Justin Harrington once left OU football. He's grateful to be Sooners' starting cheetah.

NORMAN — Perhaps no one on OU’s football roster is more appreciative of their position with the Sooners than Justin Harrington.

“I tip my hat off to Coach V (Brent Venables) every day,” Harrington said. “I tell him, ‘thank you,’ again. This is a big opportunity. It feels like I’m a freshman again, just coming in full of energy.

“I’m anxious, I’m ready, I’m prepared, so again, I’m just excited.”

Those words from Harrington came Monday.

Tuesday, he was named the starter at the “cheetah” position in Venables’ defense, beating out Indiana transfer Dasan McCullough on OU’s initial depth chart.

“Consistency. His work ethic. He’s a vocal leader. He competes at an incredibly high level,” Venables said of Harrington on Tuesday.

“He’s been consistent, as I said, with his body of work and his commitment to understanding the details and then consistently has made plays since we started back up both in the spring and summer and then, you know, fall camp.”

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It’s a long way from where Harrington was just more than a year ago, after he made the decision to leave OU midway through the 2022 season.

Harrington played in the first four games that season before leaving to maintain a season of eligibility.

But after Venables came aboard, Harrington asked about returning during a 90-minute meeting in Venables’ office.

Venables opened the foot for the return, though he told Harrington it’d be as a walk-on.

Harrington seized the opportunity.

That season away gave Harrington plenty of perspective.

“One of my favorite quotes that I tell my teammates is that I know what being at home feels like during this time,” Harrington said. “And it’s not fun at all. You’re very determined, you’re very motivated when working out, but for me personally I never knew what it was going to be. I made an impulsive decision, but I never knew he was going to give me another chance.

“And that’s why I just have respect and love for Coach V and his staff as well as my teammates to have me come back.”

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Harrington played 13 games last season, serving as a backup to DaShaun White at the cheetah spot — a hybrid linebacker/nickelback role in Venables’ defense. He had 23 tackles and an interception.

After playing catch-up after rejoining the team at the end of spring football in 2022, Harrington came into this offseason in a much different spot.

“Really dedicated the offseason to getting better and to getting more knowledgeable to make improvements in all the areas he needed to fundamentally, and in strength, explosiveness,” Venables said earlier in camp.

“He’s had some great moments and some great learning moments as well during camp, so again, he’s got some versatility that he can play multiple spots and continue to develop that part of his game. I think that will bode well for both him and for us.”

Harrington came into Venables’ defense as a defensive back, while McCullough arrived from Indiana as an edge-rushing linebacker.

Their diverse skill sets not only give Venables and defensive coordinator Ted Roof plenty of versatility in the position but have allowed them to do more learning from each other than they could if their skill sets were perfectly aligned.

“I think it’s a perfect combination because he’s helping me every day with my coverage skills and I’m helping him every day with how to rush the passer, different ways to see things,” McCullough said. “So we combine and we’ve got the same thought on a lot of stuff., so it’s really a perfect relationship that me and him have.”

Not only was Harrington named a starter, but he was also appointed one of five captains for Saturday’s opener against Arkansas State (11 a.m., ESPN), joining Billy Bowman, McKade Mettauer, Drake Stoops and Danny Stutsman.

“Really just shows how my teammates care about me and what they think about me and what my coaches think about me as well,” Harrington said.

OU vs. Arkansas State

KICKOFF: 11 a.m. Saturday at Owen Field in Norman (ESPN)

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football: Justin Harrington's ascension to starter big for Sooners