Brent Venables is Likes What He Sees From The Next Wave of DL Talent at Oklahoma

NORMAN — Brent Venables knows that if the Oklahoma Sooners are going to return to the College Football Playoff in 2026, he will need to build back up some of the depth lost from 2025.

He said as much leading up to Oklahoma's Spring Media Day on March 9, when he described the distance between his starters and backups on the two‑deep. “I really believe that one of the keys to our success,” Venables said on the Oklahoma Breakdown podcast, “is that we had our 2s playing closer to 1s than to 2s. And we lost a lot of that competitive depth, most of that on the defensive side.”

One of the positions that highlights this desire to bring the 2s up to speed — defensive line. Specifically, Nigel Smith II and Trent Wilson, two players Venables has already singled out as having the best offseason of anyone on the team.

With David Stone and Jayden Jackson missing most, if not all of spring practice, both players will have ample opportunity to prove themselves worthy of the defensive line's lofty standard of play.

Oklahoma Sooners, Miguel Chavis, David Stone — Oklahoma defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis, defensive tackle David Stone | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

"I've been very encouraged by our young defensive tackles," Venables said on Thursday. "I've been really impressed with not just yesterday and today, but over the last several months. The maturity, the work that they've put into the film room has shown up. We've seen that through walk-throughs over the last several weeks."

Venables’ message should reassure Sooner fans worried that the departures of Gracen Halton and Damonic Williams to the NFL will strip away a significant piece of what made OU’s defense so dominant last season. Sending wave after wave of fresh, high-end defensive lineman helped Oklahoma reach near the top of most defensive metrics.

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Injuries have opened up extended spring reps for Smith, Wilson, and even freshman James “Tank” Carrington to prove themselves. If they can use that time to set up strong summer and fall camps, Venables may view the defensive‑line depth project as a success.

Smith understands what's at stake. He's been looking forward to spring ball for months.

"I've been looking forward to this spring since the winter," Smith said on Thursday. "This spring is huge for me. I'm so excited. I've been wanting to be the first guy going out to prove that I'm able to go and be apart of that competitive depth so when Stone and Jay come back, there's no drop-off."

Once again, "competitive depth" makes its return to Venables' Sooner discourse. Though, unlike earlier in his tenure as head coach, it appears that Venables and this program are better equipped to build back depth in an offseason when necessary.

Whether the heir apparent is Smith, Wilson, or a newcomer like Carrington — who Venables loosely compared to Jackson by noting he played as a true freshman because he could "play the run" with "great leverage" — the Sooners will use spring to try to restore that competitive depth.