All Sooners

Venables Vibes: Oklahoma's Brent Venables to Stay 'Completely Involved Defensively'

The OU head coach is confident in his role entering his second season on the job in Norman.

Ryan Chapman

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NORMAN — Brent Venables ushered in the new season with his first game week press conference on Tuesday.

Ready to roll before the media session officially got underway at 11:30 a.m., Venables sifted through the Sooners first depth chart, which was also announced on Tuesday.

The press conference represented the last media hurdle for the OU head coach before his second season kicks off on Saturday.

Injury Report

Jacob Sexton
Jacob Sexton :: John E. Hoover / AllSooners

Though some Sooners picked up bumps and bruises through fall camp, Venables said the team will be pretty healthy headed into the season opener.

Reserve offensive tackle Jacob Sexton is still limited after sustaining an ACL injury at last year’s Cheez-It Bowl, but the sophomore is close to returning.

“Sexton is really close to getting the green light,” said Venables, “and we just want to make sure – he’s had no setbacks whatsoever. And we feel really good about his progress.

“Probably would be available here in the next week or so.”

On the defensive side of the ball, safety Robert Spears-Jennings and defensive tackle Jacob Lacey were also limited, but both appeared on OU’s inaugural depth chart Tuesday morning.

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Preparing Arnold

FB - Jackson Arnold, 2023 Fall Camp
Jackson Arnold :: BRYAN TERRY / THE OKLAHOMAN-USA TODAY NETWORK

There is no quarterback controversy in Norman. Far from it.

“There's no doubt that Dillon (Gabriel) is our undisputed quarterback for all the reasons that y'all know,” Venables said. “But we know that Dillon won't be here next year, so we've got to prepare for that day as well.”

Gabriel still has full backing from the coaching staff, but that doesn’t mean Oklahoma won’t look to prepare Jackson Arnold to take over in 2024 and beyond when the opportunity presents itself.

“(Arnold’s) on our number two quarterback,” Venables said. “Other than the spring game you don’t have any real-game experience.

“You don’t want the first time they’re in a real game to be when you don’t have any other real options. So we’ve got to do a good job of managing that.”

Knowing his job is to back up Gabriel hasn’t slowed Arnold’s development track through fall camp, however, and Venables is excited for what the future brings at quarterback in Norman.

“Jackson is a hard working, smart, instinctive, highly skilled guy who has a tremendous ceiling,” Venables said. “He'll be the first one to tell you that he's got a long ways to go to be where he wants to be.

“But he's willing to put the work in, he's got a great perspective and he'll be ready when he's given his opportunity.”

Venables Still All-In Defensively

Brent Venables
Brent Venables :: John E. Hoover / AllSooners

The offseason was a time of self reflection and evaluation for the entire coaching staff, Venables included.

He’s talked plenty about the areas Oklahoma needs to improve in 2023, which is virtually everywhere in Venables’ summation, but his defensive background will naturally lead to being laser-focused on that side of the football.

“I need to be completely involved defensively,” Venables said. “Not that they need my help. But that’s what I know. That's how I got to this position.

“And I think a year ago was certainly involved, but not to the depth that I think that I felt like I needed to be after evaluating all of it.”

Learning how to balance a specific area of expertise with being the head coach for an entire football team is a learning experience for any first-year leader, and Venables is confident his further involvement defensively will yield results on Saturday’s.

“It's going to be a collective thing just like every other defensive staff I've ever been a part of,” he said. “The success and decisions — it will be collective and a collective effort. Everybody has their role.

“But this is something that I feel like that's one area that I know, without question I could do a good job of just being another voice, another mind and another body and able body to help out.”

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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