Oklahoma GM Jim Nagy Credits Brent Venables' 'Positive Culture' in Helping Retention

Another regular season has come and gone in the transfer portal era. Programs across the nation have begun to naturally file into a typical process by which to do business.

Adding new players is always the more splashy prospect on paper, but most schools now understand that the most important aspect of team building is roster retention.

Oklahoma, under the leadership of general manager Jim Nagy has made this the first order of business following National Signing Day and the conclusion of any Sooner football season.

With a 10-2 record and a likely spot in the College Football Playoff, positive momentum will no doubt play a large role in OU potentially keeping its most valuable players into 2026, but Nagy credits something else he first experienced when he first entered the building in January.

"You’re looking right off the bat for stability and the type of people," Nagy said on Wednesday. "When I interviewed for the job and they were 6-7, that did not feel like a 6-7 building to me at all. I could tell the culture had been set."

That culture will go a long way in Nagy's task of retaining the players on the roster they believe gives them the best chance to succeed in 2026.

"I think the culture helps us retain more than anything," Nagy said. "Coach Venables has done an unbelievable job, and coaches have done an unbelievable job with their relationships with these players."

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The Sooner program took some time to adapt to the changing time since name, image and likeness opened the floodgates to this new landscape within the sport in 2021.

Nagy, who is OU's second general manager after former linebacker Curtis Lofton held the position in its inaugural year last season, has built out a professionally-inspired front office full of former executives and high-level scouts. All in an effort to help the coaching staff focus on coaching players, while the front office concerns itself with player retention.

But Nagy is confident that Venables' culture will help ease his first offseason of convincing some players to come back for another year rather than potentially be drafted late in the NFL or to give Norman another chance if playing time was sparse this season.

"In my role, I’ve downloaded with everyone in every corner of the building already on the entire roster, sit-downs, having them grade players in different specific areas," Nagy said. "So, when I do meet with the players or the agents or their families or whoever is representing them, I know where the whole building stands on these guys.

"It’s going to be key keeping it together, there’s no doubt," Nagy added. "This is a really well-connected team."

Oklahoma Sooners Jim Nagy — Oklahoma GM Jim Nagy | John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI

The culture Venables built helped retain key players like R Mason Thomas, Jayden Jackson, and David Stone — three pivotal contributors to Oklahoma’s 2025 success who could have commanded high value on the market if they’d chosen to leave behind a 6-7 2024 season.

Nagy credits the same culture as to how Oklahoma was able to salvage what was a disappointing recruiting class for 2026 when he accepted the job. Now, with 2026's class in the rearview window, Nagy understood the same culture kept players attracted to the option of playing in Norman

"To me it’s because of the brotherhood," Nagy said. "That’s been a really cool part of having this '26 class up here as much as they were, they saw it. When I would speak to the different groups, I would say this is great for us because a lot of schools preach brotherhood, a lot of schools preach family and all that.

“I'd tell them, 'Well, guys, you’re getting ready to walk down to the stadium and see it,'” Nagy added, “'Watch when the offense is coming off the field and the defense is coming on and off.' These guys are really connected. So I’m not just sitting up here blowing smoke. It’s a real thing. The families and the players that want to buy into that and be part of that culture, they value what we are."