OU football adds recruiting director, general manager, loses J.R. Sandlin, per reports

Brent Venables' staff underwent some changes on Monday.

OU plans to hire Jolie Ale as its next director of on-campus recruiting, per a report from 247Sports. The Sooners are also losing their director of player personnel and recruiting J.R. Sandlin, who had played a major role in Venables' program-building since he was hired ahead of the 2022 season, to SMU, per a report from 247Sports.

OUInsider reported Monday afternoon that former OU linebacker and current S.O.U.L. mission staffer Curtis Lofton is set to become the program's general manager.

Ale replaces Lee Davis who left to become UCF’s assistant athletic director and football executive operations and recruiting in January. Sandlin will serve as the Mustangs' assistant athletic director and general manager, per the report.

Ale joins the Sooners from the Los Angeles Chargers’ community relations department. She previously served as Utah’s director of on-campus recruiting and worked as a USC football recruiting assistant from 2017-20.

Sandlin's loss is a surprising one, but general manager jobs are becoming more and more common in today's college football landscape with head coaches busier than ever. According to the OUInsider report, Lofton, an eight-year NFL veteran, has already been performing GM duties for some time.

As OU transitions to the SEC in 2024, Ale will help usher the program into a new era when recruiting high school athletes and transfer portal players is essential to success.

The Sooners open the 2024 season against Temple on Aug. 31 in Norman.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma football: Jolie Ale named director of on-campus recruiting