Tag: Oklahoma Sooners 2024

Takeaways from Brent Venables’ comments during first day of the SEC era

Oklahoma’s head coach had plenty of positivity on ESPN with Paul Finebaum on SEC moving day in Norman.

Oklahoma Sooners head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] was adamant about the past, present and future of the OU football program as the Sooners became official [autotag]SEC[/autotag] members on Monday.

Venables joined ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum on the SEC Network live from Norman as the SEC celebration festivities were in full bloom. If anyone needed selling on the Oklahoma football legacy, Venables made an extremely compelling argument.

“We’re one of the top five legendary, iconic, winningest programs in the history of college football,” Venables said on “The Paul Finebaum Show.” “This is a program, whether it’s the 47-game winning streak or the most conference championships in the history of college football. The national championships, all the Heisman Trophy winners. The countless players that are now in the Hall of Fame, both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. The consensus All-Americans, you start going through all the draft picks, things of that nature, this program stands on its own two legs.”

But Venables wasn’t only excited about what has already happened in Norman. He exuded the promise that the Sooners have in the here-and-now as well as down the road.

Venables began with his offense, speaking on his new quarterback, sophomore [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag].

“I love where we’re at,” Venables said. “We’ve got tremendous experience coming back at the skill positions. Certainly Jackson, this’ll be his first full season. Jackson is as talented a player as there is in college football. He’s a winner. He’s won his whole life. Smart guy, great instincts. He’s got tremendous skill, he’s got great toughness to him. He can run it, he can throw it. Again, this is a game of development. … Wherever he ended the season in his first collegiate start, he’ll be on another planet. My expectation of where we start at the beginning of the year, he’ll develop and get better. He’s tough, he’s got great self-awareness to him. He’s got all the traits that allow you to have to kind of go through it, both the good and the bad, and he responds to adversity. Just a tremendous leader and players play hard for him.”

Venables was then asked about his calling card: the defense.

“We’ve made steady improvement,” Venables said. “It’s been incremental. It can’t ever happen fast enough. You’re never satisfied. But this will be Year 3. First time that we’ve had third-year players in our system, give or take seven or eight starters back, so we have some experience within our schemes.”

The third-year head coach lauded the attitude of his players and the attention to detail that is becoming the culture at OU.

“We’ve developed in the weight room, this’ll be going on our third year, so that’s the weight room, that’s nutrition, that’s recovery – all those areas that are incredibly important. But I love our buy-in, the investment that our players have in that locker room. This is a very highly invested team. Several guys chose to come back. They wanted to help lead us. There’s multi-layered reasons guys want to come back, but one of the reasons is to leave your mark. They have an opportunity to do that going into the SEC with a group of guys that are tough, hard-working guys. Really exciting.”

Venables also didn’t bite when questioned about the public perception that the rival Texas Longhorns are ahead of OU leaving the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] and entering the SEC.

“This is a program that’s been established for a very, very long time. We don’t look at other programs to try to compare ourselves. Doesn’t do us any good. We focus inside out. That’s what we need to do to be an SEC championship-caliber football program. So that’s where our focus is,” Venables said.

These comments, and others, show the alignment of the football leadership at Oklahoma, firmly invested in preserving the rich history of the Sooners. They also show that, though nationally the Sooners aren’t predicted to make a run this year, their head coach isn’t focused on the outside noise.

Venables may finally have enough of the right pieces in place to make another leap in 2024. He’s also building up the future of the program, and the folks in charge are dedicated to doing whatever it takes to win at a high level in the SEC.

Venables has seen what a national championship program looks like in the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] era, winning two national titles as the defensive coordinator at Clemson in 2016 and 2018. The Tigers went toe-to-toe with the SEC’s biggest bully (Alabama) and have the hardware to show a couple of victories. He’s also seen what it can look like in Norman, as the defensive coordinator on the 2000 national title team. His statements to the frontman of ESPN’s SEC coverage illustrate the mindset and the culture that he’s obsessed with building at Oklahoma.

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Former Sooners edge rusher Reggie Grimes commits to Memphis

The former defensive end for the Sooners committed to Memphis after a stint in the transfer portal.

Former Oklahoma Sooners football defensive end [autotag]Reggie Grimes II[/autotag] is going back to his home state to continue his college career. He committed to the Memphis Tigers late Sunday night.

Grimes hails from Brentwood, Tennessee and was a four-star prospect according to 247Sports in the 2020 recruiting class for Oklahoma. Grimes committed to [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Grinch[/autotag] in late November of 2019, and spent four seasons as a Sooner, the last two of which were under the direction of [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag].

 

Grimes was a two year starter at defensive end for Oklahoma, and his best season came in 2022, when he tallied 4.5 sacks and nineteen tackles. He entered the transfer portal in December, after a redshirt year in 2023, and arrives in Memphis for head coach Ryan Silverfield with two years of eligibility remaining.

As it stands, the other former Sooners still searching for a home in the transfer portal are quarterbacks [autotag]General Booty[/autotag] and Jacob Switzer, linebackers [autotag]Shane Whitter[/autotag] and Konnor Near and tight end Hayden Bray.

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Oklahoma’s defensive line holds the keys to Sooners’ present and future

The Sooners went to work in recruiting and portaling the defensive line position this offseason. If it pays off, Oklahoma could begin to become a top-flight contender again.

It’s been about two-and-a-half years since [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] became the head football coach for the Oklahoma Sooners. In that time, he and his staff have diligently worked to build the program the right way after stripping it down to the studs in 2022.

A focus on toughness, discipline and complimentary football arrived in Norman on Dec. 5, 2021. Though there were growing pains in a 6-7 first year, the Sooners bounced back with a 10-3 mark in 2023. As the program enters the SEC, the challenge grows.

All of the preview magazines and national pundits will agree that one of the biggest keys to OU’s success in 2024 is the development of the offensive line. While that is absolutely the case in Year 1 in the SEC, it’s the guys on the other side of the ball that hold the keys to the future in Norman.

The Sooners have added some bona fide talent to the defensive line since the conclusion of last season via high school recruiting and the [autotag]transfer porta[/autotag]l. These are the players who will develop under Venables, [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag] and [autotag]Miguel Chavis[/autotag] to form the future core of the Oklahoma Sooners defense.

Let’s start with high school recruiting and focus on the five defensive linemen that Venables and Co. brought in. The 2024 recruiting class on the D-line is quite simply the future of football in Norman, with five-star defensive tackle [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] leading the way.

Stone hails from IMG Academy in Florida and was the linchpin of the ’24 class. His recruitment was a wild one, but the Sooners won in the end for the interior force. He was the highest ranked defensive tackle to sign with OU in the “star era,” and is maybe the best indication that Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch no longer reside in the state of Oklahoma.

[autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag] is a four-star player from Melissa, Texas, who committed to the Sooners in September. He figures to play inside and on the edge, filling multiple roles on the defensive line. North Texas high school football is filled with all kinds of talent all over the field, and Smith more than held his own against excellent competition.

Also slotting in the interior defensive line will be [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag], Stone’s teammate at IMG Academy. He has been locked in with OU since July and was perhaps the most impressive of the five in spring football, according to reports. Jackson took reps with the starters in the spring game.

Moving outside, [autotag]Wyatt Gilmore[/autotag] hails from Minnesota and was the first piece of the puzzle to fall into place with his June commitment. The four-star is still adding weight to his frame, but he plays with a high motor and intensity that will make him a favorite of Chavis.

More: Damonic Williams, Defense makes OU a contender

The final piece of that puzzle came in the form of four-star edge [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag] from Tulsa. The edge-rusher committed a couple of weeks after Smith and should pair nicely with players such as [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag] when it comes to pinning their ears back and rushing the passer.

While high school recruiting forms the base, the portal plugs holes. The staff was active in both the winter and spring windows.

[autotag]Jermayne Lole[/autotag] comes in after transferring from Louisville to help on the interior of the defensive line. At 6-foot-3, 310, Lole already has the measurables of an SEC lineman, which the Sooners have to have present. He had elite production at Arizona State before injuries limited Lole over the previous few seasons. As a true sophomore in 2019, Lole recorded 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. If he can regain that form that put him on NFL draft radars, the Sooners have an elite presence in the middle of their defensive line.

Edge rusher [autotag]Caiden Woullard[/autotag] arrives in Norman after a stint at Miami (Ohio), and was 247Sports’ fourth-ranked edge in the portal class. Last season for the Red Hawks, Woullard recorded 12 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.

But perhaps the best indication that the Sooners are gaining traction is the transfer portal win that will bring [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag] to Owen Field this fall.

Even with the Venables’ arrival, the Sooners had been left at the altar by some notable defensive line names like David Hicks and Williams Nwaneri. But, Oklahoma simply refused to be bullied by SEC dollars this go-around in the early May saga that was Williams’ recruitment. The Sooners wanted him, and the tandem of Venables and Bates did whatever it took to get that “all-in” poker chip.

This development speaks volumes. The Sooners are beginning to play with the big boys in the NIL world of college football. Additionally, the reputations of Venables, Bates, Chavis, and the rest of the staff will certainly help sway players to be developed in Norman.

If Oklahoma wants to play ball with programs like Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, LSU, Ohio State, and Michigan (all teams with CFP championships), then the Sooners will need to continue this philosophy all over the roster. Along the defensive line is where it will be the most pivotal.

Defense win championships in college football, and that is doubly true in the SEC, where the trenches quite literally win or lose football games. Complimentary football is a must, as a great offense and subpar defense can only get you so far. A complete roster is the only way to capture a championship in this sport. The offense has to be lethal. The defense has to be suffocating.

Luckily, Oklahoma seems to have the right man at the wheel. If this new aggressive name, image and likeness licensing philosophy continues to emerge, Venables could be bringing all kinds of talented players to the Sooner State.

His 2024 defensive line acquisitions are a great way to start.

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Oklahoma Sooners quarterback room will look completely different in 2024

The Sooners have almost completely restacked the quarterback room going into their first season in the SEC.

In early December, Oklahoma’s starting quarterback for the last two seasons, [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], announced he was entering the transfer portal.

Gabriel saw the writing on the wall that it was former five-star [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]’s time to take the reins under center for the Sooners. Gabriel transferred to Oregon to play the final year of his college career.

While Gabriel was certainly OU’s most notable loss in the portal at the QB spot, his was just the first of many departures that have completely reshuffled Oklahoma’s quarterback depth chart.

But let’s start at the beginning. Last season’s quarterback room in Norman consisted of Dillon Gabriel, Jackson Arnold, [autotag]Davis Beville[/autotag], [autotag]General Booty[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacob Switzer[/autotag].

Gabriel’s departure wasn’t even the first domino to fall. Former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] was hired to be the head coach at Mississippi State in late November. So, regardless of the portal or recruiting, a different voice was going to call the shots on offense.

[autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] were promoted to co-offensive coordinators. Finley is still serving as the tight ends coach, and Littrell is expected to be the play-caller and quarterbacks coach. Additionally, offensive analyst [autotag]Matt Wells[/autotag], who has experience coaching quarterbacks and as an offensive coordinator, was hired away by Chris Klieman to coach QBs for Kansas State in January.

Arnold stuck with the Sooners after Lebby’s departure. By doing so, ehe stablished himself as the starter until he decides to leave Norman. Seemingly, this was the plan all along.

But the QB room has changed around Arnold. From the coach in charge to the players behind the highly-touted sophomore.

After Lebby took the job in Starkville and Gabriel moved to Eugene, the next exit came courtesy of Beville. The former backup transferred to South Carolina after two seasons at OU.

Switzer, the fifth-string quarterback and grandson of [autotag]Barry Switzer[/autotag], entered the portal in April, having spent only 2023 as a Sooner.

And, finally, first-ballot all-name team Hall of Famer and name, image and likeness legend General Booty, entered the transfer portal on May 5. That leaves Arnold as the only player left from the 2023 quarterback room still on the roster.

Though the departures have changed things, the argument could be made that the Sooners have more talent overall under center than they did in November when the regular season ended.

First, the Sooners added two quarterbacks as part of the 2024 recruiting class: [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] out of Texas and [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag] out of Ohio.

Hawkins is the more highly touted of the two, and has a chance to be the future of the program after Arnold’s time is up. However, Zurbrugg was a very good prospect. He’ll compete for snaps when given the opportunity. Though both are young, they offer potential and talent for the future of the position.

But Littrell needed a veteran backup behind Arnold to offer stability in case of injury, so the Sooners went and picked up [autotag]Casey Thompson[/autotag] in the transfer portal by way of FAU.

Thompson is OU royalty by way of (most notably) his father [autotag]Charles Thompson[/autotag] and his older brother [autotag]Kendal Thompson[/autotag]. Casey made stops at Texas and Nebraska before his time at Florida Atlantic. He brings six seasons of college football experience to Oklahoma. He carved up the OU defense in the fabled 2021 Red River Rivalry game, holding his own on a field with two five-star quarterbacks in crimson and cream.

In addition, the Sooners have an extremely strong commitment from [autotag]Kevin Sperry[/autotag] in the 2025 class. He will likely compete with Hawkins Jr. (and possibly Zurbrugg) for the starting spot going into the 2026 season if all goes as [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and the coaching staff think it will.

To recap, we’re just over five months removed from the regular-season finale against TCU, and the quarterback room looks vastly different. As it stands, the Sooners will take Jackson Arnold, Casey Thompson, Michael Hawkins Jr. and Brendan Zurbrugg into the 2024 season.

But this is Jackson Arnold’s time to be the face of Oklahoma Sooners football, an opportunity he’s relished and prepared for for years. He is now the most tenured player in the QB room. It’s one more way that the OU faithful will be counting on him to lead the way in 2024 and beyond.

Fortunately, the reshuffling at the position looks to have been a success from a talent acquisition standpoint and quarterback is a strong point for the Sooners heading into Year 3 of the Venables era and Year 1 in the SEC.

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