Oklahoma’s defense was already one of the nation’s best in 2025, and Brent Venables sounds like he thinks the next version could be even more dangerous.
The Sooners finished last season sixth nationally in total defense, allowing 293.0 yards per game, and seventh in scoring defense. They also piled up 45 sacks, third-most in the country, and 122 tackles for loss, which ranked second nationally behind national champion Indiana.
That kind of production puts a defense in elite company. Venables, though, isn’t treating it like a finished product.
“Respectively, it's not a great defense yet,” Venables told reporters recently. “We have the opportunity to be a really good defense because we have guys who are bought in, have been developed and have shown enough body of work to give you reason to believe. If they stay hungry and humble, show up every day and put in the work, we have a chance to develop into a really good unit.”
That message fits the way Venables has operated everywhere he’s been. Oklahoma’s head coach made his name as a defensive architect, first during 13 seasons as Bob Stoops’ defensive coordinator in Norman and later at Clemson, where his units regularly sat near the top of the sport.
Under Venables, Clemson finished in the top 10 in total defense seven times in 10 seasons and cracked the top five four times. The 2014 Tigers led the nation in total defense, and the 2018 team finished No. 1 in scoring defense.
Now he’s trying to build the same kind of machine back at Oklahoma, and the pieces are in place. Even with several key defenders from last year now in the NFL, the Sooners are still loaded with talent and experience at all three levels.
In fact, all 11 projected starters on defense started their college careers at Oklahoma. Only one of them, sophomore cornerback Courtland Guillory, has been in the program for less than two years.
“None of these guys are portal guys, they're all homegrown, recruited out of high school and guys that have helped us become an elite unit,” said Venables said in a recent interview on SEC Network.
That continuity matters, and so does the time these players have spent in Venables’ system. Between them, Oklahoma’s projected defensive starters have 27 seasons of collective experience in his scheme.
For Venables, that’s the real foundation. The Sooners have already proven they can be one of the SEC’s best defensive teams. Now the challenge is turning that into something even bigger.
“Going from good to great is a small step, but it's the hardest step by a long way,” Venables said.
And for Oklahoma, that next step could be the one that makes this defense the best in the country.
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Newbauer has reportedly taken a significant step forward in confidence and chemistry with his teammates, while the room around him has stayed healthy in the sense that everyone involved seems to understand what is at stake. Mateer, Bentley and Newbauer have all spoken in terms of mutual respect and learning from one another as Oklahoma works through the lead-up to the season, and that only adds to the sense that this competition is going to be worth watching long after the practice headlines fade. [Read more 🡒]
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He was hardly the only former Oklahoma standout showing up in preseason action, either. Robert Spears-Jennings, Kendal Daniels, Damonic Williams, Deion Burks, Febechi Nwaiwu, Nik Bonitto and Tony Jefferson all had notable moments in various games, while Baker Mayfield, Caleb Williams, Jalen Hurts and Kyler Murray were part of the Week 2 quarterback buzz, giving Oklahoma followers plenty of familiar names to track as camps move deeper into August. [Read more 🡒]
Reggie Powers Is Forcing His Way Into A Huge Sooners Role
Reggie Powers has spent the offseason turning himself from a promising piece into a player Oklahoma can count on, and fall camp has only strengthened that case. Entering his third season with the program, he has drawn steady praise from coaches and teammates for the way his physicality, speed and overall progress have shown up on the field, a sign that he is no longer just part of the rotation but a real factor in what the Sooners want to do defensively.
With Kendal Daniels now in the NFL, Powers is in line to step into the cheetah role and handle a much bigger weekly workload. That makes this season a meaningful one for both Oklahoma and Powers himself, since the chance to contribute consistently in a featured spot could go a long way toward shaping his NFL draft outlook. [Read more 🡒]