Venables Vibes: Position Battles Rage as Oklahoma Prepares to Open 2024 Against Temple

Brent Venables previewed the first matchup of the season while breaking down the first depth chart of the year in his weekly press conference on Monday.

OU coach Brent Venables talks with a fan during Meet the Sooners Day for the University of Oklahoma football team at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial stadium in Norman, Okla. Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

NORMAN — After a long wait, football is finally back. 

The No. 16-ranked Oklahoma Sooners host Temple on Friday at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, meaning OU’s first football season in the SEC is on the verge of getting rolling. 

Brent Venables welcomed the season in on Sunday by releasing the first official depth chart of the year, and he spoke with the media for nearly 45 minutes on Monday in his first game week press conference of the season. 

Kicking Off

Oklahoma Sooners place kicker Zach Schmit (34) kicks an extra point as Josh Plaster (36) holds the ball during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the TCU Horned Frogs at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. Oklahoma won 69-45. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Before fall camp, Venables said Florida State transfer Tyler Keltner was the leader in OU’s ongoing kicking battle. 

Keltner and Zach Schmit were listed as co-starters on Oklahoma’s first depth chart that was released on Sunday, but Venables said on his Coaches Show that Keltner would get the first shot as the Sooners’ placekicker against Temple on Friday.



Venables also noted that Schmit nailed over 90 percent of his kicks during fall camp. 

Schmit has struggled at times in actual games for Oklahoma, but Venables said he’d have every opportunity to compete for the job in 2024.

“It’s a clean slate,” Venables said Monday. “This is a developmental game. I think sometimes in sports, we’re too quick to judge someone at any point in time in their career. I think it’s fair, too, that you get a large sample size and we haven’t done things like we need to do. That’s fair as well.”

Schmit went 15-for-21 last year, which was an improvement from his 12-of-18 performance in 2022, but he’s proven to be unreliable in high-leverage situations. 

He missed a long-range effort from 51 yards in last year’s Bedlam loss with the Sooners down a field goal in the first half, then weeks later he missed a 28-yard kick against BYU with the game tied in the fourth quarter. 

Schmit also missed a 45-yard field goal in the fourth quarter agains Texas and he missed attempts of 38 yards and 43 yards against UCF, though the Sooners hung on to win both of those games last year. 

But Venables doesn’t believe the book is closed on Schmit yet if Keltner doesn’t make the job his own. 

“This is a developmental game,” Venables said. “… Guys just get better. The more you play, the better you get. That’s typically what you see from freshman year to senior year. 

“…  We know Zach’s got a big leg and he’ll be our kickoff guy. And Kelt will start the season off as our field goal kicker, and what I saw, I’ve got a lot of confidence in both of those guys, based on what I saw from the spring and summer.”

Setting a New Pace

Oklahoma co-offensive coordinator Seth Littrell oversees practice during fall camp. / John E. Hoover / Sooners on SI

Jeff Lebby’s offensive philosophy was obvious — go as fast as possible. 

The Sooners put up plenty of yards and points in two seasons under Lebby, even if the tempo sometimes worked against the team. 

With Seth Littrell and Joe Jon Finley now in charge of the offense, Oklahoma won’t lose the ability to play fast when necessary. But don’t expect the Sooners to play at warp speed for 60 minutes every Saturday (or on Friday against Temple).

“I do believe in putting pressure on the defense,” Venables said. “But I also, first and foremost, believe in game control. And, you know, controlling the game ... that’s everything that that encompasses to possessing the football, being patient at times —  which is a very good weapon to have. But you have to be effective and efficient in all the areas, running and throwing, in order to do that.”

Oklahoma’s 2024 offense is expected to rely heavily on its pair of third-year running backs, Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk, to take the pressure off quarterback Jackson Arnold. 

The sideline will look different, too, with the in-helmet communication system that will allow Littrell to talk directly to Arnold. But that doesn’t mean signaling plays in from the sideline will totally disappear — especially when OU wants to crank up the pace. 

“I think the headset communication, I think it’s a misnomer or maybe looked at the wrong way,” Venables said. “Now that you can have headsets then you don’t have to signal anymore. That’s not true unless you huddle every snap.”

The Week 0 games offered a first peek into how the new systems will work, but Oklahoma will have to work through all the kinks itself come Friday. 

Everything’s Not Set in Stone

Oklahoma defensive tackle David Stone (0) works on special teams during one of the Sooners' practices during fall camp. / Ryan Chapman / Sooners on SI

The hype train around 5-star defensive tackle David Stone isn’t off the rails, even if he was listed as a backup on OU’s first depth chart. 

Fellow true freshman Jayden Jackson earned a starting spot at defensive tackle next to either Damonic Williams or Da’Jon Terry, but Venables said there would be plenty of snaps to go around for someone who works as hard as Stone. 

“He’s just trying to get refined fundamentally, technically, pad level, things like that,” Venables said. “But love where he’s at.”

Venables also noted that Stone led the defensive tackles in sacks through fall camp, he just has to continue to hone his craft, which is a spot that many freshmen are in. 

“Just because he’s not a starter doesn’t mean its an indictment or he’s not doing — he’s just got some things he has to work on like most guys,” Venables said. “… Jayden Jackson is abnormal. And like I said, when he showed up he had the fundamentals that are really — a lot of guys don’t have amazing fundamentals when they come in. So it takes time to develop those habits.”

If things go according to plan, Stone will have plenty of opportunity to shine come 6 p.m. on Friday when Oklahoma kicks the season off against Temple.