Oklahoma football recruiting: Brent Venables on how Sooners handle commitments

Brent Venables is entering Year 1 as head coach of the Oklahoma football program, and already his tenure has been defined by recruiting efforts.

Before he got there, OU lost coach Lincoln Riley, 5-star quarterback prospect Caleb Williams, and a bevy of other future commits and present players.

That turnover inspired the new coach to ponder the true definition of commitment, and what he and Oklahoma expects from players to commit to them.

Venables compares commitment to marriage

"What's commitment mean to you?" he asked a reporter.

"Are you married? So you asked your wife to marry you, right? So in that moment, when you asked Brittany to marry you, was your intention after she said yes — there’s a commitment that takes place — is to go date other women and do your thing? 

"Did you try that? You waited until you were ready though. That you knew that you knew that you knew that you knew, right? So that’s what we want to be as a program. Hey, we are not trying to force commitments.

Don't commit unless you're ready

“Do not commit here until you’re ready to make a commitment because a commitment is not a reservation. If you say ‘hey Brittany, let’s get married Nov. 30,’ in the meantime, I’m going to go see Sally and Michelle and Lisa. She ain’t going to meet you there. Good luck on Nov. 30, right? 

"So why is it any different? Teach young people what commitment means. I’m not going to apologize. And that’s what we tell them. ‘Do not commit, take as many visits as you want.'”

"Oklahoma will stick out"

Venables hopes to instate the same approach he had at Clemson, where he and Dabo Swinney implemented a very particular recruiting process.

“I think, personally, that the Oklahoma brand will stick out,” Venables said. “You may not come here, but you’re really going to like it. You may not come here, but I am glad you didn’t if you’re not ready to make a real deep-seated commitment. It’s a two-way street. 

“Even the coaches are bad examples. They’ll take a commitment and then three days before signing day, they call a kid that’s been committed for a year, ‘oh, by the way, we don’t have a spot for you because I found a guy better than you and you’re only opportunity to come here is if grayshirt or pay for your first year.’

“What kind of example is that? That’s bad form but that’s kind of where we are, people that lack a moral compass. I’m not going to apologize for having a moral compass. I want to teach our young people what commitment is, what it looks like. Certainly, things can change.”

Venables wants Oklahoma to do things the right way

“Maybe there’s flaws in that thinking but I know this, there’s a lot of flaws in taking a commitment, making a reservation, and then going and doing your thing,” said Venables. 

“How can I manage a roster or who else I need to offer if I got nine guys committed but they’re going to Bama and Georgia and LSU and A&M.

“How can I manage? How can I take commitments? How will I know what my numbers are? So that’s just my way of trying to manage the roster to the best of my ability. Again, teach our guys ethics and morality. 

“We could sit here and try to diminish that whole process. I’m just saying, we’re trying to be the example. We’re trying to do it the right way.”

"We want to be the right one"

"So it's not like we're trying to get all these commitments and not let them go see places. I tell them, 'Go see as many places as you can. Save us for last.' 

"We're not trying to force anybody to commit. I would never do that. I've got too much respect for the enormity of the decision. 

"Do people change minds? Absolutely. OK, if a guy commits and we take a commitment and then next thing you know he goes out and he robs a 7/11, commitment's over on our side. Right? Fair enough? 

"Or a guy goes and he's on life support (academically) and can't graduate high school because he didn't try, didn't show up — man, commitment's over on our side.

"So, anyway, we don't want to be first. We want to be the right one."

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