the flip to Oklahoma by announcing his commitment.

Tarber isn’t highly recruited but he’s a mountain of a young man. Standing at 6-foot-2 and hovering around 300 pounds as a high school senior.

The Sooners certainly are deviating from the previous regime’s player scouting. While the previous regime was quick to shy away from the hefty interior linemen in exchange for speed, Brent Venables is embracing them as he always has.

Tarber likely projects as a true nose tackle or space-eater in the interior to take on blocks in the run game in order to open lanes for linebackers to run free thru gaps and make plays. He fills a role as the Sooners will lose a few bodies on the interior over the next few years.

This isn’t a flashy highly ranked recruit but it’s one where the Sooners coaching staff is going all-in on trusting their eyes and hoping what they saw can be shaped into a dominant interior monster on their new-look defense. Tarber’s commitment brings Oklahoma to number 10 on 247Sports composite team rankings for this 2022 cycle.

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Final Thoughts on the Oklahoma Sooners Coaching Change

With Brent Venables staff coming together, here are some final thoughts on the Sooners coaching change that took place the last two weeks.

It’s been two weeks since the smoke’s cleared on the departure of the former Oklahoma Sooners head coach. Now a week into the Brent Venables tenure, we’re beginning to see a plan formulate as to what his coaching staff will look like. We’re also seeing a plan unfold on the recruiting trail as Venables and his staff shift their focus to talents in the southeast, namely in Florida.

It’s a new day in Norman as the long-lost son of Oklahoma Football returns to reignite a program that had been trending in the wrong direction since Lincoln Riley was named the head coach.

As we turn the page on one story and begin to write a new one, here are some final thoughts on the coaching change.

Defensive staffer following Venables to Oklahoma

As Brent Venables works to build his coaching staff at Oklahoma, he’s taking at least one Clemson defensive staffer with him. While OU has yet to make any official announcements regarding Venables’ staff there, Miguel Chavis intends to follow …

As Brent Venables works to build his coaching staff at Oklahoma, he’s taking at least one Clemson defensive staffer with him.

While OU has yet to make any official announcements regarding Venables’ staff there, Miguel Chavis intends to follow Venables to OU, multiple sources tell TCI. According to Chavis’ Twitter and Instagram profiles, which have been updated recently, he will be the Sooners’ defensive ends coach.

A former Clemson defensive lineman, Chavis has been serving in an off-field role as a player development coach.  He joined Dabo Swinney’s staff in 2017. It appears he’ll be elevated to an on-field position with Venables, who took the OU head coaching job earlier this week after spending 10 seasons as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator.

Playing at Clemson would be ‘dream come true’ for 4-star pass-rusher

This former Ohio State commit was on Clemson’s campus late last month. After re-opening his recruitment, four-star Benji Gosnell made some visits during the NCAA’s quiet period in late July, which included a trip down to Tiger Town. Gosnell, who is …

This former Ohio State commit was on Clemson’s campus late last month.

After re-opening his recruitment, four-star Benji Gosnell made some visits during the NCAA’s quiet period in late July, which included a trip down to Tiger Town.

Gosnell, who is originally from Pilot Mountain (N.C.), recently transferred to Carroll County High School in Hillsville (Va.). While he’s one of the premier tight ends in the 2022 class, he’s also a highly-coveted edge rusher.

This season, he’ll see time at both MIKE linebacker and tight end as a two-way player for his high school team. Though, there are plenty of packages that will see Gosnell moving around on both sides of the ball, including coming off the edge, which a lot of collegiate teams are hoping to see.

He’s also his team’s kick returner and punt returner.

Gosnell (6-5, 235) finally had the opportunity to catch up with The Clemson Insider regarding his recent visit to Clemson’s campus and what he’s been hearing from the Tigers’ coaching staff.

“I liked everything about it,” Gosnell told TCI regarding his visit. “It’s definitely the best campus I’ve ever been on and probably one of the top-5 places I’ve ever been just in general. It was awesome, ranging from football to academics to just things to do around the campus.”

Gosnell was very complimentary of those who showed him around campus. 

While they didn’t talk in detail about his game, Clemson’s coaching staff did tell Gosnell that they like his aggression. According to Gosnell, that’s one of the first things that Clemson noticed about the way he plays.

“They like my length and build,” he added. “They really like what they can do with that. They really like me as kind of an edge rusher, what they call a ‘JACK’ position. You can drop out in coverage, but can also edge rush and beat an offensive tackle off the ball and get a sack.”

While Gosnell is viewed as one of the better tight ends at his position for the 2022 class, it’s clear the Tigers hold him in higher regard as a pass-rusher.

That’s more than OK with Gosnell.

“Oh, I love it. What you can do on defense and what I love about football is hitting people and things like that,” he said. “Defense has always been super fun to me. Playing defensive end at Clemson would be a dream come true. I love the idea that they like me there.”

Brent Venables has been Gosnell’s main point of contact with Clemson. He has spoken with the Tigers’ defensive coordinator on the phone around 3-4 times, prior to his visit.

“He’s a great dude,” Gosnell said when asked to describe his relationship with Venables. “We kind of hit it off when we met in person. He’s a really upbeat guy and we kind of share that same energy and I really like that. I feel like if I were to go there, we’d have a really good relationship and be really good friends.”

He hasn’t spoken to Venables since the visit, but he has spoken with Defensive Player Development coach, Miguel Chavis.

While he doesn’t hold that coveted Clemson offer just yet, Gosnell did hear about a potential offer from Venables and Dabo Swinney.

“They want to see me play a couple more games, probably three or four more games, and evaluate my defensive film further,” Gosnell said. “That’s what Coach Swinney was talking to Coach Venables about and that’s what they kind of relayed that message to me.

“They told me at the end of the visit — I visited there for about eight hours — that they wouldn’t have spent eight hours with me, it would’ve been a waste of time for them to do that if they weren’t really considering offering me and getting into the recruitment process with me.”

Following his recent decommitment from Ohio State, Gosnell isn’t exactly in a rush to make a decision. He’s looking for his recruitment to “take care of itself.”

He confirmed to TCI that he’s definitely going to let it play into this upcoming season, but he just has to see how the recruitment process goes from there.

With that being said, what are some of the more important factors Gosnell is looking for in a school at the next level?

“Probably the main two I would say is development at my position and how well they use it,” Gosnell said. “Obviously, Clemson falls into those two categories. They develop really well and they use the edge rusher really well. 

After a great visit, Gosnell is more than ready to make a Gameday trip down to Tiger Town this season.

“They’ve already told me that they definitely want me to get down for a game and I’m definitely going to,” he said.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

4-star North Carolina defensive lineman has ‘great time’ at Clemson

Clemson has been showing interest in this four-star defensive lineman, who was finally able to make his way back on campus Friday. New Bern (N.C.) 2023 DL Keith Sampson, Jr. took in Tiger Town and was shown around by Clemson defensive tackles coach …

Clemson has been showing interest in this four-star defensive lineman, who was finally able to make his way back on campus Friday.

New Bern (N.C.) 2023 DL Keith Sampson, Jr. took in Tiger Town and was shown around by Clemson defensive tackles coach Todd Bates, defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall and defensive player development coach Miguel Chavis.

He caught up with The Clemson Insider regarding his experience.

“The visit was really good,” Sampson told TCI. “I had a great time just getting to meet the coaches. I would say my favorite part about the visit was P.A.W. Journey, just because it was something different.”

This wasn’t Sampson’s first experience at Clemson. He’s camped at Dabo Swinney Camp in the past and had an opportunity to be coached by Clemson legend Da’Quan Bowers, who is now the defensive line coach at USF.

This time around, Sampson didn’t hear much from Clemson’s coaching staff about recruiting. This was more of a get-to-know-you type visit.

“We didn’t talk football a lot, this visit was more like an introduction, but they did tell me that they like my effort on the field and the fact that I am a leader and I’m always working, Sampson said.

Clemson’s relationship with Sampson is only beginning, but the Tigers have already made him feel at home.

“It’s still new, but at the same time, they made it seem like we have known each other for years,” he said.

Sampson has that quickness and level of versatility that’s often coveted at the next level.

“I would definitely say that I am not your average D-lineman,” he said. “I feel like my IQ is better. I am adaptable and I can play multiple positions.

“I have a quick twitch, so I feel like I get off the ball [quicker] than O-lineman most of the time and my hands are good and my speed,” Sampson added.

While his playstyle would certainly fit in at Clemson, what is Sampson looking for in a school at the next level?

“There has to be a brotherhood,” Sampson said. “I wanna make sure they have a good academic program for what I want to study and I want to have a good relationship with the players because they are who I will be with most of the time.”

Clemson can certainly hang its hat on the brotherhood within the confines of its locker room.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!