How Transfers Worked Their Way Into Oklahoma's Starting Lineup

NORMAN — Brent Venables knew he had to shake things up after Oklahoma's defense got pushed around in 2022. The Sooners surrendered an average of 30 points, 461 yards and 25 first downs per game.

Depth was an issue. So, too, was toughness at the point of attack. Venables started there and worked his way back, signing six lineman, two linebackers and a safety out of the transfer portal.

"I thought we were soft in short yardage situations and got knocked off the ball," he said Tuesday. "Second level didn’t support like we needed to support. So, a lot to, you know, not be real happy about, but I think we’re more knowledgeable as well as more physical. Our football IQ has improved."

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Three of those transfers — defensive ends Rondell Bothroyd and Trace Ford and safety Reggie Pearson — are listed as starters for Saturday morning's season opener against Arkansas State.

Ford is listed as a co-starter on the team's first depth chart, released Tuesday. Either Ford or returning junior Ethan Downs will start against the Red Wolves.

Two others, linebackers Konnor Near and Dasan McCullough, are fighting for starting spots according to the depth chart.

Between them, Bothroyd, Ford, Pearson, Near and McCullough have 112 college starts and add much-needed depth and experience to a unit that wore down late in games last season.

"A year ago I don’t think we had great leadership inside," Venables said. "Every defense, if you’re gonna have a good defense, man, you gotta be strong up the middle of the defense. "There shouldn’t be any position that doesn’t have great leadership in my opinion. So we needed to get better there."

Venables was looking for guys to do more than just punch a time card. He wanted buy-in.

"Whatever great leadership means. It doesn’t mean a guy that just shows up every day," he said. "I’m talking about guys that strain, guys that lead, guys that bring out the best in people around them, guys that like to compete, guys that like to be the example, they handle tough, hard coaching, they handle adversity well, they’re gonna be models of consistency."

Bothroyd, a 6-foot-3, 273-pound redshirt senior who played four seasons at Wake Forest, checked all the boxes.

"Rondell is physical. He’s heavy-handed. He’s got a lot of natural ability. Good instincts," Venables said. "He’s played a lot of ball. He knows the difference between a max protection and a zone cutoff play. So he can key out quickly on max pro. He knows when it’s gonna be a boot as opposed to a split-flow play. Those are things that come from experience and a natural feel for the game. He’s just consistent."

Bothroyd, a native of Manchester, CT, said he and Ford started bonding as newcomers trying to figure out the OU playbook.

"The playbook is really complex until you understand it, and then you understand it and something clicks," he said Tuesday after practice.

The competition for playing time has brought out the best in players, according to Bothroyd.

"You've got to push yourself every single play, which is good for the team," he said. "It's good for everybody really, the fans, everybody. It's just cool to see how deep we are and how far we can go, really."

Venables on Tuesday also spoke at length about Ford, the 6-2, 252-pound redshirt senior from Edmond who played three seasons at Oklahoma State and has battled knee injuries the past two seasons.

"What he brings to the table is he's got a high motor. He's crazy explosive," Venables said. "He's physical at the point of attack. He's a cerebral guy. He allows you to coach him hard. He demands a lot for himself. He's willing to put in the time to learn the X's and the O's so he can play fast. He's done a great job of doing that. His teammates have helped him do that.

"He's a guy who has played some football, so he relies on some of the experience. And he's a confident guy in his ability. He's been humble for the process that it takes to play at a high level, so he didn't pout when he started off as a third-group guy or maybe a fourth-group guy. He was at the back of the line, and he's earned his opportunity every step of the way. When he has been given some opportunity, he made the most of those small windows like you want all of your players to do."

Position battles, particularly along the defensive line, are ongoing, according to Venables and defensive coordinator Ted Roof.

"It’s very competitive. We have some depth there," Roof said Monday. "Those battles are daily battles. Our period battles are play-by-play battles. We hope that will go throughout the end of the year. That makes everybody better.

"We have guys we feel good about to roll in there and it will play itself out. It will play itself out. Certainly that’s a position where we have some battles still going."

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