The Oklahoma Sooners went through a slippery road in 2024. Their head coach, Brent Venables, thought of trying his hand in a new role. The end result? Devastating. Venables’ boys wrapped up the season with a 6-7 overall record. But they have left behind all their woes and are now focusing on a fresh start. And what better way to make a comeback than the recruiting trail? Venables is already making his 2026 roster bulletproof. A few days back, it was a safety, and now it’s a 4-star defensive lineman. In both cases, the chase was not a cakewalk. But Venables ensured to breakthrough. And who is the happiest one right now? Oklahoma GM Jim Nagy, who has yet to call off a special hunting mission.
No wonder, even the Sooners could not mark themselves safe from the transfer portal tornado. The winter months have been too chilly for Venables. They lost some gems like quarterback Jackson Arnold, wide receiver Jaquaize Pettaway, and linebacker Dasan McCullough. Venables pacified himself with, “Yeah, this is modern college football. I don’t think any team’s going to be immune to that.” Unfortunately, the spring portal appeared to be more brutal, snatching away the running backs duo- Gavin Sawchuk and Sam Franklin. But Venables started to take baby steps in building the roster from zero. It came with big wins like Niko Jandreau, a 6-foot-1 safety from Hamilton High School in Chandler. After Chandler, the Sooners picked up a commitment from 4-star defensive lineman Brian Harris. And Nagy can’t keep calm about their 7th commit. On May 24, he tweeted, “You got a good one in your corner, @BrianHarr1s! Boomer!”
You got a good one in your corner, @BrianHarr1s! Boomer!
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_Sooners) May 24, 2025
The Oklahoma GM reshared Cliff Hill’s tweet, where the recruiting coach is spotted posing with Harris during his commitment ceremony. The caption read, “ @BrianHarr1s Yesterday was an awesome experience to be able to be with you and your family and friends when you had your commitment ceremony. You have a lot of people who love and support you. You are capable of doing anything you set your mind to. Your future is unlimited!” Harris, out of Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, Fla., had a buffet of offers. But Venables’ squad came off as the winner, defeating Michigan, South Carolina, Alabama, Ole Miss, Colorado, Auburn, West Virginia, Mississippi State, and N.C. State, Maryland, Louisville, Duke, and Penn State. Phew! Now, that’s a lot, isn’t it?
Listed at 6 feet, 4 inches and weighing 290 pounds, Harris blesses Oklahoma with size, strength, and athleticism, being the ultimate force in the Sooners’ defense. Plus, even though he projects himself as an interior defensive lineman while entering college, he has experience playing on the edge. Powered with burst, footwork, and hands, he was able to win against offensive tackles, making him a game-changer in Venables’ squad that is already bolstering up. Harris’ commitment marks the third defensive pledge as he will be joining Jandreau and linebacker Jakore Smith. Now can Venables finally hit the ‘SNOOZE’ button?
Brent Venables and Jim Nagy are on a mission
No. The Oklahoma head coach will now have to help Nagy with his unfinished business. After all, Venables is already satisfied with having Nagy’s back in the ride ahead. He only had high praise for the GM. “An assassin on the field. And just a great human being as well as a great leader off the field.” But maybe the sweet words will not be enough. Venables will have to help Nagy with his $81 million search mission. On May 20, the Oklahoma GM tweeted, “OU is looking for football equivalent of this dude in recruiting. #baller.” The picture that came with the post left fans guessing.
Was it an Oklahoma legend? No. The picture was of Alex Caruso, who played a pivotal role in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s dramatic Game 3 comeback win over the Memphis Grizzlies. After this heroic feat, Caruso signed a four-year, $81 million extension. But what makes Nagy find a Caruso-like phenom in Oklahoma? The Sooners had an injury-plagued 2024 season. Now, only a versatile, gritty, and dependable phenom like Caruso can fix them. But even before Venables could lend a helping hand, someone else came to their help.
That’s none other than the NFL veteran Tony Jefferson. After all, what better opportunity for the former Oklahoma safety to vouch for his younger brother, Josiah Jefferson? He tweeted, “My younger brother is ready to be a big time weapon for OU’s offense .. 40’ vert .” Well, we know there are too many things on Brent Venables’ plate now. But they should not give up. As J.D. PicKell served some fresh juice for the head coach to sip on. “I do think that in October-November, with how brutal their schedule is, they’re going to ruin it for somebody.” Full throttle, zero fear—Venables is becoming a name no one can overlook.
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