Venables says OU newcomers meshing well
NORMAN — The transfer portal boasts a sea of talented players, but some fish are bigger than others.
Those players are a hot commodity, making it difficult for interested teams to separate themselves from the pack. But OU football coach Brent Venables knows a thing or two about netting talented players.
“You just don’t throw a big ole net in the middle of the ocean and pull it in and that’s your recruiting model,” Venables said. “‘I got a bass. I got a carp. I got a redfish. I got a tilapia. I got a catfish.’ You’ve got to be intentional.
“You get one of those holes, you get a stink bait and you get a catfish if that’s what you’re looking for.”
Venables doesn’t feel like he’s been catfished by any of the players in his first recruiting class as a head coach.
Numerous newcomers are already impressing OU’s staff this spring. Atop that list is quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who threw for 8,037 yards and 70 touchdowns in three seasons at UCF.
The veteran quarterback arrived in Norman in January and quickly established himself as a leader on and off the field.
“He has really grabbed the bull by the horns in regard to connecting with the whole football team, not just the offensive side,” Venables said of Gabriel. “He’s done a wonderful job of doing what you would expect a guy at the position to do, which is lead and lead the right way.”
OU is expected to have some impactful newcomers on defense as well.
One example is Tulane transfer Jeffery Johnson. The fifth-year defensive tackle recorded 44 tackles, four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks last season.
“You’re putting a guy that was the captain of his football team in our locker room,” OU defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. “The first couple of days, it’s like, ‘OK, you’re here for a reason.’ With his leadership and work ethic, he was accepted by his peers.”
OU’s newcomers will take center stage during the team’s spring game on Saturday at 3 p.m.
It’ll be fans’ first chance to see what the new faces are capable of, but Venables already knows they’re a catch.
“They’re gym rats,” Venables said. “You can’t just see that off of a highlight tape or a bio sheet on Rivals.com or whatever. It takes a little while to figure that out. To me, that has to be the glue to your whole locker room.
“That has to be a foundational piece to who you are — blue-collar work ethic, guys who love it and guys who are committed.”
Portion control
Jordan Kelley finally has more on his plate.
Isaiah Thomas, Nik Bonitto and Perrion Winfrey combined for 22.5 of OU’s 33 sacks last season. Although dominant, they only left scraps for the rest of the Sooners’ defense line to fight over.
With the trio now preparing for the NFL Draft, it’s Kelley’s turn at the table.
The redshirt senior recorded six tackles and one forced fumble last season, but he’s expected to play a more prominent role in the trenches this time around.
“He’s just grown,” OU co-defensive coordinator Todd Bates said of Kelley. “He’s really hungry for it. He played some last year but didn’t play a lot. He had other guys ahead of him. I’ve seen him hungry for it and just preparing for his moment. Now that moment is here, and he’s ready.”Kelley has struggled to break out during his time with the Sooners.
The Tulsa native joined OU as a fourstar recruit, according to 247Sports. After redshirting his first season, he missed all but one game in 2019 due to an injury he sustained in spring practice.
Kelley then played in 10 games in 2020, where he tallied nine tackles and 0.5 sacks. Carving out a role last season proved to be even more difficult as the Sooners boasted plenty of experienced defensive linemen.
OU’s defensive line is expected to be deep again this season. The group has key contributors such as Jalen Redmond, Reggie Grimes, Marcus Stripling and Johnson.
But Kelley’s hunger for a larger role in his final year of eligibility hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“I think he’s going to be a heck of a player,” Bates said.
Lighting a fire
When Venables began his press conference on Tuesday with an opening statement, he expressed the importance of putting his players through the wringer during spring practices.
“We’ve intentionally gone out of our way to put our guys through a lot of tough, strainful situations,” Venables said. “We’ve really put their backs against the wall numerous times to see how they respond. Life happens. Ultimately, we’ll all be defined by how we respond and not by what happens to us.”
It’s only fair that Venables faced some adversity of his own on Tuesday.
Soon after preaching the importance of testing his players’ commitment, Venables’ sermon was interrupted by a deafening fire alarm.
Unbothered by the unforeseen setback, the first-year head coach calmly took a sip of his smoothie with a grin on his face.
“I’m willing to wait this one out if you guys are,” Venables said to the media. That he did.
After toying with the idea of moving the press conference outside, Venables ultimately stood at the podium for about five minutes until the fire alarm finally flamed out.
Venables then proceeded to answer just over 40 minutes worth of questions without any signs of slowing down.
It’s this never-ending source of energy from Venables that has surged throughout OU’s entire program.
From doing pushups with the team during practices to talking with potential recruits on the phone for hours during a pitch, Venables keeps his foot on the gas and expects his players to do the same.
“I think it just means a lot more because he’s with us,” Gabriel said. “It’s new to me, but you just feel more connected... He demands a lot but man, but he loves us even harder.”