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Brent Venables expected to have the biggest impact of new coaches in 2022 by ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg

josh helmer
·4 min read
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The same national media member that spent yesterday declaring that Oklahoma fans’ reactions to Lincoln Riley’s departure doesn’t jive with the fan base’s excitement for the start of the Brent Venables era is apparently a believer in Venables’ chances to deliver one of the biggest impacts among new head coaches in 2022.

The very same ESPN writer Adam Rittenberg picked Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables as his new coach that would have the biggest impact on the 2022 college football season. Here’s what Rittenberg wrote in his ESPN roundtable thoughts on Venables.

Riley would be my pick, too, but in the interest of variety, I’m going with the man who replaces him at Oklahoma. Brent Venables generated a lot of immediate goodwill because he sees Oklahoma as a destination job, and because he’s not Riley, the scourge of humanity in the Sooner State. But Venables must show he’s not like Riley, at least when it comes to developing a championship-caliber defense. The Big 12 is changing to feature a more complementary, physical style of play, and the timing for Venables’ arrival couldn’t be much better.

OU’s ability to win this new version of the Big 12 comes down to improving talent and execution on defense, which is a reasonable Year 1 goal for Venables. The offense should still be dangerous with Lebby and Gabriel, but a drop-off is likely, which puts even more pressure on Venables’ defense to pick up the slack. – Rittenberg, ESPN.

With Venables grabbing the reigns, there’s reason for optimism that OU has the head coach to help Oklahoma turn the corner defensively and return to national prominence on the side of the football that has been littered with oftentimes embarrassing moments over the past decade. Since 2012—the year Venables first joined Clemson—Venables’ defenses have led the nation in sacks with 488 and tackles for loss with 1,159.

Oklahoma is replacing six starters on defense: defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey, defensive lineman Isaiah Thomas, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, linebacker Brian Asamoah and safeties Patrick Fields and Delarrin Turner-Yell.

Up front, Jalen Redmond should be one of Oklahoma’s stars. Over the course of Redmond’s career, the 6-foot-2, 279 pound defensive lineman has registered 48 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 24 career games. OU also added Tulane transfer Jeffery Johnson and Hawaii transfer Jonah Laulu to its defensive line. Johnson had 44 tackles, five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks last season with Tulane, while Laulu recorded 34 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks.

At linebacker, OU got a nice boost when DaShaun White decided to return for another season. White was Oklahoma’s third-leading tackler with 66 last season. Oklahoma also brings back linebacker David Ugwoegbu who finished with 49 tackles.

Plus, there’s so much excitement about sophomore-to-be Danny Stutsman. Stutsman finished 2021 with 38 tackles in 10 games. The Sooners are bringing in Appalachian State transfer linebacker T.D. Roof along with four-star linebacker signees Jaren Kanak, Kobie McKinzie and Kip Lewis.

In the defensive backfield, OU returns its two starting cornerbacks in D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington. Key Lawrence played both cornerback and safety and appears like he will be a fixture in the Sooners’ secondary. Justin Briles enjoyed a breakout season for Oklahoma and he’s back as well. OU added transfer defensive backs C.J. Coldon and Trey Morrison who have extended playing time from their stints at Wyoming and North Carolina, respectively. Coldon racked up 68 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and had 10 pass breakups in 2021. Morrison ended last season with 47 tackles and four pass breakups.

Again, there’s been plenty of defensive personnel shakeup, but Oklahoma has made use of the transfer portal to replenish its roster to go along with the playmakers OU already had on campus. It may take the first month of the season for the Sooners to gel together defensively, but there’s reason to believe Oklahoma will be better defensively in 2022 and beyond.

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