NORMAN, Okla. — Brent Venables, getting into his third season as Oklahoma’s soccer coach, is not one to make predictions.
However he’s an enormous believer in terms of expertise — each his expertise within the teaching career and his group’s expertise. He instructed ESPN on Monday that prime to backside, this has been essentially the most aggressive offseason the Sooners have had since his arrival in Norman.
“We have essentially the most depth of leaders that we have had, and that is the primary yr we’ve got guys who will probably be happening their third yr in this system,” Venables stated. “That is an enormous a part of constructing a steady, sturdy, constant setting and constructing a group.”
The Sooners, who’re making the transfer to the SEC this yr, improved from 6-7 to 10-3 within the second season underneath Venables. He is aware of firsthand what championship groups seem like. He was Clemson’s defensive coordinator on its 2016 and 2018 nationwide championship groups. And whereas he is not suggesting Oklahoma has reached that standing, he stated he has seen sufficient of this membership to know it is shifting in the proper path. The Sooners will wrap up spring observe on Saturday with their annual spring recreation.
“It goes all the way in which again to my days with Invoice Snyder,” stated Venables, who performed for Snyder at Kansas State and later labored underneath him with the Wildcats for six seasons. “Having these sturdy, skilled voices has been part of each good locker room that I have been round and each profitable setting that I have been round. That is a foundational factor, and it might be that approach for any kind of enterprise.”
Two of the most important wins this offseason for OU had been getting again linebacker Danny Stutsman and security Billy Bowman Jr. for the 2024 marketing campaign after they each contemplated going professional.
Stutsman, who led the Sooners with 16 tackles for loss, initially determined that he was getting into the NFL draft earlier than altering his thoughts. However when he went to sleep that evening, he stated one thing simply did not really feel proper. Particularly, he could not abdomen the considered leaving Oklahoma with out ever having gained a championship.
“Earlier than I bought right here, Oklahoma gained six Huge 12 championships in a row,” stated Stutsman, a third-team Related Press All-American final season. “Coming right here, you discovered how exhausting it truly is to do one thing like that. I need to get Oklahoma again on that path. That is what the usual is. You go searching in our indoor facility and all you see are banners. That is motivation each single day for us. These guys that’ve been right here on this program, the fellows coming in, we’re very hungry. We’re malnourished.
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“There’s not quite a lot of jewellery in my trophy case proper now.”
The Sooners began 7-0 final season and beat Texas 34-30 on Oct. 7, however they closed October by falling to Kansas 38-33 and misplaced per week later to Oklahoma State 27-24 within the final Bedlam Sequence recreation for the foreseeable future. Additionally they misplaced to Arizona of their bowl recreation.
Venables has preached consistency ever since final season ended, particularly on protection.
in 2023, Oklahoma confirmed enchancment on protection from its first season underneath Venables. The Sooners ranked forty eighth nationally in scoring protection (23.5 factors per recreation) after rating 99th in 2022 (30 factors per recreation). Nevertheless, in two of their three losses in 2023, they allowed 38 factors, they usually additionally gave up 45 factors in a win over TCU to finish the common season.
“Danny and Billy are again and invested in Oklahoma for all the proper causes, which units a tone,” Venables stated. “There is a continuity facet of it too. However one of the best groups, finest gamers and finest items are constant. If there’s one thing you are going to be good at, you higher be constant. And that facet of the ball [defense], particularly, was every little thing however constant.”
Anticipate a brand new search for Oklahoma on offense, together with first-year beginning quarterback Jackson Arnold. And with Jeff Lebby shifting to Mississippi State as head coach, former North Texas head coach Seth Littrell strikes over from analyst to offensive coordinator. What’s extra, OU’s offensive line will probably be fully rebuilt after dropping six linemen from a season in the past who made begins.
Arnold performed within the Alamo Bowl towards Arizona and handed for 361 yards and two touchdowns, however he additionally threw three interceptions. Now that there is not any query he’s the starter with Dillon Gabriel transferring to Oregon, Arnold has emerged as extra of a frontrunner this spring, maybe not a lot vocally however by the way in which he has carried himself on the observe area.
“It is like all chief. You do not anoint management,” Venables stated. “Management, to me, is motion. It isn’t a title. It isn’t a place. It is motion, and Jackson has been a doer. He is a employee. He is fearless. He will get out in entrance. He is increasingly more comfy in entrance of the fellows, and he is powerful on himself, demanding of himself.
“He has broad shoulders and brings out one of the best in folks.”
Arnold spent the primary a part of his childhood within the Atlanta space and was an enormous College of Georgia fan, so he’s pumped to be taking part in within the SEC. He stated he additionally is worked up to see what he says will probably be a extra explosive model of Oklahoma’s offense this season.
“We’ll take photographs,” Arnold stated. “We’ll throw the ball across the yard, however Coach Littrell needs to be very dominant within the run recreation too, which I like as a result of it enhances our go recreation. We have some playmakers that may go catch the ball, catch the ball 2 yards from the road of scrimmage and take it to the home.”
Venables, whose first Oklahoma group in 2022 misplaced 5 of its seven video games by seven factors or fewer, stated he has a greater really feel for this group of gamers. He stated the roster solely modified by about 30% this offseason, whereas it modified by 50% throughout every of the earlier two offseasons.
“There’s nonetheless quite a lot of work to do, and that is the offseason, summertime, fall camp and our gamers’ dedication in the summertime,” Venables stated. “This group’s bought large potential, however this can be a recreation of efficiency and a recreation of doing, not a recreation of speaking and potential. We have to have an amazing offseason, and the extent of our dedication will decide what kind of group that we will have and be capable to compete week in and week out in a convention that may be unforgiving.”