How Oklahoma HC Brent Venables Prioritized ‘Grimy’ Players in 2026 Recruiting Class

NORMAN — Oklahoma coach Brent Venables has regularly used the word “grimy” to describe his 2025 football team.

The Sooners finished the regular season 10-2 overall and 6-2 in SEC play. OU beat LSU 17-13 in its regular-season finale to punch its ticket to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019.

OU finished the year 4-1 in one-score contests, showing the Sooners’ ability to find a way late in games.

“That’s a very grimy group, and I say that with great, great respect,” Venables said after OU’s 17-6 win against Missouri. “Relentless mindset, passionate about one another. They love to compete and never lose hope or belief.”

As Venables and his staff build their future teams, that “grimy” characteristic is something that they search for.

Oklahoma signed 24 players from the Class of 2026 on Wednesday, which marked Early National Signing Day. The Sooners’ class ranks No. 15 in 247Sports’ team recruiting rankings.

Venables said that speaking with prospective players’ coaches helps him and his assistants have a better sense of that prospect’s mindset.

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“The coaches have done a great job of kind of lifting the cushions up, opening up the closet and pulling the curtains back,” Venables said. “I think through conversation, being on campus, in person and then also on the phone, you ask the right questions. As a veteran recruiter, you know what type of responses you're looking for.”

Venables also said that he gets a sense of players’ grit from his conversations with them and their families.

“Being around the families, and you hear them, see them, watch them interact and figure all those things out as well,” Venables said.

Griminess has taken OU a long way this season. Despite inconsistent play on offense and a brutal conference schedule, the Sooners’ grit in all three phases has allowed them to be one of college football’s most successful teams.

Strong work-ethic is a mandatory trait that Venables searches for while on the recruiting trail.

“(You ask) what do they do year round? Are they in multiple sports? Are they just gym rats? Are they always in the gym?” Venables said. “You do find out a lot of that, and then some things you figure out once they're here.”

While Venables hopes that his incoming players already have a sense of griminess, he knows that the right prospects will become even grittier when they arrive in Norman.

“I do think guys can become grimier than maybe what they already were,”Venables said. “But I think pushing the limits of players and taking them to places that they can't take themselves, breaking down barriers and things like that, that's part of development, as well. And I think there's plenty of guys who show up naturally tough, and some guys that can develop that toughness through their experience.”