Why Brent Venables Thinks Oklahoma Has Endless Options at Cheetah

The Sooners' head coach on Saturday described the multiple options and many talents he has competing for playing time at the hybrid linebacker/DB position.

Oklahoma defenders Jaren Kanak (7), Kendel Dolby (15), Dasan McCullough (1) and Danny Stutsman (28) / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

Brent Venables isn’t entirely sure exactly what he’s going to do at Oklahoma’s cheetah linebacker position this season.

But he doesn’t sound too worried about it.

“Nine,” he said Saturday upon a quick head count of the candidates. “Is that a good number? We’ve got enough.”

The cheetah is a position of versatility in Venables’ defense, but given some of the candidates log jamming things there this preseason — young or experienced, big or fast — the position seems to be in good shape.  

“I like the versatility in the positions,” Venables said standing outside the Switzer Center after another steamy hot practice. “We have a handful of guys that are very instinctive. They all might look a little bit different, but man, we’ve got size. We’ve got speed. We’ve got physicality. Guys that have good instincts.” 

Like any election year, there are at the moment way more candidates than there are eventual winners.

But Venables has a lot of different qualities from which to choose.

Up first, of course, is returning starter Dasan McCullough, the former Indiana transfer who can cover like a safety, hit like a linebacker and rush like an edge man. The 6-foot-5, 223-pound junior from Bloomington, IN, is the most experienced with seven starts at the position last year.

Next is Kendel Dolby, a junior college transfer last season and a 5-11, 185-pound senior from Springfield, OH, who started three times at cheetah in 2023.

McCullough is clearly a linebacker. Dolby is clearly a cornerback. But Venables makes their disparate body types work at cheetah based on what he needs from them on a given play. It’s a hybrid linebacker/defensive back, so McCullough’s athletic ability and reaction time allow him to be a strength in coverage, while Dolby’s physical style of football — Venables said recently he “tackles like a rattlesnake” — allow him to support effectively in the run game.

McCullough fought through some injuries last year rand played just 276 defensive snaps in all. But according to Pro Football Focus, he graded out as one of OU’s most efficient and productive defensive players, with a 79.5 overall grade. That included a 73.6 grade on run plays, a sterling 88.2 on pass plays, and a 74.4 in tackling — all among the upper echelon on OU defenders. McCullough played 140 total plays on the line or in the box, with another 128 as a slot defender, per PFF.

Dolby, meanwhile, played 475 total defensive snaps last season at multiple positions. His overall defensive grade in 2023 was 65.1, with a 64.7 on run plays, 63.7 on pass plays and 69.5 in tackling. Dolby had two interceptions and three passes defensed, but it was his fearless play near the line of scrimmage — 112 plays on the line or in the box, 330 as a slot defender — that coaches really enjoyed. 

With McCullough currently nursing “a little toe” injury, however, practice reps have already opened up for other players to see if they can contribute this preseason.

“I really like the depth at the position, and many of those guys are playing multiple positions,” Venables said. “That one is one of those positions.” 

On Saturday, Venables detailed some of the early contenders: third-year sophomore Jayden Rowe (6-2, 223 from Tulsa), sophomore Sammy Omosigho (6-2, 236 from Heartland, TX), freshman Eli Bowen (5-9, 186 from Denton, TX), or freshman Michael Boganowski (6-2, 211 from Junction City, KS) or freshman Reggie Powers (5-11, 208 from Centerville, OH).

That’s a promising group by anyone’s standards — all five were 4-star prospects coming out of high school, per Rivals. Sophomore Peyton Bowen, a former 5-star recruit, played there some last year, too, though he's probably now more entrenched at safety.

“Whether you look at a guy like a Jayden Rowe or a Kendal Dolby or a Sammy or a Dasan or an Eli, Reggie Powers,” Venables said. “If I wanted to do it tomorrow, we could throw Boganowski over there and Reggie at safety — and there would be a transition, but rather seamless.”

Like Venables said, most of them are also being trained at other positions than cheetah. Omosigho is a traditional linebacker. Powers and Bowen are safeties. Boganowski is a safety, but could conceivably grow into a linebacker or, some have said, maybe even a premier edge rusher in the mold of an Eric Striker.

So being able to lend a hand at cheetah is vital at this stage of their development.

“So you’re trying to play to guys’ strengths and not try to overload guys that can’t handle (it),” Venables said. “Just because their skill set will allow them, you don’t want to overload them mentally as a young player. Try to help them get good at something.

“But some guys are a little more (advanced) — a guy like Eli Bowen, he can do a lot. Corner, mentally, is not a difficult position. I want to take away the mental aspect of playing there because it’s more than just, ‘Hey I’ve got my guy.’ But he’s got just a natural fundamentals. His fundamentals are already developed. He’s confident. He doesn’t get overwhelmed with anything. He’s just a really good football player, so you try to find those kind of guys at that position. It takes a unique skill set, and then we’ll try to play to whatever skill set they have there, too.”