Brent Venables: Oklahoma Must Spread the Ball Out Among Wide Receivers

NORMAN — A few days after Oklahoma's 23-15 win at Mississippi State and this Saturday's home matchup against South Carolina, Sooners coach Brent Venables held his weekly press conference Tuesday.

It was Venables' first mid-week press conference in two weeks after he missed last week's with flu-like symptoms.

In Venables' session Tuesday, he touched on a variety of topics, including wide receiver depth, Sean Hutton's medical scare, parity in the SEC and college football as a whole, Caleb Nitta's versatility and more.

Here are several takeaways on Venables' press conference:

Sooners Need to Spread Ball Around to WRs

Isaiah Sategna has been excellent once again, leading the team with 41 catches for 578 yards and three touchdowns.

Tight end Rocky Beers is second on the team with 30 catches for 395 yards and four scores.

The second-leading receiver among the wide receiver group is sophomore Manny Choice, who has just nine catches for 125 yards.

No other wideout other than the injured Trell Harris has more than 51 yards receiving.

Venables said the Sooners needed to do a better job of spreading the ball around among the group.

“No doubt,” Venables said. “More balanced, get more guys involved. … I think that serves our offense well to get more guys involved.”

Venables: Parity Doesn't Change Expectations

With the new nine-game SEC schedule and the upcoming move to a 24-team playoff, Venables was asked if the definition of a successful season would be changed.

“I don’t know if I’d ever get away from expecting to win every single game,” Venables said. “You go into every game with that expectation, have for a long, long time. I wouldn’t change that at all. Is there more parity in the league and around the country? Absolutely. But I don’t think that should change standards or expectations.”

Caleb Nitta Providing Important Versatility on O-line

Senior Caleb Nitta isn’t one of the starters on the Sooners’ offensive line, but has been a valuable piece, especially of late.

In the loss to Kentucky, Nitta stepped in to play guard after Ryan Fodje’s injury.

Last week against Mississippi State, Nitta replaced center Jake Maikkula after Maikkula’s injury.

Both times, he’s performed exceptionally.

“He’s a tough guy,” Venables said of Nitta. “He cares about his opportunity. … He plays bigger than he is in stature. He’s really athletic. … He understands how to play the game and through his limitations he’s figured out what he’s good at and how he needs to play.”

Nitta could start at center against South Carolina should Maikkula not be available.

The first SEC availability report of the season comes out Wednesday.

Venables: Sean Hutton Health Episode Gives Sooners Perspective

Venables said Sean Hutton’s medical scare was a learning experience for the team.

“For the players, my responsibility is making sure they’ve got good perspective,” Venables said. “... That’s a reminder just how fragile life is. Thankful for his health and spirit.”

Venables called Hutton’s turnaround, where he was released from the hospital and greeted his teammates upon their return from Mississippi “a miracle.”

“Nothing short,” Venables said. “Thankful for his health and the doctors, the team that helped him through that episode.”

Earlier, offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said Hutton was one of the most well-respected players on the roster.

“He’s an unbelievable teammate. He has been since the day he’s gotten here, since I got here. … There’s no simpler way to say it than Sean Hutton just makes people happy.”

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