Oklahoma’s Jay Valai Drawing Heavy Interest from Bills, Notre Dame
The Oklahoma Sooners may have had their share of ups and downs last season, but one thing was clear: Brent Venables’ defense came to play. While the offense cooled off late in the year, the defense-anchored by a strong secondary-helped carry OU to the College Football Playoff. And now, that success is drawing attention from the NFL and top-tier college programs alike.
At the center of it all is Jay Valai, Oklahoma’s assistant head coach for defense and co-defensive coordinator. According to multiple reports, Valai is being targeted by both the Buffalo Bills and Notre Dame for high-profile roles on their respective staffs.
The Bills are eyeing Valai for their defensive backs coach position under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. That connection runs deep-Valai and Leonhard were teammates at Wisconsin, and that shared history could be a key factor in Valai’s potential move to Orchard Park. With Joe Brady assembling his first staff as Buffalo’s head coach, bringing in a trusted voice like Valai to help shape the secondary makes a lot of sense.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, has been circling Valai for some time. With Mike Mickens departing to join Jesse Minter’s new staff in Baltimore, the Irish are in the market for a new secondary coach.
Valai, who helped Oklahoma finish sixth nationally in total defense this past season, is high on their list. Marcus Freeman has already seen his defensive staff raided by the NFL-Al Golden left for the Bengals last year, and Al Washington is now with the Dolphins-so keeping the right pieces in place is a growing challenge in South Bend.
Oklahoma isn’t standing still. The program reportedly gave Valai a raise this offseason in an effort to keep him in Norman. But with two major programs knocking, and with Valai’s resume continuing to grow, the Sooners could have a tough time holding on.
Valai does have some NFL experience-he spent a season with Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs-and that familiarity with the pro game, combined with his college success, makes him an appealing candidate for a team like the Bills. Add in the Leonhard connection, and the dots start to connect.
This wouldn’t be the first time a major program tried to poach talent from Venables’ staff. Just last year, Penn State made a run at DeMarco Murray, but the former OU star stayed put. Valai, though, doesn’t have the same deep ties to Norman-his roots are in Wisconsin, and that Badger bond with Leonhard could be a difference-maker.
If Valai does leave, it would be a significant loss for Oklahoma. He’s been instrumental in developing the Sooners’ secondary and elevating the overall defensive identity under Venables. But with both Buffalo and Notre Dame offering big opportunities-one in the NFL, the other at one of college football’s most storied programs-Valai has some weighty decisions to make.
For Oklahoma fans, the hope is that familiarity and the program’s recent success are enough to keep him around. But if he does end up reuniting with Leonhard in Buffalo or helping Freeman reload in South Bend, it would be hard to argue with the move. Either way, Valai’s stock is clearly on the rise, and the Sooners may soon find themselves filling a major hole on the defensive staff.