Oklahoma Coach Brent Venables Talks Newcomers

The Sooners' head coach gave an update on winter weightlifting, coaching stations and the pre-spring regimen for OU transfers and mid-year freshmen.

NORMAN — Oklahoma coach Brent Venables is excited about a lot of things these days.

“We’re building this thing the right way,” Venables said Thursday during an impromptu press conference at Memorial Stadium.

Venables is excited about OU joining the SEC in 2024, he’s excited about the Big 12 finally releasing its 2023 schedule, and he’s excited about the start of spring football practice on March 22.

“Thirty-three days til spring football,” Venables said. “That’s coming quick.”

But typical Venables, there’s one thing above all he’s most excited about.

The players.

After his press conference, Venables introduced 26 newcomers to the media — part of a 53-man “massive rebuild” of the OU roster, he said.

“Expedite the maturation process,” Venables told some 30 members of the media assembled at the Stadium Club.

“This is a part of it,” he said. “You play at a place like OK, being in this arena is really important.

“Everybody’s hungry for some updates and information,” Venables said. “I thought this was a great opportunity to get all our new guys in front of you. In this day of the transfer portal, something unique about it, you all don’t get very long to get to know these guys. They show up on campus and all of a sudden they’re practicing.”

Venables said the team returned from the bowl game with 76 players, and 53 of them need to be replaced by June 1.

That’s just the most immediate and direct change as the 2023 offseason progresses.

“We need to make improvement,” Venables said, “in every single area of the program.”

The Sooners have 11 newcomers from the transfer portal, one junior college transfer, and 14 who arrived in January from high school. All were expected to show up Thursday for interviews.

"These are guys who we strongly believe we will make us better from Day 1," Venables said.

Venables’ said he likes what he’s seen from them all so far through the offseason workouts.

“What I’ve seen in four weeks with these guys, we’re doing segments, playbook walkthroughs, competitive on both sides of the ball. They chase excellence. Really high football IQs, from guys who are in college and in high school.”

One other element about starting Year 2 is the teaching element. Coaches aren't the only ones teaching schemes and techniques this year.

"We have a veteran group who can teach the newcomers now," Venables said.

Venables said it was a "close group of guys" that got to know each other well during the recruiting process. He also said it was a multifaceted strategy to help them transition to college football, from learning the game to learning about the school, their academic responsibilities, how the program works and much more.

"It's a group of guys that is very committed to excellence," he said. "Great humility. Dedication. Intelligence. Football acumen. 

"We've had to literally tell them to turn the lights out when they leave."