It’s a new era for the Oklahoma Sooners, and the biggest change comes on the defensive side of the ball. Brent Venables and a new defensive staff look to take the Oklahoma Sooners back into the top 10 of the national rankings.
One position group that will benefit greatly from the transition to Venables and his group of coaches is the defensive line. During Venables’ time as the defensive coordinator for the Clemson Tigers, their sack leader had double-digit sacks four times. Only once did a Clemson Tiger have fewer than eight sacks.
For comparison, in 2021, Nik Bonitto and Isaiah Thomas each had seven sacks. Back in 2015 for the Clemson Tigers, Kevin Dodd and Shaq Lawson had 12.5 sacks a piece.
Jalen Redmond, Reggie Grimes, Marcus Stripling, Ethan Downs and other defensive linemen will benefit greatly from the hiring of Venables and the additions of Todd Bates and Miguel Chavis.
To look forward and create expectations