How Oklahoma’s Freshmen Impressed Brent Venables During Winter Workouts

NORMAN — Brent Venables was able to take his hands off the wheel more than usual during the Sooners’ winter workouts.

Oklahoma signed 25 freshmen as part of its 2026 recruiting class, and that group enrolled in January. Venables, OU’s coach since 2022, was pleased with how quickly those 25 newcomers adjusted to life at a Power Four college football program.

“This has been less correction and less motivating,” Venables said. “It's been maybe the cleanest that it's ever been, just in the four years.”

Venables said at his press conference on March 8 that he put both newcomers and returners through “speed school,” hoping to make his team faster at every position. Of course, Venables noted that OU’s players have regularly been in the weight room with strength coach James Dobson, too.

The coach has already seen progress in each of his newcomers.

“Our squat, our bench, our hang cleans, our speed, those types of things… the stuff that really kind of challenges your manhood when it comes to the sport, being a football player and the capacity that you can compete with,” Venables said. “I love that part of our out-of-season program.”

Venables also believes that the adjustment has been easier for this class because of the shape they were in upon arrival.

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“We're going to coach them hard and motivate them and inspire them and hold them to incredibly high standards, but less guys bent over and needing a trash can and things of that nature,” Venables said. “It's just this time of the year. I've seen it a lot over the last several decades, and this has been a really clean out-of-season program.”

A handful of true freshmen played major roles in 2025.

Cornerback Courtland Guillory notched 41 total tackles, 28 solo tackles and seven pass breakups, earning SEC All-Freshman honors. Running back Tory Blaylock led the Sooners in rushing, finishing his first college football season with 480 yards and four touchdowns. And several others — like Elijah Thomas, Manny Choice and Omarion Robinson — were key components to OU’s special teams unit.

Of the 25 players that signed with OU in December, seven of them were graded as 4-star prospects by 247Sports.

It’s hard to predict which of those 25 true freshmen will be instant contributors for Oklahoma in 2026. But based on what he’s seen over the last few months, he is confident that many of them will be ready to help the Sooners win games during their first college football seasons.

“I think you develop a lot of confidence, leadership, accountability and you can’t hide,” Venables said. “When you get called to the middle of the ring, you have to show up and show your teammates what it’s all about, that you understand from the competitive character standpoint, what we’re expecting. You nurture that and you develop that, but it’s been a lot of fun to watch that process as well.”

Oklahoma will open its 2026 season against UTEP on Sept. 5.