Oklahoma HC Brent Venables Says ‘Home-Grown’ Players Have Made Defense Elite

Over a dozen of the Sooners' defenders will play key roles in 2026, and Brent Venables believes that group has allowed the defense to steadily improve.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables looks on during one of OU's elite prospect camps. | Carson Field / Sooners On S

The Sooners’ defense got them to the College Football Playoff last year.

Oklahoma ranked first in the SEC in total defense (272.5 yards allowed per game), scoring defense (15.2 points allowed per game) and sacks (45). Stingy defense throughout the year allowed OU to win four games in a row to end the regular season and end the year 10-3.

OU’s defense has steadily improved in each of Brent Venables’ four seasons as the Sooners’ head coach. 

Now, he’ll look for the defense to become even stronger in Year 5. Venables appeared on SEC Network for an interview on Wednesday and said that the buy-in from his returning defensive players will allow the unit to improve in the fall.

“That’s a group of guys who are incredibly invested in our program, have been here,” Venables said in the interview.

❝Incredibly exciting—the challenge of what's in front of us❞

📺 @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/xYb4Rfaejo

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) June 11, 2026

Venables made a point to name just about every experienced defender who started his career at OU and is still there.

Up front, he singled out Taylor Wein, David Stone, Jayden Jackson, Danny Okoye and Adepoju Adebawore as guys who have helped the defensive line become what it is. Venables praised incoming senior linebackers Kip Lewis and Owen Heinecke, calling those two “incredible leaders.” And in the secondary, Venables shouted out Peyton Bowen, Eli Bowen, Michael Boganowski and Courtland Guillory, whom described as “invested.”

Aside from Guillory, that entire group played on OU’s 2024 team that went 6-7 and lost to Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl. 

After a tumultuous campaign, the easy route would have been to transfer out. But none of them did that — and they were awarded with a playoff berth in 2025.

“None of those guys are portal guys, those are all home-grown, recruited out of high school and guys that have helped us become an elite unit,” Venables said.

All 11 of the players that Venables named are proven producers. Not all of them will be Week 1 starters, but each of them are more than capable of taking on a starting role at some point during the season if called upon.

What’s more? There are several others who Venables didn’t name in the interview who have proven to be impactful.

Defensive back Reggie Powers III — who primarily plays at the cheetah (hybrid between linebacker and defensive back) spot — is entering his third season at OU after logging 31 tackles in 2025. Cornerback Jacobe Johnson logged two interceptions last year and has appeared in 37 games in three seasons. And redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Nigel Smith II is widely expected to be a key backup on the defensive line in 2026.

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The majority of OU’s defensive players have experienced low lows. And last year, they got to experience high highs in wins over Tennessee, Alabama and others.

Oklahoma’s defense has been through it all, and Venables expects that to benefit his unit as it heads into the fall.

“Doing the incredibly hard, difficult things in this conference, our guys have done that,” Venables said. “They’re battle tested.”