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Brent Venables and Oklahoma coaching staff admitting mistake from last season, aiming to make amends with dynamic transfer options
DOUG HOKE/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Not much went right for the Oklahoma Sooners last season in a season riddled with injuries and poor offensive play.

The Sooners partially made up for it with an elite defense, but they lost out in the margins with their special teams unit. Their kicking unit was largely inconsistent, but punter Luke Elzinga delivered plenty of strong moments.

However, they got virtually nothing out of the return game the entire season. Puzzlingly, the staff put defensive backs Billy Bowman and Peyton Bowen out to return kicks and punts, instead of utilizing the numerous offensive players the Sooners could have deployed.

At the time, Brent Venables defended this decision by saying the pair had "natural instincts" for the role and were both "good with the ball in their hands". Those natural instincts and ball skills turned into four muffed punts and under 250 returning yards combined for the pair, as the Sooners basically got nothing out of their entire returning game in 2024.

Heading into 2025, it seems like the staff has admitted defeat there and are utilizing a real dynamic option as a returner this season. Running back Jaydn Ott has been out there returning kicks in fall camp. Wide receiver Isaiah Sategna has also spent time with the return unit as well.

Both Sategna and Ott have plenty of experience and success as returners in their career. Ott returned a 100-yard kickoff for a touchdown in 2023 against UCLA, while Sategna had over 700 career return yards and a touchdown in his career at Arkansas.

For a unit in desperate need of playmaking, both of these players are hopefully the spark the Sooners need to help turn their fortunes around. Oklahoma has had just one kick or punt returned for a touchdown since 2017, a stat that this staff would love to turn around in the upcoming season.

If either of those playmakers can provide just a reliable return effort, Oklahoma's chances of winning in the SEC skyrocket.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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