The Oklahoma Sooners were one of the surprise teams in 2025. After going 6-7 in 2024, their first year in the SEC, the Sooners bounced back by going 10-3 and returning to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019.
A big reason for that turnaround was the defense. The Sooners finished in the top 10 nationally in numerous categories, including a No. 5 ranking in overall defensive efficiency. A big reason for this was the return of Brent Venables as the play-caller.
The Sooners' head man has made a long career out of being one of the best defensive coordinators in college football. He won three national championships as a coordinator with Oklahoma and the Clemson Tigers. In what seemed to be a make-or-break season, Venables returned to calling the defense.
In a season widely viewed as pivotal for the program's direction, Venables' increased direct involvement in defensive game planning coincided with a more aggressive, ****** ignment-disciplined unit that improved significantly in situational defense and red zone efficiency.
While Venables has always influenced the defensive identity, his imprint on weekly schematics was more visible last season and aligned with Oklahoma's jump in national competitiveness on that side of the ball.