Oklahoma Coach Brent Venables Discusses Spring Injuries, Staff Additions
Oklahoma begins Year Two under coach Brent Venables when spring practice opens on Tuesday, and Venables offered some significant updates during a press conference on Monday.
On the injury front, Venables said defensive back Gentry Williams, who experienced an “exertional collapse” during a recent workout, has more tests ahead but everything so far, Venables said, has “checked out” and he could be cleared as soon as Tuesday.
“Gentry appears to have gotten himself out of harm’s way and recovered just fine,” Venables said.
The coach also said redshirt freshman tight end Kaden Helms has a kneecap issue that will cause him to “miss all of spring,” and sophomore tight end Jason Llewellyn will miss time with what Venables termed a “growth plate issue” in his foot.
As expected, freshman safety Erik McCarty, who tore his ACL in the high school playoffs last year, is still rehabbing and won’t practice, and transfer running back Emeka Megwa injured his knee at Washington and is “still getting things cleared up.”
Another transfer, offensive tackle Walter Rouse, had shoulder labrum surgery at Stanford in December and won’t be available, and sophomore offensive tackle Jacob Sexton, who started the Cheez-It Bowl, is “recovering nicely from his ACL in the Florida State game,” Venables said.
Venables also said Oklahoma State transfer Trace Ford, who missed parts of two seasons with injury, is “gonna work and progress to full speed by the end of practice,” Venables said. Defensive end Kelvin Gilliam, defensive back Jayden Rowe and linebacker Shane Whitter all had shoulder surgeries prior to end of season, Venables said, and will be limited as well.
And backup quarterback General Booty is “in some kind of contraption to protect his finger that dislocated, but he’ll be ready sometime here quickly.”
Two Sooners are making a position change this spring. Marcus Hicks, who began his career as a defensive lineman but switched to offensive line last year, will go back to defense.
“I know he was recruited as a jumbo guy that could be either/or,” Venables said, “and he wanted an opportunity to show what he can do on the d-line.”
The other position change was reported last season, as cornerback D.J. Graham has moved to receiver.
Venables also formally announced two additions to the coaching support staff: former Sooner fullback and ex-North Texas head coach and North Carolina offensive coordinator Seth Littrell has joined the staff as an offensive analyst, and, as previously reported, former Clemson linebacker James Skalski has been added as a defensive analyst.
“Great opportunity for us to get better on our staff,” Venables said. “(Littrell was) one of my favorite players that I didn’t coach, per se, but one of my favorite players that I loved having in the locker room,” and Skalski was “a great player at Clemson and someone that is going to fit right in.”
“Never gets old,” Venables said. “Really, really fun time of the year as you start over and you rebuild your team literally from the ground up.”
Venables is coming off a difficult rookie season, as the Sooners were 6-7 in his first year as a head coach — the program’s first losing record since 1998.
OU welcomes 14 true freshmen and 11 FBS-level transfers who enrolled early and will participate in spring practice, which begins Tuesday. In all, the Sooners’ incoming freshman class is ranked No. 4 nationally, according to 247 Sports.
The Sooners are also expected to bring back both coordinators — Jeff Lebby on offense and Ted Roof on defense — as they begin implementation of Year Two under Venables.
Having quarterback Dillon Gabriel back for his second season under Lebby in Norman should help the progression of the offense. But while the quarterback is back, OU needs to replace both starting tackles in Anton Harrison and Wanya Morris, three-year starting guard Chris Murray, versatile utility blocker Robert Congel, receiver Theo Wease, tight end Brayden Willis, star running back Eric Gray and star wideout Marvin Mims.
Meanwhile, the defense must find replacements defensive linemen Jeffery Johnson and Jalen Redmond, linebackers Dashaun White and David Ugwoegbu and lots of departed depth at defensive back, as well as all-star punter Michael Turk.
Most everyone is glad to be past the first phase of the offseason and into spring practice, when real football takes place.
“We’ve been really, really busy for the last 2 1/2 months,” Venables said. “ … Building team morale, chemistry and leadership, challenging our guys in a variety of ways both on and off the field, is what we’ve worked on these last several weeks.
“A lot of speed and strength gains across the board. Really excited about the improvement we’ve seen from that standpoints. … But winning the game of football is what it’s all about. You don’t win in a pair of shorts.”
