Brent Venables Surprises Five Oklahoma Walk-Ons With Football Scholarships

The Sooners' head coach revealed Monday on his radio show that the patience and persistence of these five players would be rewarded.

Oklahoma offensive linemen Eddy Pierre-Louis and Sean Hutton (64) at practice. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Brent Venables leans on ideas like commitment, toughness and selflessness as tentpole values of Oklahoma’s culture.

On Monday night, five Oklahoma walk-ons got to live Venables’ values. 

During his weekly radio show, Venables revealed that defensive back Casen Calmus, wide receiver Trey Brown, offensive linemen Kenneth Wermy and Sean Hutton and kicker Liam Evans had been awarded scholarships after practice. 

Th NCAA has eliminated the classic “walk-on” designation while limiting rosters to 105 players beginning this season. Not all 105 players have to be on athletic scholarship but can work out arrangements to receive financial aid. 

These five are now on football scholarship.

Venables said the team “went absolutely bananas” after the announcement.

Two of the five (Sutton and Evans) showed up on Monday’s depth chart ahead of the Sooners’ season opener Friday against UTEP. Evans is the backup to Lou Groza Award winner Tate Sandell, and Hutton is the No. 3 left guard behind Eddy Pierre-Louis and Heath Ozaeta.

Calmus, a senior from Brentwood, TN, arrived in 2023 after starring in football, wrestling, and track. He’s also the son of former OU Butkus Award winner Rocky Calmus, but has built his own reputation, earning SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition and grinding away on special teams. 

Brown, a senior from Nashville, has spent four seasons working behind the scenes after a standout high school career at Christ Presbyterian Academy. Opportunities on Saturdays have been scarce, but teammates admire his consistency in practice. 

Wermy, a 6-4, 312-pound senior from Cache, took an unconventional road. He walked on at OU, spent last season at Central Oklahoma (he played in six games for the Bronchos), then returned to Norman this year with expanded roster. 

Hutton, a sophomore guard from Lewisville, TX, has climbed the depth chart through sheer work ethic after playing high school ball alongside current Sooners standout Michael Fasusi. 

And Evans, a junior from Moore, OK, has matured from local standout to reliable specialist, now cementing his place on scholarship. He hasn’t attempted a field goal yet in his career but did kick an extra point in 2024. Venables even said Evans hit a 68-yard field goal after a recent practice.

In an era dominated by portal churn and NIL headlines, Venables’ announcement was old-school — a reminder that patience and loyalty and the daily buy-in still matter, and can pay off with the kind of reward that lasts a lifetime.

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