Brent Venables: This Player Stayed at Oklahoma Despite Offer of 'Well Over Seven-Figures to Leave'

Given a prompt Monday to discuss his newly revealed depth chart for Saturday’s 2025 season opener against Illinois State, Oklahoma coach Brent Venables immediately got into the merits of the Sooners’ new quarterback, John Mateer.

Venables then needed little time to dive into OU’s defensive leader, edge rusher R Mason Thomas.

“Yeah, he's come a long way,” Venables said. 

And not just on the field, Venables intimated. Thomas — who turns 21 on Monday — was just named one of seven team captains and has naturally elevated his leadership to another level by leaving some apparently significant NIL money on the table.

“Through a lot of hard work, man, he's really developed into one of the most explosive defenders in all the college football,” Venables said. “(Thomas) was offered, you know, well over seven figures to leave Oklahoma in the offseason. But, you know, just goes to show the type of character, type of care, the type of investment that he has here at Oklahoma (and) what his opportunity means to him. So, really cool to see.”

Venables said Thomas was the “first guy I sent Coach (Miguel) Chavis to see. Hired Chavis, and within the first 30 minutes of being hired, I told him, ‘Don’t come to Norman, go to Pompano Beach (Fort Lauderdale) and go down to see R Mason Thomas.”

As any coach would, Venables said the 2025 preseason camp was a good one for just about everyone.

But, he acknowledged, this camp did feel different for the No. 18-ranked Sooners coming off a 6-7 record last year.

“It's been like this infectious buzz and energy has lasted throughout the course at camp,” Venables said. “It's hard to describe, but when you've been doing this — this is my 31st year doing it as a full time coach — you know it's different. It's very palpable.” 

The season starts Saturday with a home game against Illinois State, the No. 6-ranked team in the Football Championship Subdivision. OU is a massive favorite to win Saturday, but just a week past that, the Michigan Wolverines come to Norman. Beyond that, Southeastern Conference play is just a few weeks down the road.

Much of the team’s new energy this preseason was initiated by a new vibe from the offense, particularly with Mateer and the Sooners’ new offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle. Despite a significant influx of newcomers at receiver, quarterback, tight end and even running back, the players didn’t necessarily spend much time in learning mode but instead hit the ground running when training camp began.

“I think it's twofold,” Venables said. “(Arbuckle’s) background and the system that he cut his teeth on originally, and it's grown and evolved and has lots of different layers to it — but the familiarity with the staff and their exposure to some of those things in the Lincoln Riley offense has carried over. 

“But the No. 1 thing is, you know, Ben's a fantastic leader. He's very natural relationally and from a leadership standpoint. And there's this continuity and chemistry that he and Coach Kuze (John Kuceyeski) and obviously John have that they (had together at Washington State) — literally, it's like riding a bike, just another color of uniform.”

As for Mateer, Venables has been impressed with the former Cougars signal caller “from the moment he's gotten here” because “he’s had this great humility, hunger to learn, hunger to grow, hunger to lead, hunger to please, all of those things that there's a lot of young guys that age are not into as readily as he has been. 

“And he has shown up with intention and purpose every single day to do those things, not to be the the new hot shot, highest-paid, you know, player in the locker room, whatever, that maybe could be. Kind of a byproduct of a guy that was very highly sought after, but it couldn't be more opposite of all of those things that I said. So he's been fantastic. His capacity is really high and he's just, he's a fun guy to be around. Super competitive, really thoughtful, and he cares about his teammates and his coaches. … He knows the honor and expectation and the standard that comes along with that, and he's embraced that. He hasn't shied away from it whatsoever.”

Mateer, Thomas and five others were named captain before the season — the first time Venables has named permanent captains in his four years as head coach. He said OU won championships with permanent captains when he was in Norman as Bob Stoops’ assistant, and he said Clemson won championships under Dabo Swinney with weekly captains.

“I was here for 13 years and we were one of the winningest teams in college football,” Venables said. “Had permanent captains. We had some excellent captains that I think you look at that 13 years, I saw most of the years that the guys that were voted captains by their teammates also led like captains you would want them to lead from beginning to end.”