One would think that there’s a part of Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables that is over the moon.
Last season, in Oklahoma’s first foray into the SEC, the Sooners went 6-7 and were largely disappointing. They looked overmatched and unprepared to be an SEC school. Now, Venables has the Sooners ranked No. 6 in all of college football and undefeated at 5-0 heading into the Red River Rivalry game against the Texas Longhorns, but Venables isn’t putting his guard down.
“I’m never comfortable, never have been,” he recently said, according to Thomas Goldkamp of On3.
Venables went on to say that he loves the team he has. He’s been the head coach at Oklahoma for four seasons, so players he recruited in year one are starting to become faces of the program. The Sooners have also made good moves in the transfer portal.
None has been bigger than bringing in quarterback John Mateer from Washington State. Mateer was a Heisman Trophy contender before he injured his hand a few weeks ago, but he should be back in action very soon.
Brent Venables praises Oklahoma Sooners’ leadership
Oklahoma has a team that looks like it can contend for the SEC crown this season and make a run through the College Football Playoff. As far as Venables sees it, it’s just as much about the talent on the field as it is the people in the room.
He doesn’t know if the Sooners will make the run they seem to be capable of, but he knows he likes the group of people he’s going to attempt it with.
“It’s hard to say. I don’t know,” Venables said when asked if Oklahoma will hit its big goal this season. “Really that’s for everybody else to write. I like this team. I like where we’re at right now. I’ve got an excellent staff and tremendous leadership in our locker room. Guys that, again, I’ve been bragging on for a while, both sides of the ball. Upwards of 16 players that this is Year 4 for them.
“I think we’re a benefactor of that leadership and the experience and the improvements that we’ve made, the development that we’ve shown here in the program has been good here this year. Where all that stands is for everybody else, but I feel really good about where we’re at right now.”
Oklahoma can take another big step in its 2025 journey by beating an unranked 3-2 Texas team that was supposed to be a contender this season but has fallen flat on its face. The Longhorns do have talent, though, and they also have a great coach in Steve Sarkisian.
Part of having good leadership in a locker room is knowing that you can’t look past any opponent, especially a rival, so expect the Sooners to be locked in this weekend in the Red River Rivalry game.
