SEC Media Days Quotebook: SEC Players, Coaches Discuss Oklahoma Joining the League

The Sooners were a frequent topic of conversation at SEC Media Days this week, with a number of players and coaches from different schools talking about one of the conference's newcomers.

Jul 16, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables speaking at Omni Dallas Hotel / Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — Over the past week, players and coaches from each SEC institution took center stage at SEC Media Days to talk about the upcoming season.

With Oklahoma being one of two new members joining the conference in 2024, the Sooners were a frequent topic of conversation throughout the four-day event. Even coaches and players who won't face Brent Venables' team this season were asked about OU, with nearly every player acknowledging the program's prestige.

Here are some of the most interest quotes about Oklahoma, courtesy of their opponents, from SEC Media Days.

Georgia ED Mykel Williams

Q. I'm curious, are you familiar with Oklahoma at all, their history, their tradition, or Brent Venables at all? 

MYKEL WILLIAMS: I am familiar with Brent Venables. I remember he was the DC at Clemson, recruited me for a while, but I'm not too familiar with Oklahoma and their history, but I'm excited they're in the SEC, though. He's just a great coach, great defensive coordinator, great defensive mind.

LSU HC Brian Kelly

Q. Just want to get your thoughts on Oklahoma's addition to the SEC and Brent Venables job in his first year building that program? 

BRIAN KELLY: I think what I was really impressed with Coach Venables job was just the bounce back and the ability to overcome some adversity. Certainly as a first-time head coach, you know, having some adversity and really learning on the job and coming back and having an outstanding season this past season, I think they've got a great quarterback. I just think they're another outstanding football team with a great history and tradition. I got the privilege of playing them few times when I was at Notre Dame, and it's a great atmosphere. I played them when I was at Cincinnati. So I think it's just a great tradition, great program, and I think coach has done a great job of really I think on the job really adjusting to being the head guy and I think he's done a terrific job. 

LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier

Q. Being the newcomer, what are your perceptions of Oklahoma? What do you know about Oklahoma and its history? 

GARRETT NUSSMEIER: It's a storied program, being a fan of college football getting to watch things. I was a big fan of Baker Mayfield, getting to watch him play and the talent that he had. I think both OU and Texas are storied programs. I think adding them into the SEC only does good for the game. It creates a more competitive environment in the already most competitive conference in college football. I think it's great for the conference and I think it's great for the game.

LSU LB Harold Perkins

Q. You obviously went to high school in Texas. Offered by Texas and Oklahoma. Could you talk about what those two schools are going to bring to this conference? 

HAROLD PERKINS: I think Texas and Oklahoma is a great addition to the SEC. I obviously feel, some of you might feel the same, but the SEC brand of football that you can play at the college level and just adding those two great universities to the SEC can't help nothing but the SEC go up and the school go up. I think it's a great addition. 

Q. Piggybacking off the OU-Texas question, could you talk about Brent Venables and his coaching style and the kind of coach he is at Oklahoma? 

HAROLD PERKINS: To be honest with you, I don't know too much about him. But I'm pretty sure he's a great guy. Oklahoma defense, I feel, should be good this year. Obviously there's no sleepers in the SEC. I think they'll be a good team. 

LSU TE Mason Taylor

Q. What are your thoughts of Oklahoma? What do you know about Oklahoma? 

MASON TAYLOR: I just know they're a great team. I mean, they're coming into the SEC, so they've got to have some type of talent. They have great players, and it's a great program. Rich with winning. Definitely going to be exciting to play in those games. 

Mississippi HC Lane Kiffin

Q. You commented on what the challenges would be for Texas coming to the SEC. Just wondering your thoughts personally about the Texas and Oklahoma both coming to the SEC and what you think that does for the league, if anything? 

LANE KIFFIN: You talk about two of the top programs in the history of college football, and then as I look at things, too, like I said earlier, places that are really hard to play and then you get these night games filtered in and places get really hard to play with fan bases like Oklahoma and Texas. That's really exciting for the conference, and continues to kind of elevate the super conference. 

Mississippi QB Jaxon Dart

Q. With what you know about Oklahoma from your time in the portal, what advice would you give them about playing in Oxford? 

JAXSON DART: To be honest, when it came down to the portal, it was Ole Miss and Oklahoma for me, when I had to make the decision. I have great respect for Coach Venables. I think he's going to do a tremendous job there with his transition into the SEC. Oklahoma has always been an elite program. They've always played at the highest, and they've been very successful. So I think that they'll do a really good job of transitioning into this year. I'm just happy that we're able to get OU and Texas in, because I feel like that even proves more why SEC is the very best conference in college football. I'm excited to play against the best and it will be fun when we get to play them in Oxford and have that game kickoff. 

Mississippi ED Jared Ivey

Q. What about your knowledge of Oklahoma, the history, what their tradition's like, and just the football program as a whole? 

JARED IVEY: I'll be honest, their fight song, since the original NCAA '14 game came out, has always been my favorite fight song. But besides that, I'm from Suwanee, Georgia. That's almost all the way across the world to me. I'm sure they have a rich tradition. Obviously they have multiple Heismans in the past decade with Baker and Kyler. So excited to add those guys to the conference. I think it will just make the SEC greater than it already is. 

South Carolina QB/WR Luke Doty

Q. How big growing up was Brent Venables' name in your part of the country? What is it going to be like playing Oklahoma and what do they bring to the conference? 

LUKE DOTY: He was a big name at Clemson. Playing them every single year and having to face him was definitely a challenge. And obviously he's at Oklahoma now, and he's done a great job there so far. It's another game that we're going to have to play. It's the SEC. Every game's going to be a challenge. I'm excited to go out there and play at OU. It's going to be a great atmosphere. It's going to be a great time. It will be fun to experience that atmosphere for the first time in our conference. 

South Carolina DL Alex Huntley

Q. Brent Venables is probably familiar in that part of the country. Can you talk about his defensive style and what you expect when you play the Oklahoma based defense? 

ALEX HUNTLEY: I'd say they're going to be fast, aggressive, trying to fly around the field. He's a coach with a lot of -- I give him, I guess -- aura, I guess, on the defensive side of the ball. He's a great coach. I expect great things. I know we'll prepare how we prepare and see how it goes on Saturday. 

Tennessee OL Cooper Mays

Q. Josh Heupel has a lot of ties in Norman, won a National Championship as a player. You're going to be there for the first SEC test, welcome to the SEC. What's the expectation around that game, and what has been said in that locker room from Coach going back to Norman? 

COOPER MAYS: My biggest expectation from that is just a great environment. I've personally never been to Oklahoma, and I've never played there either obviously. Really looks like a great environment. Great team. We expect it to be a great game and really excited just to see what that stadium and everything has to offer.

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