Oklahoma HC Brent Venables on 2025 DB Signees: ‘It’s a Confident Group’

The Sooners signed five defensive back prospects on Wednesday, and Brent Venables believes the group will make an immediate impact.

Oklahoma HC Brent Venables on 2025 Defensive Back Signees /

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables spoke highly about his entire 2025 Early Signing class on Wednesday, and he sees the secondary as a group where the incoming recruits will make an immediate impact.

Five defensive back prospects — Trystan Haynes, Courtland Guillory, Omarion Robinson, Marcus Wimberly and Maliek Hawkins — put pen to paper on Wednesday to officially join the Sooners’ 2025 class.

“I love our defensive backs,” Venables said. “We got length, we got speed, great instincts.”

Haynes is the Sooners’ highest-rated defensive back signee, ranked as the No. 201 overall prospect in the 2025 class by 247 Sports. A prospect of Carl Albert High School in Midwest City, OK, Haynes was selected to play in the Navy All-American Bowl, a game that features 100 of the nation’s best high school football players.

Haynes is one of three players from Carl Albert to sign with the Sooners on Wednesday, along with linebacker Marcus James and athlete Trynae Washington.

Haynes is one of two four-star defensive backs that signed with OU on Wednesday, along with Guillory.

Guillory — a cornerback out of Spring, TX — is ranked as the No. 38 defensive back in the class of 2025. He chose OU over offers from Arizona, Arizona State and Georgia Tech.

Robinson, Wimberly and Hawkins are all three-star prospects, per 247 Sports.

Hawkins is the younger brother of Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., who started two games for the Sooners in 2024. He’s also the son of former OU cornerback Mike Hawkins, who later played in the NFL.

Oklahoma Lands Commitment from 4-Star DB Maliek Hawkins

Robinson and Wimberly were rated the No. 1 and No. 2 defensive back prospects in Arkansas, respectively. Those two hail from different towns in the state and played in different classifications, but Venables expects strong chemistry out of his defensive backs from The Natural State.

“Two different kinds of backgrounds, but man, they are like two long lost brothers,” Venables said.

Oklahoma’s defense was largely improved in 2024, but the Sooners struggled to defend the pass.

OU allowed 212.4 passing yards per game, which was 55th out of 134 schools that compete at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Sooners also intercepted just nine passes, which was tied for 74th in FBS.

Venables expects his five new defensive backs to make an impact immediately, thus solidifying the position.

“That group has a tremendous football IQ, and it’s a confident group of guys,” Venables said. “They’re highly skilled as opposed to maybe a raw athlete. These are guys that they’re passionate about being great DBs.

“But it’s a group that’s also really grown close to each other but really excited about that group of guys. (They) are going to help us immediately.”

Oklahoma Sooners On SI: National Signing Day Hub

In total, the Sooners signed 18 players on Wednesday's Early Signing Day. 

OU has the No. 16 recruiting class, according to 247 Sports. The Sooners’ class is No. 10 in the Southeastern Conference, behind Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, LSU, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Florida and Ole Miss.