Miguel Chavis Loving Life on the Recruiting Trail at Oklahoma

The Sooners' new defensive ends coach relished getting to go recruit alongside Brent Venables.

Miguel Chavis didn’t wait long to uncage the lion on the recruiting trail.

Oklahoma’s new defensive ends coach is already making the most of his first fully fledged on-field coaching role in college football.

The former Clemson defensive lineman spend five years in a support staff role under Brent Venables before getting his shot at OU, finally getting to unleash the animal he said he had inside of him when working with the Tigers.

Venables’ trust in the young coach was immediately rewarded, as Chavis found himself front and center of OU’s early recruiting efforts.

Before Todd Bates’ hire was made official on Jan. 4, Chavis had a two and a half week window as the Sooners’ lone defensive line coach on staff.

Chavis and Venables wasted no time, hitting the recruiting trail to not only try and land talent in the 2022 recruiting class, but to bolster depth along the defensive front via the transfer portal.

“I felt like I was cheating in life,” Chavis said during his introductory press conference. “… I got here, and got all cleared by compliance and all the rest, and they threw me an OU shirt on, Jordans, and I went on the road. And I texted my wife and took pictures of everything. And, it was amazing.”

Chavis played a role in helping the Sooners land transfers Jonah Laulu from Hawaii and Jeffrey Johnson from Tulane, who should both be factors in OU’s defensive line rotation in 2022.

Oklahoma also added some new faces into the fold in the 2022 class, in part due to Chavis’ efforts.

“We were able to get Alton Tarber, can't wait to get him from Deerfield Beach, (and) R Mason Thomas,” Chavis said. “… It was awesome. Love it.”

Oklahoma also landed commitments from a couple of West Coast recruits in Kevonte Henry and Gracen Halton in large part due to Chavis’ recruiting efforts.

Chavis said there was no grand secret to his success recruiting, just that he leans on his background in ministry to help him connect with each unique recruit.

“I think recruiting, when it comes down to it, is really about relationship building and connecting,” Chavis said. “I think it's about authenticity. And I think you have to do a good job of, if you want to do it this way, the way that I'm talking about, that you have to be okay with not getting a guy — that you don't fit or that he doesn't fit your institution or your program.”

Now that Chavis has started to get the talent on campus in Norman, he has to show he can develop his position group on the field.

But in the meantime, he’s relishing his chance to finally flourish on the field, and is thankful to Venables and all of those who have helped him become the recruiter he currently is.

“I’ve just been very, very blessed to have people in my life to show me and teach me how to connect with people,” Chavis said. “And I care about people. I love people.”

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