Oklahoma CB Coach Jay Valai Drawing NFL Interest, per Report

Oklahoma cornerbacks coach Jay Valai is drawing interest from the NFL.

The Buffalo Bills are targeting the OU assistant to coach defensive backs, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.

Zenitz also reported that Valai has drawn interest from multiple NFL teams this hiring cycle, as well as Notre Dame.

The #Bills are targeting Oklahoma assistant head coach for defense/co-DC Jay Valai for a defensive backs coach job, sources tell @CBSSports.

Valai, who has been of interest to other NFL teams too as well as Notre Dame, helped OU rank sixth nationally in total defense this year. pic.twitter.com/GgeaCCLejK
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 1, 2026

Valai joined OU’s staff when Brent Venables arrived, and he’s now officially Oklahoma’s assistant head coach for defense, co-defensive coordinator, pass defense coordiantor and cornerbacks and nickelbacks coach.

With Valai on staff, the Sooners’ defense has progressed from one of the worst units in school history when Venables’ staff inherited it to one of the best units in college football.

Oklahoma finished last season ranked sixth in total defense, seventh in scoring defense, third in rushing defense and 32nd in passing defense.

Valai just had a raise approved by Oklahoma’s Board of Regents on Friday.

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Prior to joining OU’s staff, Valai had worked all across the country.

He started as a defensive quality control coach at Georgia, where he stayed for 2016 and 2017.

Valai then served for a year as a defensive quality control coach for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018 before joining the Rutgers staff as cornerbacks coach in 2019.

Oklahoma Sooners, Jay Valai — Oklahoma cornerbacks coach Jay Valai ahead of practice during fall camp. | Ryan Chapman / Sooners on SI

In 2020, he accepted the same role at Texas, and he then moved from Austin to Tuscaloosa to join Alabama’s staff as cornerbacks coach in 2021.

Under Valai, OU corners Gentry Williams, Eli Bowen and Courtland Guillory have all enjoyed great success.

Williams’ Oklahoma career was only derailed by injuries, and Bowen is about to enter his third year as a starter alongside second-year starter Guillory.

New Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard played at Wisconsin like Valai, though Leonhard’s stint with the Badgers predated Valai’s time at Wisconsin.

Valai’s departure would be the first major blow for Venables’ defensive staff, a group that has stayed together mostly through his first four seasons in Norman.

Former defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ted Roof lasted two years in Norman before he was replaced by Zac Alley.

Alley spent just one year in Norman before he took the defensive coordinator job at West Virginia, and he was replaced as inside linebackers coach by Nate Dreiling.

Otherwise, Venables’ defensive staff — Todd Bates as defensive tackles coach, Miguel Chavis as defensive ends coach, Valai as cornerbacks coach and Brandon Hall as safeties coach — has stuck together, allowing continuity to become a major strength on the defensive side of the ball.