Latest news with #JimNagy
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
College football writer thinks new Oklahoma Sooners GM will be a home run
The Oklahoma Sooners made a very big hire this offseason when they brought in Jim Nagy as their new general manager. Nagy previously ran the Senior Bowl, but he's got plenty of experience in NFL circles and was a huge get for OU. Oklahoma needed a new general manager and a new direction when it came to player evaluation and player acquisition. Nagy offers both, as the Sooners have altered the way they view high school recruiting, NIL and the transfer portal in the months that Nagy has been on staff. The new GM has also shifted Oklahoma's front office model, making plenty of new hires this offseason. It was a bold move for the Sooners, but one that the program and its fan base are hoping will work out. After six straight conference titles and four College Football Playoff trips from 2015 to 2020, OU has fallen behind in the four years since, as the portal and name, image, and likeness have changed the game more than Oklahoma thought they would. The Sooners haven't played for a conference championship in the last four years, went through a coaching change, and haven't gotten all that close to the CFP. Nagy has been hired to fix all of that on the player acquisition side of things where Oklahoma has slipped behind the pack. He's also going to be managing the new revenue-sharing era of college football in the near future. Brad Crawford, who covers college football for CBS Sports, believes the Sooners nailed it with the Nagy hire and that things will pan out in a positive way for Oklahoma. He made one bold prediction for each SEC team this week and believes that Nagy will be tabbed as the conference's best offseason hire. How often does someone in an off-the-field role take center stage in the SEC? The general manager position is rapidly gaining importance in college football. We're likely to see that evolution accelerate this season, thanks in part to the success already shown by Oklahoma with the arrival of Jim Nagy. He brings nearly two decades of personnel and scouting experience to Norman, drawn from the NFL and his time as executive director of the Senior Bowl. Most importantly, Nagy is coach Brent Venables' designated talent evaluator -- tasked with managing the roster and identifying the right personnel fits for what Oklahoma wants to build on both sides of the ball. - Brad Crawford, CBS Sports. Nagy's talent evaluation skills and roster management will be put to the test in Norman. It's been a rocky stretch at OU over the past few seasons, but the Sooners swung for the fences with multiple moves this offseason, one of the biggest being the Nagy hire. College football has changed so drastically in the first half of the 2020s. It's no secret that things have slipped at bit at Oklahoma. Bring in Jim Nagy is OU's big move to make sure that they can get back to the top. 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
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How the balance between Jim Nagy and Brent Venables could produce best version of Oklahoma Sooners yet
How the balance between Jim Nagy and Brent Venables could produce best version of Oklahoma Sooners yet originally appeared on A to Z Sports. As soon as he was introduced as general manager of the Oklahoma Sooners, fans wondered how the balance would work between Jim Nagy and head coach Brent Venables. Advertisement While they have each made remarks about each other's role and how helpful the other has been, we've never really seen either be detailed about the balance. In a recent interview with The Triple Option podcast, Nagy slightly peeled back the curtain on what he is doing to help Venables and his staff. "I'm here, more than anything, to help the coaching staff and help build this roster, and streamline the process. Everyone says, 'They're trying to go to an NFL model.' And yes, my background is in the NFL. I've never worked in college football before, but I think there's some process things that we've brought to Oklahoma that I think are going to help the evaluation process and certainly the valuation process. We've never had to really value players. It's going to be a really fun collaboration. It already has been over the last three months, just getting in the building with the coaches. Certainly been energizing for me. I've been out of a football building for the last seven years, running the Reese's Senior Bowl. So just getting around coaches and players again has been awesome. We're trying to make their jobs easier in places. These college coaches got a lot on their plates… It is going to be a true split structure between Coach Venables and myself. I didn't want to come in here and just blow this thing up, watching tape and maybe not agree with where they were at with some of their assessments on players. We haven't done that.' While this isn't a full job description of what exactly Nagy is doing, there are a few important things that I took notice of. I think having that front office in place to help the staff balance and manage things will take a significant load off of this coaching staff. Behind the scenes of last year's disaster season, the staff had to placate players and focus on roster retention for weeks, time that took away from developing, coaching, and building game plans. Advertisement Obviously, every staff has to do that, but the front office taking over that responsibility (for the most part) frees up the coaches to actually coach moving forward. That last paragraph also stands out. Nagy says he "didn't come in here to blow this thing up", which speaks to the point about aiming for true synergy between him and Venables' staff. With Nagy's NFL background and Venables and co's coaching ability, this could be a massive success for the Oklahoma Sooners if this works out in the long term. It's a unique strategy and therefore risky, but the upside is tremendous. Related: Why evaluating Brent Venables in the upcoming 2025 season might be more complicated than many Oklahoma fans will expect View the original article to see embedded media. This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
02-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where do the Oklahoma Sooners land in 'College Football 26' team ratings?
After a disappointing 2024 season that saw them go 6-7 overall and 2-6 in SEC play, the Oklahoma Sooners are in serious need of a rebound in 2025. Due to some major changes that have been made at OU since the end of the regular season, many in the college football public are starting to believe in the Sooners. even after a slow start to the offseason . The folks over at EA Sports who make "College Football 26" are among those nationally who are starting to think Oklahoma could bounce back this year. They released their team ratings for the second edition of the beloved game's comeback, and OU made the Top 25. Oklahoma checked in at No. 17 overall on the list. They were also given the 17th-best defense in the game and the 14th-best offense. OU's rating is eighth in the SEC behind Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Texas A&M, LSU, Florida, and Ole Miss. The Sooners also fell two spots below Michigan, who they'll face in Week 2 in Norman. The belief that Oklahoma can be significantly improved this year has much to do with the changes that have occurred since last winter. The Sooners hired a new general manager, Jim Nagy, who is changing the way the program approaches the name, image, and likeness, as well as the transfer portal. He's brought in plenty of new faces to his front office to help OU get back to playing among the big boys of college football. Head coach Brent Venables returns for a fourth season, but he's on the hot seat heading into the fall. He has made some savvy hires since late November and will take full control of the defensive play-calling in 2025. The decisions he's made over the last seven months have given him a chance to keep his job beyond this season, provided that they lead to more victories on the field. Venables' defense loses a significant amount of production, but returns a substantial amount as well. The defensive line will be asked to lead the way when the opposition has the ball, but there are key returners all over the field. One of Venables' most aggressive hires was that of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. The young playcaller is tasked with getting OU's offense back on track after it struggled in 2024. Plenty of new faces will need to step up for an offense that saw plenty of players leave the program this winter, but the backfield duo of quarterback John Mateer and running back Jaydn Ott figures to carry a heavy load. The Sooners will play a total of five teams ranked ahead of them in EA Sports' ratings this year. It's part of a daunting schedule that would be tough for even the best teams in the country to navigate. But that's life in the SEC, and no one will feel sorry for Oklahoma once the season begins. EA Sports' "College Football 26" will be released on July 10 and will feature all 136 FBS teams for the 2025 college football 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.
USA Today
24-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
The Senior Bowl is making more changes ahead of the next draft cycle
The Senior Bowl is going to look a little different in 2026. The annual all-star game and critical stop on the NFL Draft scouting calendar has a new title sponsor. Panini America has taken over as the title sponsor for the game, which takes place every year in Mobile, Alabama. The trading card company replaces Reese's, who has been the Senior Bowl sponsor for several years. The Senior Bowl changed leadership earlier this offseason as well, with director Jim Nagy moving to the Oklahoma Sooners football program.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oklahoma Sooners earn commitment from Kicker Trace Rudd
The Oklahoma Sooners have made an effort to improve their kicking game through the 2026 recruiting class, going all-in on kicker Trace Rudd from Overland Park, Kansas. The Sooners hosted Rudd for an official visit during the ChampU BBQ and their efforts have paid dividends. Rudd announced his commitment on Saturday to the Oklahoma Sooners. He said, "Sooner Nation, I am home and 100% committed. Unforgettable moment for me." He went on to thank Brent Venables, special teams coach Doug Deakin, and general manager Jim Nagy saying, "thank you... for believing in me and giving me this opportunity." Advertisement He's considered a five-star kicker by Kohl's Kicking and is the No. 27 place kicker in the 2026 recruiting class. He has quick hips and creates explosive power on his contact. He is quickly developing into one of the top field goal kickers in the country. - Kohl's Kicking Given the low margin for error in the SEC, placing a high priority on landing a top-flight kicker is critical. With how good the Sooners defense will be under Venables, Oklahoma needs to shine on special teams and the addition of Rudd, who also had an offer from Texas Tech, gives them a chance to improve their kicking situation. Trace Rudd's Kicking Highlights This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma Sooners add kicker in 2026 recruiting class
