Latest news with #BrentVenables
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
OU football questions for SEC media days start with Brent Venables, John Mateer
ATLANTA — There will be plenty of attention on OU football Wednesday when the Sooners make their rounds at SEC media days at the College Football Hall of Fame. Much of the focus will be on OU coach Brent Venables and quarterback John Mateer. Venables is entering a critical fourth season with plenty of uncertainty. The Sooners have finished with losing records in two of Venables' three seasons, and though the defense has improved greatly during his tenure, the offense slid significantly last season under Seth Littrell and Jackson Arnold. That led to Littrell being fired late in the season and Arnold ultimately transferring to Auburn with the hire of Ben Arbuckle as the new offensive coordinator and Mateer's transfer from Washington State. The college football landscape also continues to shift, with the House settlement and potential legislation looming over the sport and demanding nimble changes. CARLSON: Adding ninth SEC game would be financial windfall for OU football, but all isn't positive While some of the pressure of those changes was mitigated by the hiring of general manager Jim Nagy and his staff will bear much of that brunt, Venables remains the face of the program. Venables also figures to face questions about the recent announcement that athletic director Joe Castiglione will retire, including how that eventual move will affect Venables' job security. While Venables isn't likely to say much about the additional pressure of this season for him — he's repeatedly said the pressure he puts on himself every season outweighs any external pressure — there's no doubt this is a critical season for Venables' tenure. After a 6-7 finish last season, OU figures to need to show progress for Venables to remain beyond 2025. In addition to Venables and Mateer, the Sooners will be represented at the event by defensive end R Mason Thomas and safety Robert Spears-Jennings. Here are three other storylines for the Sooners entering their media days session and several other storylines for the event: More: Josh Heupel excited to have former OU football teammate Seth Littrell on Tennessee's staff How good will Ben Arbuckle, John Mateer's OU football offense be? Like most years at media days, OU football's quarterback will be the talk of the Sooners' allotted time at the event. Mateer led the country with 44 touchdowns last regular season at Washington State. Now, he and former Cougars offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle have teamed up in Norman to see if they can replicate their success in the SEC. Arbuckle and Mateer spent the spring teaching their offense that ranked 12th nationally a season ago with 38.8 points per game. OU's QB1 spoke during spring ball about how important this summer would be for continuing to build chemistry with his teammates and for his personal development. He spent time as a counselor at the Manning Academy in Louisiana and it'll be insightful to hear where he thinks the Sooners' offense is just a few weeks out from preseason camp. Coming off a historically poor offensive performance last season which culminated in Seth Littrell's firing as offensive coordinator and quarterback Jackson Arnold's transfer to Auburn, Brent Venables and OU think they've found their guys in Arbuckle and Mateer. All signs point to Mateer cementing himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC and all eyes will be on him as he makes his media days debut on Wednesday. More: OU athletics sets gifts record for 2025 fiscal year What do R Mason Thomas and Robert Spears-Jennings have to say about the Sooners' veteran defense? While OU lost Some big-time players from last year's defense in Danny Stutsman, Billy Bowman and Ethan Downs, they've still got plenty of experience and talent returning. Thomas and Spears-Jennings each made significant strides next season to help the Sooners' defense pack plenty of punch. Spears-Jennings was second on the team with 66 tackles and led the Sooners with four forced fumbles. Thomas led OU with nine sacks, four more than any other Sooners defender. While both will undoubtedly be asked about their increased leadership roles, as well as the growth of their own games, they'll also surely have plenty to say about the state of the defense as a whole and its growth since spring practices ended. More: OU to permit football tailgating on North Oval for first time during 2025 season Whose stock has risen this summer and injury updates? It's been over three months since OU's spring camp came to a close with its first-ever Crimson Combine. Every media days there is buzz around players who have taken a jump during the summer and coaches usually provide the latest updates on injuries. The Sooners have several injuries Venables will certainly be asked about including how Javonnie Gibson is progressing after breaking his leg during spring practice and if Jayden Gibson will be ready for the season. Eli Bowen and Kendel Dolby have been rehabbing and Venables will surely provide an update on their statuses. OU also received a few transfers following spring camp including offensive lineman Jake Maikkula and kicker Tate Sandell, and it'll be interesting to hear how their summers have been. More: Adding ninth SEC game would be financial windfall for OU football, but all isn't positive Other storylines to watch for at SEC media days How Jackson Arnold is fitting in at Auburn: Arnold will represent the Tigers at media days as their QB1. What he'll say about his time at OU, his offseason and his expectations at Auburn will be fascinating. SEC folks' reactions to Joe Castiglione's retirement news: The most significant story of the Sooners' offseason will be a hot topic. Castiglione is one of the most respected athletic directors in the country. Arch Manning mania: While OU feels like it has found its difference-maker at quarterback, no player in the country will have more expectations on him than Manning. Brenen Thompson's reunion with Jeff Lebby: It'll be interesting to hear former Sooners wide receiver Brenen Thompson's thoughts on playing under Jeff Lebby again at Mississippi State and his reflections on his time at OU. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football questions for SEC media days start with Brent Venables
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Oklahoma Sooners predicted to finish 10th in the SEC
SEC Media Days 2025 have come to an end. A busy week in Atlanta served as the unofficial start for the season, with Week 1 six short weeks and a fall camp away on the calendar. The Oklahoma Sooners are eager to make up for last year's disappointing performance, and they've made numerous changes this offseason to ensure that the 2024 season never repeats itself. However, it doesn't appear that many in SEC circles believe it'll make a difference. The league released its annual SEC Preseason Media Poll, with the predicted order of finish, offering a lot of insight into what the media thinks about each team heading into the year. OU was picked to finish in 10th place in the conference by the media, although they received three votes for SEC Champion. In the poll, the Sooners are sandwiched between Tennessee and Auburn. Oklahoma will play six of the top nine teams in the projected standings in Texas, Alabama, LSU, South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. OU's entire conference schedule (eight games) includes teams in the top twelve, with Auburn and Missouri rounding things out. For comparison, Texas plays four of the top twelve teams in the poll. Of the bottom seven teams in the conference, Auburn and Missouri are the only ones OU will see in 2025. On the other hand, Texas was picked to win the SEC this year. The Longhorns play just three of the top nine projected teams in Georgia, Florida, and Texas A&M. Their conference schedule sees the Longhorns play just one team in the top four, while OU faces three. The 'Horns play five of the bottom seven teams in the standings (including Oklahoma), and they face all four of the teams who got the least votes in Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Mississippi State. All schedules are the same as they were in 2024, just with host teams flipped in 2025. That kind of scheduling inequality from the SEC is what has helped Texas leap back to the top of college football after almost a decade and a half of mediocrity, and it has helped push the Sooners down after a quarter-century of high-level football in Norman. The two Red River rivals entered the SEC at the same time, but they didn't enter into the same arena when it came to opposition. As a result, the Longhorns have been projected to win the conference, partially on the back of a laughably easy conference schedule again, while Oklahoma is picked to finish 10th with one of the more difficult schedules in the nation again. The Sooners addressed the gauntlet of a schedule and the overall expectations of playing at OU multiple times at SEC media days. Oklahoma has never been a program that backs down from a fight, and they'll have plenty on their hands in 2025. Let's see if Brent Venables and his team can prove the SEC media wrong this season. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X@Aaron_Gelvin.
The Herald Scotland
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Florida, Oklahoma could test College Football Playoff committee
"I don't have control over" the schedule, Napier said in May as we chatted in a hotel basement during the SEC's spring meetings. Hard to imagine any coach asking for a schedule like the one Napier's Gators will play. Florida will face seven teams expected to be ranked in the preseason US LBM Coaches poll. With non-conference games against Miami and Florida State in the mix, the Gators are one of three SEC teams that will play 10 games against Power Four competition. "Big-picture wise, it can be an advantage or a disadvantage," Napier said of the schedule, "based off" how the College Football Playoff committee makes its at-large selections. Oklahoma's Brent Venables can relate. His Sooners will face seven, maybe even eight, teams likely to be ranked in the preseason Top 25. Florida and Oklahoma serve as a backbone of the SEC's quest for the playoff committee to more heavily weight strength of schedule when making at-large selections. The SEC continued its strength-of-schedule drumbeat this week during the conference's media days. PRESSURE POINTS: Alabama, Kalen DeBoer face big questions in post-Saban era GO TIME: Auburn's Freeze ends excuses, but is he ready for expectations? Why Florida, Oklahoma could challenge playoff committee The SEC positioned three 9-3 teams for playoff consideration last season based on schedule strength, but neither Alabama, Mississippi nor South Carolina earned selection. On paper, at least, Florida and Oklahoma will endure a more intense gantlet than those 9-3 SEC teams navigated in 2024. A 9-3 team from the SEC qualifying for the playoff would vindicate the conference's relentless messaging campaign touting its strength of schedule and as it implores the committee to more heavily weight those metrics. In truth, the committee traditionally values the SEC's strength of schedule, but Alabama, Ole Miss and South Carolina each presented resumes that were too flawed a year ago. Also, it became difficult to distinguish which of those three 9-3 teams most deserved playoff consideration. The committee opted for none of them. Lessons from Alabama, Ole Miss not earning playoff selection I thought the committee erred by awarding the final at-large bid to SMU, which lacked a signature victory despite its 11-2 record, but I didn't interpret the committee's choice as a rule that it would never take a three-loss SEC team instead of a one- or two-loss team from another conference. Florida and Oklahoma, with their capable lineups but daunting schedules, are candidates to become the playoff's first 9-3 qualifier. Each touts one of the nation's most talented quarterbacks, in Florida's DJ Lagway and Oklahoma's John Mateer, a Washington State transfer. Mateer highlighted Oklahoma's portal plunder that transformed its roster after a losing season. Alabama, too, could present a more compelling playoff case if it finished at 9-3 this season, compared to its three-loss resume from 2024. The Crimson Tide will play 10 Power Four opponents, after facing nine last year. Two of Alabama's three losses last season came against teams that finished the regular season 6-6. Ole Miss, like Alabama, secured a marquee victory against Georgia, but the Rebels lost at home to woebegone Kentucky. Strength of schedule influences the committee's rankings, but losses to bad or mediocre teams become an anchor on a resume. Interestingly, Oklahoma and Florida landed crippling blows to SEC's quest for four playoff bids last year, by upsetting Alabama and Ole Miss, respectively, in late November. Let Alabama and Ole Miss be a lesson for Florida and Oklahoma: If you must lose, don't lose to the weaker teams on your schedule. Score some wins against Top 25 opponents, let your strength of schedule work for you, and don't lose to Vanderbilt or Kentucky. Oklahoma won't need to worry about that last point. Its schedule includes neither Kentucky, nor Vanderbilt, nor any SEC opponent that's expected to finish among the bottom four of the conference standings. Oklahoma's schedule amounts to "the biggest challenge in all of college football," Venables said on the SEC Network in December. That's not hyperbole. I could say the schedules staring down Florida and Oklahoma seem engineered to get a coach fired. Alternatively, they're also designed to nudge a team that finishes 9-3 into the playoff. Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@ and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Five takeaways from Oklahoma's updated roster ahead of fall camp
The Oklahoma Sooners released an updated roster for the 2025 season this week with just a few weeks until fall camp. With six weeks remaining until Week 1, when OU will take on FCS Illinois State, there is still the potential for minor things to change between now and then. However, for the most part, OU's current roster is the one they will take into a pivotal 2025 campaign, one that is crucial for the program's future and the future of head coach Brent Venables. The Sooners went 6-7 in Venables' third year at the helm in 2024. That included a 2-6 record in the Southeastern Conference in Year 1 in the new league. Obviously, that isn't even close to being good enough at a program that is used to playing for conference and national championships. Needless to say, things needed to change in a major way. New general manager Jim Nagy is already putting his fingerprints on the program with new front office hires, and coaching staff changes have occurred at key spots since the regular season concluded in late-November. That doesn't even get into the roster changes that have happened over the offseason. So today, we'll take a closer look at the five biggest takeaways from Oklahoma's updated roster heading into fall camp for the 2025 season. 1. Roster turnover At the close of the regular season last year, Oklahoma had a total of 127 players on the roster. Since then, they've lost a total of 61 players to either the transfer portal, the NFL Draft, the loss of remaining eligibility, or walk-ons who no longer had a spot. They've added a total of 45 players via either high school recruiting, the transfer portal, or walk-ons, and they return 66 players from the '24 squad. That leaves them with 111 total players in July. Oklahoma has 54 offensive players, 50 defensive players, and seven special teams players. The lower overall number is due to increased stipulations regarding how many players each team can have on their roster. Some players are being grandfathered in due to the recent House settlement, which will eventually lower the roster limit to 105 players. Even in today's world of college football, where NIL and the transfer portal run rampant, that's pretty heavy turnover for the Sooners. But that turnover may not be a bad thing, as an overall record under .500 again in 2024 and only a .250 winning percentage in the SEC is a far cry from the standard that has been set in Norman. There's plenty of new blood, and that's a good thing. Another big-picture indicator of OU's roster churn: Only one player remains on the 2025 roster that was on Lincoln Riley's final roster in 2021. That's veteran reserve wide receiver Major Melson, a super-senior this year. This is truly a Brent Venables team in every way now. 2. Spring additions The Sooners had an eventful spring, as there are plenty of new faces on the roster that weren't a part of spring ball in Norman. Offensively, the Sooners added running back Jaydn Ott, offensive lineman Jake Maikkula, wide receiver Jer'Michael Carter, and quarterback Whitt Newbauer to the fold. Ott is the headliner of that group. Defensively, OU brought in defensive lineman Siolaa Lolohea and linebacker Reed DeQuasie via the transfer portal. The Sooners also added some late enrollees in defensive lineman C.J. Nickson and linebackers Marcus James, Elgee Webster, and Barrett Travis. Additionally, Oklahoma signed former UTSA kicker Tate Sandell, who has a chance to start right away at the position. However, the Sooners also lost pieces this spring as well. Tight end Davon Mitchell, defensive backs Mykel Patterson-McDonald and Peter Schuh, running backs Sam Franklin and Gavin Sawchuk, and offensive lineman Josh Aisosa all entered the transfer portal. Defensive back Jocelyn Malaska initially entered the spring portal but withdrew and remains on the OU roster. Oklahoma also had a re-shuffling in their depth pieces at quarterback. Cole Gonzales, who signed with the Sooners in the winter portal window and went through spring ball with OU, re-entered the portal in the spring and landed with Pitt. Oklahoma got a portal commitment from Gavin Frakes, but he never signed with the Sooners, and wound up flipping to Northwestern. That leaves John Mateer, Michael Hawkins Jr., Whitt Newbauer and Jett Niu as the four quarterbacks the Sooners will bring into the 2025 season. 3. There's the beef Part of Venables' mission when he took over for Riley was to get the defense back on track, yes. But the mission was also to get the Sooners ready for the SEC, a league where trench warfare is the name of the game. One spot where it's obvious that the philosophy has changed is at the defensive tackle position. Charlie S, who covers the Sooners for The Football Brainiacs, illustrated that in a recent post on X (formerly Twitter). Oklahoma's heaviest defensive tackle in 2020, the second-to-last year under Riley and former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, weighed 297 pounds. In 2025, the Sooners have seven DTs heavier than that, four years into the Venables era. That's what had to happen, or Oklahoma was going to get beaten up physically at the point of attack in the SEC. Furthermore, defensive tackle looks like it'll be one of OU's biggest strengths again in 2025. The group of Jayden Jackson, Damonic Williams, Gracen Halton and David Stone wants to push people around at the line of scrimmage this year. 4. Looking for offensive stars Quarterback John Mateer and running back Jaydn Ott are the two biggest names on OU's revamped offense this year, and both were portal additions. But the portal also hit the Sooners hard when it came to some big offensive names, so Oklahoma is looking for other players to step up in Ben Arbuckle's offense. The Sooners are no strangers to having superstars on offense, especially since 1999. In the last 26 seasons, they've had four Heisman Trophy winners (Jason White, Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray) and four other players who were Heisman finalists, but didn't win the award (Josh Heupel, Adrian Peterson, Dede Westbrook, and Jalen Hurts). Additionally, Oklahoma has had plenty of other All-America and all-conference players who helped put points on the board in bunches. But the 2025 Sooners are still searching for their standouts on the offensive side of the ball next to their new backfield tandem. Behind Ott, the Sooners would love to get a breakout season from one of their homegrown running backs like Jovantae Barnes, Xavier Robinson or Taylor Tatum. None will be expected to carry the load, but a backup to take some of the load off the Cal transfer would certainly help. When it comes to pass-catchers, wide receiver Deion Burks is a guy to watch if he can stay healthy. The same goes for Jayden Gibson and Javonnie Gibson, who could unlock the offense if they perform well. Jer'Michael Carter's addition in the spring gives OU another big body who could make some noise in the red zone. At tight end, the Sooners would love Will Huggins or Carson Kent to give the offense a reliable option there. Along the offensive line, Troy Everett and Derek Simmons are veterans for Bill Bedenbaugh to lean on at center and right tackle, but there are plenty of intriguing options at all five positions to work with for the veteran coach. OU's backfield duo figures to be great this year. But they'll need help in order to get the job done. 5. Time to shine for '22 class Last year on defense, it was Oklahoma's standouts from the 2021 recruiting class that led the way. The trio of Danny Stutsman, Billy Bowman Jr. and Ethan Downs were the big name leaders for Venables heading into the SEC. With those players off to the NFL, the buck has been passed to the remaining members of the 2022 recruiting class, Venables' first as a head coach. Most of the key players remaining are defensive stalwarts, but the Sooners do return running back Jovantae Barnes, wide receiver Jayden Gibson, tight ends Kaden Helms and Jaren Kanak and offensive linemen Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor. But with all that production and leadership lost defensively, it's time for Venables' 2022 class to take the reins. Defensive linemen Gracen Halton and R Mason Thomas, linebackers Kip Lewis and Kobie McKinzie and defensive backs Robert Spears-Jennings and Gentry Williams look like they're up to the task, as each decided to stay in Norman this offseason. Once upon a time, Oklahoma was built on punishing, nasty defenses. The Sooners are getting back to that under Venables, who now hopes he's made the right moves to get the offense back up to snuff heading into a very important 2025 season. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
John Mateer earns high praise as Oklahoma enters new era, hoping to return to high Sooners standards
ATLANTA (AP) — The Oklahoma Sooners, a storied program with a legacy of seven national championships, have faced uncharacteristic struggles in recent years. After two 6-7 seasons in three years and a 13th-place finish in the SEC under coach Brent Venables, the Sooners hope to get back on track this season. New quarterback John Mateer, who transferred from Washington State, plays a key role in the program's plan to return to the top. Months into his tenure, he's earning praise from coaches and teammates alike. 'This is a guy that wants to win at the highest level. A connector. A guy that leads from the front. As he plays the game, he looks like he's in fast forward a lot of times. A great competitor. Super athletic. Throws the ball really well on the run. Makes a lot of good decisions,' Venables said at SEC Media Days on Wednesday. A strong quarterback is a key ingredient in the Sooners' past success. The QB room in Norman has had a star-studded lineup this decade, led by Heisman winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, first-overall pick Caleb Williams and dominant college QBs Spencer Rattler and Dillon Gabriel. High expectations coupled with an injured receiving corps proved to be an unfavorable combination for freshman Jackson Arnold, who transferred to SEC opponent Auburn after quarterbacking the Sooners' offense in 2024. Venables chose Mateer and defensive playmakers Robert Spears-Jennings and R Mason Thomas to represent the program at SEC Media Days in Atlanta. Despite being on different ends of the field, Spears-Jennings and Thomas have identified Mateer's seamless transition into Norman and the traits that make him an ideal leader. 'He's integrated himself into the team smoothly. If he says he's anxious or he was a little nervous, he didn't look like he was to me," Thomas said. "It felt like he'd been here for four years.' Mateer isn't the only newcomer. Oklahoma picked up key pieces in the transfer portal and added five new coaches. One of those new coaches worked with Mateer as an offensive coordinator and QB coach at Washington State, Ben Arbuckle. 'I feel like with Arbuckle and John, they bring a different type of swag with them. I feel like our whole offense has embodied their swag and energy because once they score a touchdown, their whole side is over there running, celebrating with the guys, and that's what you need. You need energy. I feel like these guys here love playing football," said Spears-Jennings. Arbuckle is one of the reasons for the quarterback's smooth transition. Instead of learning a new offense, Mateer built relationships with his new teammates. 'I was fortunate because I didn't have to learn a whole new offense. I was able to take time to learn the players that I was going to play with and build relationships with them in the locker room, hang out and help them learn the offense,' Mateer said. 'Building relationships is the most important thing to leading. You can't lead people you don't know.' ___ AP college football:
