Latest news with #OklahomaSooners
Yahoo
21 hours ago
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Paul Finebaum Names Major SEC Coach Who Can't Survive Another Bad Season
Paul Finebaum Names Major SEC Coach Who Can't Survive Another Bad Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The 2025 college football season is quickly approaching, and several high-profile coaches are under pressure to deliver better results, as failure to do so could cost them their jobs. Advertisement One coach facing this pressure is Brent Venables, the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners. A disappointing 6-7 record in 2024 marked the second time in three seasons Venables led the team to a losing record. Before his arrival in 2022, Oklahoma had not experienced a losing season since 1998. During a segment on "The Paul Finebaum Show," SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum was asked which coach is under the most pressure heading into the new season. Venables' name came up among several others discussed. Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables© SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images "I think the one out near you (Venables) is going to be in deep trouble if he doesn't have a big season," Finebaum said. "I don't think I'm telling you anything that you don't know." Advertisement Finebaum expressed doubt that Venables can endure another disappointing season. However, he did not specify how many wins Venables needs this year to secure his position. Last season, there was some discussion among fans about Venables being on the hot seat due to the team's struggles. At that time, his buyout was set at $44.8 million, but it has now decreased to $34.9 million. The speculation that this could be Venables' final year comes just one year after he signed a contract extension. Venables signed a new six-year deal following the 2023 season. This contract, approved by the Oklahoma Board of Regents in June 2024, guarantees him an annual salary of over $8.5 million throughout its duration. Initially, he signed a six-year, $43.5 million contract with the Sooners in December 2021 when he was hired. Venables' contract is fully guaranteed, and after this season, his buyout will decrease by nearly $10 million each year until the contract expires. Advertisement His team is set to open the season at 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 30 against Illinois State. Related: Greg McElroy Reveals Dark Horse to Win the SEC in 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
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Paul Finebaum Names Major College Football Coach Under 'Considerable Pressure'
Paul Finebaum Names Major College Football Coach Under 'Considerable Pressure' originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The 2025 college football season could result in several prominent programs searching for a new head coach. Advertisement One of these programs is the Oklahoma Sooners, led by head coach Brent Venables. So far, Venables' tenure has been less than impressive; he has been with the team for three seasons and has experienced two losing campaigns during that time. Prior to his arrival in 2022, Oklahoma had not recorded a losing season since 1998. However, Venables led the Sooners to a strong 10-3 record in the 2023 season. Now, he aims to replicate that success in 2025. ESPN's Paul Finebaum mentioned on his show, "The Paul Finebaum Show," that if Venables fails to achieve favorable results, his position may be at risk. Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables.© Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images "If that program remains in transition, I think (general manager Jim Nagy) will urge for an overhaul," Finebaum said. "I think Venables is under considerable pressure." Advertisement Finebaum has clearly expressed his views on Venables' future this offseason. He recently stated that Venables has had two disappointing seasons out of three, indicating that Oklahoma is unlikely to tolerate another poor performance. The challenge for Oklahoma is that if it decides to part ways with Venables, it would come at a substantial financial cost. His buyout stands at $34.9 million after this season. The situation is complicated by the fact that Venables signed a significant contract extension just last year. Following the 2023 season, Venables signed a six-year deal approved by the Oklahoma Board of Regents in June 2024. The contract guarantees him an annual salary of over $8.5 million for its duration. He initially signed a six-year, $43.5 million contract with the Sooners in December 2021. Venables' contract is fully guaranteed, and after this season, his buyout will decrease by nearly $10 million each year until the contract expires. Advertisement There is some optimism for the Sooners this season, especially with the addition of top transfer players, including former Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer and former California Golden Bears running back Jaydn Ott. Last season, Mateer threw for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, and he rushed for 826 yards, scoring 15 touchdowns. Although Ott faced injury challenges during the 2024 season, he had a strong performance in 2023, rushing for 1,315 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns. Oklahoma is set to open the season at 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 30 against the Illinois State Redbirds. Related: Paul Finebaum Names Major SEC Coach Who Can't Survive Another Bad Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
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Oklahoma Hands Texas Rare Loss on Recruiting Trail
Oklahoma Hands Texas Rare Loss on Recruiting Trail originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Texas Longhorns have fared well on the recruiting trail over the last few years. Head coach Steve Sarkisian has proven that he can consistently land a top-five class in the nation, including the No. 1 overall class for the 2025 cycle. However, the wins realistically come with some losses in the process. Advertisement While the Longhorns are on a great path to bring in another top-five class in the country for 2026, Oklahoma stole a commitment from one of Texas' targets on Tuesday when three-star linebacker Beau Jandreau announced his commitment to the Sooners via social media. Texas hosted Jandreau for an official visit on June 6. Jandreau is ranked the No. 94 linebacker in the nation and the No. 14 overall prospect in Arizona. It's not a loss that the Longhorns should fret over as Texas has been recruiting very well on the defensive side of the ball this cycle. Sarkisian's staff received commitments from four-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland and five-star edge Richard Wesley over the weekend. Texas now holds the No. 10 recruiting class in the nation with several other five-star priority targets trending the right direction. Advertisement Five-star quarterback Dia Bell and five-star athlete Jermaine Bishop headline Texas' 2026 class currently. Related: No. 1 OT in 2026 Recruiting Class Makes Major Announcement This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
2 days ago
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- USA Today
Oklahoma Sooners projected to land four-star athlete out of Missouri
The Oklahoma Sooners are trending in a positive direction for a talented two-way player out of the state of Missouri, Jacob Eberhart. On Wednesday evening, Rivals national recruiting analyst Greg Smith issued a Futurecast favoring the Sooners for the four-star. Eberhart was on campus with the Oklahoma Sooners for the ChampU BBQ and also took official visits with Nebraska and Missouri this summer. He also holds offers from several SEC schools, including Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. He's a talented athlete who plays on both sides of the ball at Kirkwood but is expected to play defense for the Sooners. Eberhart has good size and could contribute at safety, cheetah, or linebacker in Brent Venables' defense. If the Sooners are able to beat out Nebraska and Missouri, he'd be the second prospect from the state of Missouri to join OU's 2026 recruiting class, following the commitment from running back DeZephen Walker. Jacob Eberhart's Recruiting Profile Watch Jacob Eberhart's highlights on Hudl Vitals Ratings Offers Per 247Sports Social Media 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 John on X @john9williams.
Yahoo
2 days ago
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Where did Jeremiah Fears land in USA TODAY Sports final NBA Mock Draft?
The 2025 NBA Draft commences on Wednesday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and everything is trending toward Sooners point guard Jeremiah Fears going inside the top 10 of the draft. Fears, who played just one season for Oklahoma, was the catalyst to OU's return to the NCAA Tournament. It was Oklahoma's first trip to March Madness since 2020-2021. Fears led the Sooners in points, assists, and steals in his true freshman season and, in the process, catapulted both the Sooners to their best season under Porter Moser and Fears into the draft lottery. Advertisement In USA TODAY Sports final NBA mock draft, the experts have Fears going No. 6 overall to the Washington Wizards. Solid start to his freshman season; quick on the dribble; has strength going to the rim and can finish; operates well in the pick-and-roll as a scorer and passer; needs to improve his 3-point shot but potential is there. Fears scored a season-high 31 points and added five assists and four rebounds in a win against ranked Missouri. Fears had a strong SEC tournament, producing 29 points, six rebounds and five steals plus five turnovers in a victory against Georgia and 28 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals (just one turnover) in a loss to Kentucky. He generated 20 points, five rebounds and four assists in a NCAA Tournament first-round loss to UConn. - USA TODAY Sports Fears was a fast riser in draft circles throughout the 2024-2025 season. He's a dynamic guard that's able to get into the paint consistently and is a good finisher at the rim. Fears has great speed and is a good distributor of the basketball. He's going to make a really good NBA player and has a really high ceiling as he continues to develop his game. The last time the Oklahoma Sooners had a player taken in the first round of the NBA Draft was Trae Young in 2018. Blake Griffin in 2009 and Buddy Hield in 2016 are the only other first-round selections since Mookie Blaylock went No. 12 to the New Jersey Nets back in 1989. Advertisement 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 John on X @john9williams. This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Jeremiah Fears going top 10 in USA TODAY Sports final NBA mock draft
