Venables Vibes: New Faces Must Fit Into Brent Venables' Firm Vision at Oklahoma

Neither Eli Bowen or Kendel Dolby were listed at cornerback in the first depth chart of the season, opening the door for a young member of the secondary to earn snaps.

True freshman Courtland Guillory was named as a co-starter across from veteran Gentry Williams, but Jacobe Johnson has quietly enjoyed a solid offseason after splitting time between corner and wide receiver last year. 

“He had a terrific summer and spring, and just more confident as we’ve talked about him several times over the last year or so,” Venables said of Johnson, who was listed alongside Guillory on top of the depth chart. “… He needed to learn how to hone his skills and fundamentals and understanding of how to play cornerback. And so it’s been a process. He’s worked incredibly hard. 

“… Coach (Jay) Valai has done a wonderful job at developing him, and he’s put in a lot of hard work to put himself in position. So I think he’s a lot more confident. He’d be the first one to tell you that it’s just more confident playing corner, and he’s learned from his past mistakes along the way.”

Venables said there are “no updates” for Bowen or Dolby. The duo missed a large portion of fall camp, opening the door for Guillory and Johnson to play plenty in the first month of the season. 

In the Heat of the Battle

Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle explained his preference for calling plays from the sideline on Tuesday.

Venables’ two previous offensive coordinators, Jeff Lebby and Seth Littrell, preferred to call plays from the press box, but he understands Arbuckle’s preference for staying on OU’s sideline. 

“Everybody has a different comfort level,” Venables said, “but I think that’s a real experience to be able to have on the sideline to get to pulse of your players for them to feed off of your intensity and the focus.

“… Ben… he’s a hands-on, passionate guy. So I think he’ll bring the best out of everybody. Not just the quarterbacks, but the best out of everybody.”

No Identity Change

Though Arbuckle’s offensive philosophy can be traced back to Kliff Kingsbury, there will be no shift in the identity that Venables wants for his team. 

“Tough and physical, blue-collar. Explosive on offense,” Venables said. “I want a team that runs the ball well in a physical way, lots of different ways to create explosive plays.”

Venables’ defense has gotten better every year at Oklahoma, and he expects that trend to continue in 2025 as well. 

“On defense, something you can count on,” Venables said. “Create field position. Stop the run, terrorize the quarterback on third downs. Dominate third downs. Play with passion, energy, physicality, relentless effort. All three phases of the game should be game-changers.”

The No. 18-ranked Sooners will kick things off on Saturday at 5 p.m. against Illinois State, and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network+ and ESPN+.