Brent Venables' 'Cheetah' Position Will Help Unlock Versatility for Oklahoma's Defense

Though it's not a new position at OU, the "cheetah" will be crucial in Oklahoma's multiple defense.

Brent Venables is going to return a new level of variety to Oklahoma’s defense.

A departure from the cookie cutter approach of the past few years, Venables’ unit is going to be multiple and attempt to confuse opposing quarterbacks with a plethora of different formations and coverages.

No position will embody that more for the Sooners than the “cheetah."

A combination of the nickel corner and the strongside linebacker, the names of Justin Harrington, DaShaun White, Jaren Kanak, Justin Broiles and Trey Morrison have all been thrown out as possibilities for the cheetah throughout fall camp.

Though offenses attack the game differently than they did in college football years ago, Venables doesn’t view the position as all that different than the system he ran during his first stint on the sidelines in Norman with a hybrid safety or a true Sam linebacker.

“Roy Williams played that position for our first few years here,” Venables said after OU’s practice on Thursday. “Then we had guys like Clint Ingram, who was a freak and ran a (4.5-second 40), Keenan Clayton, Tony Jefferson, just to name a few guys.

“Probably there’s another guy or two I’m thinking about. But when people are (in) 21, 22 or 12 personnel (extra tight ends or running backs) and you had a bigger bodied-guy like a Pasha Jackson or a Brandon Moore to set the edge, or they spread you out with 11 or 10 personnel and you’ve got some different-bodied guys. If we had a guy who could do it all, that’d be great too.”

DaShaun White :: Ryan Chapman / SI Sooners

"It's been cool," White said Thursday. "It's been different. They're kind of trying me out at all three. But it suits me. I mean, I could play anywhere, dang near, on the defense. And it helps me, just being able to know the defense better all around. It helps me do my job better. Because I know when I just started at one position, it was kind of like I was learning that position but I didn't really know where my help was at, I didn't know just things like that. But being able to learn both sides of the field and the middle position has helped me kind of know everybody's job, and it makes me play that much faster."

An experienced player like White gives Venables and defensive coordinator Ted Roof plenty of options. White has started 36 games over the past three years, and appeared in an additional 14 contests in 2018, totaling 169 tackles as a Sooner.

“DeShaun can play multiple positions,” Venables said. “He can play all three positions and actually has. Same position we’ve had for a long time. Again you are looking for guys who can cover, play in space, play some man-to-man, can blitz, they can do a variety of things. Sometimes the skill set is outside where that’s located, it’s a different skill set when you are playing inside and behind the ball.

“What I love about the group of guys that we have here is I see guys who can play multiple positions, not just that position. It’s one of the easier positions to learn, but it’s hard to play because of the skill set required.”

A surprise throughout the summer and fall, Harrington will provide another unique look for OU at cheetah.

Justin Harrington has turned heads at Oklahoma since rejoining the team in the spring :: John E. Hoover / AllSooners

The 6-foot-3 defensive back played safety at the junior college level, tried corner last year, and could be a huge addition to an Oklahoma pass defense that has struggled to match up with bigger-bodied receivers for what’s felt like a decade.

“Justin’s had a really good camp,” Venables said. “ … We’re looking at him both at our cheetah position and then a free safety both. And he’s done a great job. And he is competing to be a starter. We don’t know that yet, but I do feel like we’re gonna have really competitive depth at several positions where we feel like we have co-starters. And I love that. Because I feel like that brings out the best in everyone.

“ … So I love that, that some guys feel some heat, and it should bring out the best in everyone. But Justin’s a guy that has a lot of position flexibility, can do a lot of things for us. So, excited about him. He’s long, he’s athletic, he’s physical, he cares. Which is probably my favorite quality: he cares. A lot.”

As Venables’ defense continues to evolve at Oklahoma, the Sooners will continue to bring in as much versatility as possible to build depth and give themselves as many different solutions as possible to attack the problems opposing offenses will pose.

“That’s what you need to recruit to, but as we all know those guys are harder to find that can do it all,” Venables said. “When you can, then you play to your players’ strengths. If he’s not a great man guy, does he play a zone guy? Can blitz? Then you play to those strengths, whatever those strengths are. If he’s more of a cover guy, keep him out of the box. Then bring your free safety or your strong safety down into the box more.

“… I’m looking for football players. At that position, you want a really good football player who can do a lot."

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