Senior Year: Assessing Brent Venables’ First Recruiting Class

Time marches on, always faster than you expect, and suddenly it’s go-time for Brent Venables’ first recruiting class at Oklahoma.

Venables’ plane from Clemson touched down in Norman on Sunday night, Dec. 5, 2021, and less than 24 hours later, the man who replaced Lincoln Riley was in a car, headed up I-44 to Tulsa, to convince Booker T. Washington cornerback Gentry Williams that he was still an OU priority.

By Tuesday morning, Venables was in Lubbock, TX, trying to re-flip linebacker Kobie McKinzie, who had been committed to the Sooners under Riley and Alex Grinch but immediately decommitted and pledged to Texas when they left for USC.

Venables was successful at keeping both guys, and his first recruiting class as a head coach — centered around defensive stars, of course — was underway.

Loaded with 4-star prospects, it was a class that ranked No. 10 nationally according to 247 Sports, and No. 8 per Rivals.

Now, the players in that class are entering their senior year at OU. Of the 21 high school prospects Venables signed, only 12 remain. That .571 percentage, especially as this class was given full access to the transfer portal, actually is a pretty good retention rate.

Six of those 12 go into the 2025 season classified as seniors and won’t have any college eligibility left after this year (although even a minor appeal can overturn that). The other six coming back to Norman took a redshirt at some point and are classified as redshirt juniors, meaning they have one season beyond 2025.

Six of the 21 have become frontline starters and big-time contributors for Venables and his staff. Two were on that track but couldn’t overcome either injuries or a competitive depth chart and joined seven other classmates in the transfer portal. The other six have shown signs that they’re capable of playing college football at the highest level, but injuries or other circumstances have disrupted their career path and limited their contributions so far.

Overall, Venables' first class was a good one and has made numerous contributions. There have been plenty of hits, a few misses, and a handful of players whose college resumes stand incomplete. Here’s a recap of how Venables’ first class has contributed at OU (and elsewhere) going into their senior year:

The Hits

Oklahoma Sooners, Robert Spears-Jennings — Oklahoma safety Robert Spears-Jennings will be one of the defense's key leaders in 2025. | John Reed-Imagn Images

RB Jovantae Barnes, Las Vegas: As a 4-star recruit, Barnes chose OU over offers from Alabama, Florida State, USC and others. In his three seasons in Norman, Barnes has rushed for 1,236 yards and 11 touchdowns, highlighted by 519 yards as a true freshman and 577 last year before an injury ended the best game of his career (203 yards and three touchdowns against Maine) — and his season. The competition is still there, but it would be surprising if Barnes isn't at least in the rotation as an alternate backup behind Cal transfer Jaydn Ott.

DT Gracen Halton, San Diego: Halton was a 4-star who committed to Oregon first, then flipped to OU over Miami, USC and others. He played in 10 games as a backup in 2022, then 11 as a backup in 2023. But he always stood out in the spring game, and in 2024, Halton broke out. He played in all 13 games, made three starts and was among the team leaders with five quarterback sacks and six tackles for loss, including a late safety that essentially sealed the win over Houston. He'll either start this year or remain in the immediate four-man rotation on the interior of the d-line.

* LB Kip Lewis, Carthage, TX: A 4-star recruit, Lewis picked OU over Notre Dame, Texas, Texas A&M and others. He played in five games in 2022 but still received a redshirt. Then Lewis became a star in 2023, emerging with three big tackles against Texas — two of which came on the Sooners’ infamous goal-line stand. He played in all 13 games with starts in each of the last five games and finished second on the team with 66 tackles. It could be argued that no Sooner had a bigger impact on the success of 2024, as Lewis returned interceptions for touchdowns against both Auburn and Alabama — OU’s only two SEC wins — and also contributed 65 tackles at weakside linebacker. (Asterisk denotes Lewis is a redshirt junior).

* LB Kobie McKinzie, Lubbock, TX: McKinzie was a 4-star recruit out of Cooper High, but didn’t want to go to Texas Tech and committed to OU. After Grinch went to USC, McKinzie committed to the Longhorns. But Venables flipped him back to OU with just one meeting, and his progress in Norman has been slow but steady. He played in four games as a freshman and took a redshirt, then played in all 13 games as a backup and special teams in 2023 and recorded 22 tackles. Last year, in his final season as Danny Stutsman’s backup, McKinzie played in all 13 games with two starts and finished the season with 30 tackles, three TFLs and 1 1/2 sacks. He’s now slated for starting duty at middle linebacker.

S Robert Spears-Jennings, Broken Arrow, OK: As a big, rangy safety that reminded Venables a little of Brandon Everage, the 4-star Spears-Jennings picked OU over offers from Arkansas, Ole Miss, Texas Tech and others. As a freshman he played in each of the last nine games in 2022, then played in 12 games with two starts in 2023. The hard-hitting Spears-Jennings made 15 tackles as a freshman and 38 as a sophomore, then fulfilled his promise as an SEC safety in 2024 with 66 tackles (second on the team), five TFLs, one interception and four forced fumbles, which ranked tied for fifth in the nation.

DE R Mason Thomas, Fort Lauderdale, FL: A 4-star prospect, the Sooners beat out Miami, Kentucky and others for Thomas’ services after flipping him from his original commitment to Iowa State. Thomas impressed coaches as a true freshman in 2022 and was on his way to winning a starting job in 2023 when a chest injury derailed him in training camp. He played in 19 games in his first two seasons but only totaled 16 tackles. Thomas made second-team All-SEC in 2024, however, playing in all 13 games (11 starts) and logging 12 1/2 TFLs among his 23 total tackles. That included nine sacks (six came in the fourth quarter) with 11 QB hurries. Now he goes into his senior year with preseason All-SEC accolades.

The Misses

Oklahoma Sooners, Nic Anderson — Nic Anderson broke through as a redshirt freshman at Oklahoma, but he transferred to LSU after an injury-riddled year in 2024. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

RB Gavin Sawchuk, Littleton, CO: As a 4-star recruit, the speedy Sawchuk picked OU over Notre Dame, Ohio State and USC. As a freshman, he rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown against Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl, and as a sophomore he received honorable mention All-Big 12 accolades when he finally broke into the rotation, started the last seven games and rushed for at least 100 yards in each of the last five games with nine touchdowns to lead the Sooners with 744 yards. Sawchuk never got going in 2024, however, missing four games with injury and finishing with just 128 yards on 39 carries. It's hard to call Sawchuk a "miss" after the sophomore year he had, but when the Sooners got Ott from the transfer portal this spring, Sawchuk transferred to Florida State.

* QB Nick Evers, Flower Mound, TX: Venables’ late arrival in Norman meant the Sooners were desperate to sign a quarterback. Evers was their pick. The tall, athletic Evers was originally committed to Dan Mullen and Florida, but Mullen was fired, and when Venables hired Jeff Lebby from Ole Miss as offensive coordinator, Lebby exploited his relationship with Evers as a recruit and was able to flip him to OU. Evers totaled 62 touchdowns and nearly 6,000 yards his final two years in high school, but got into just one game as an OU freshman and threw one incomplete pass in the blowout loss to Texas. He transferred to Wisconsin and didn’t play in 2023, then transferred to Connecticut and won the starting job in the 2024 preseason but couldn’t hold it as he finished the year with 918 passing yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions. Evers goes into 2025 still competing for playing time with the Huskies under coach Jim Mora Jr.

* CB Jayden Rowe, Tulsa: Rowe was one of the most intriguing prospects in the class as a 6-2, 220-pound cornerback with 10.4 speed in the 100. As a 4-star recruit, he picked OU over offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Oklahoma State and others. But Rowe only played in three games as a freshman, one as a sophomore before a season-ending injury, and five as a junior last year before transferring to Kansas State. He did not record any defensive statistics as a Sooner.

* DE Kevonte Henry, Lawndale, CA: As a 4-star edge rusher, Henry originally committed to Michigan but signed with OU over offers from Florida and Arizona. He never played for the Sooners, but became a junior college star at Cerritos College and was ranked the No. 2 juco commit in the nation. He was recruited by Mississippi State, Oregon State and others, but ended up signing with Alabama. Henry now goes by Fatutoa Henry and is expected to be in the Crimson Tide lineup when the Sooners travel to Tuscaloosa this year.

* WR Nic Anderson, Katy, TX: The younger brother of former big-play Sooner running back Rodney Anderson, Nic Anderson was an ESPN 4-star prospect who chose OU over Notre Dame, Oregon and others. He got into just three games as a freshman and redshirted, then set a Big 12 Conference freshman record with 10 touchdown catches in 2023. That season (13 games, six starts) produced three 100-yard games. He finished the year with 38 receptions for 798 yards and, going into the Alamo Bowl, was leading the nation in yards per catch. Anderson sustained a torn thigh muscle during the 2024 preseason, however, and only played in one game. He never got healthy last season, then transferred to LSU and is expected to start for the Tigers this season. Again, hard to label him a "miss" after setting school and conference records for TD catches, but he's in Baton Rouge now.

* DB Jamarrien Burt, Ocala, FL: Burt came in as a hard-hitting 3-star prospect with experience at corner and safety. He originally committed to Florida, but then chose the Sooners over Arkansas, Florida, Utah, Georgia and others. But he never made an impact at OU, playing in just three games as a backup and redshirting in 2022 before hitting the transfer portal. He played in 11 games at South Alabama in 2023, recording just three tackles on special teams. After logging an interception in the Jaguars’ 2024 spring game, he entered the portal again and landed at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where he played in seven games last season and logged 12 tackles.

* DL Cedric Roberts, Pflugerville, TX: A consensus 3-star recruit, Roberts picked OU over Baylor, SMU, Colorado and others. He got into just one game (Kansas) and played just one snap, then immediately after the 2022 season entered the transfer portal. He went to Texas State but never played for the Bobcats. Instead, he ended up at Contra Costa College in California, where he registered 33 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2023 and received All-Valley recognition. He transferred to Butler County Community College in 2024, played in three games and finished with six tackles.

* TE Jason Llewellyn, Aledo, TX: As a 4-star prospect and the No. 12 tight end in the nation, the Sooners beat Alabama, Auburn, Texas and others to land Llewellyn. He played in 10 games as a backup and on special teams as a freshman in 2022, and as a sophomore played in just three games and took a redshirt before entering the transfer portal. He landed at Texas Tech and played in 12 games last season as a backup or on special teams, and didn't record any offensive statistics.

* DT Alton Tarber, Deerfield Beach, FL: Tarber was a consensus 3-star recruit who chose the Sooners over Miami, Georgia Tech and others. Tarber didn’t play as a freshman due to injury and hit the transfer portal immediately after the 2022 season ended. He took a year off in 2023, then landed at Hinds Community College in 2024, where he got into eight games and logged 17 tackles with 1.5 TFLs. Tarber transferred to Colorado State and hopes to crack the Rams' lineup this season.

Incomplete

Oklahoma Sooners, Gentry Williams — Gentry Williams has four career interceptions for the Sooners, and he hopes to return to form in 2025 for Oklahoma. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

LB/TE Jaren Kanak, Hays, KS: Kanak was a 4-star prospect who originally committed to Venables at Clemson. But when Venables got the OU job, Kanak followed him — first as a walk-on, but was quickly put on scholarship. He chose OU over Clemson, Alabama, Michigan and others. Kanak, who was also a track star in Kansas, came to OU as a linebacker, but never quite got the hang of it after starring mostly on offense and at safety in high school. He showed tons of promise as a true freshman, playing in 13 games as a backup and on special teams and finishing with 24 tackles. Kanak then played in all 13 games as a sophomore, including nine starts at linebacker, and finished fourth on the team with 62 tackles, six TFLs, two sacks, five QB hurries and a forced fumble — but missed 18 tackles (22.5 percent), according to Pro Football Focus. As a junior, Kanak lost his starting job to Kip Lewis but still got into all 13 games (one start) and finished with 17 tackles and a special teams touchdown on a fumble return. In the spring, Kanak switched to tight end and hopes to make an impact on offense this season.

* CB Gentry Williams, Tulsa: Williams was a 4-star at Booker T and the No. 4 corner in the nation according to ESPN. Grinch wanted him to come to USC, and Arkansas and Florida were in the mix, but he immediately bought into Venables’ pitch and became a Sooner. Williams played in 12 games as a true freshman, logging seven tackles and an interception. As a sophomore in 2023, he started 10 games and made 30 tackles, four TFLs, three interceptions and one fumble recovery — but missed four games with a shoulder injury. That injury quickly recurred in 2024 as he went down in the season opener, then was lost for the season the following week. Williams has elite speed and closing ability, and is a fearless tackler. If his twice-repaired shoulder holds up, he has All-SEC potential.

* OT Jake Taylor, Las Vegas: Taylor was a 4-star prospect who picked OU over Notre Dame, Alabama and others. Everyone knew early on he had the talent to be a starter at OU, and he played in eight games as a backup right guard as a true freshman in 2022. Taylor got into just four games as a backup in 2023 during his sophomore season, however, he then appeared to take over the starting job at right tackle in the 2024 spring. Taylor did make four starts there in 2024, but couldn’t stay healthy and was eventually lost for the season in October. He has played just 41, 47 and 169 total snaps in his three seasons so far with the Sooners, according to PFF. Taylor could be slated for starting duty again this season, but he’ll have to beat out Western Carolina transfer Derek Simmons first.

* WR Jayden Gibson, Apopka, FL: At 6-foot-5, Gibson originally committed to Florida as a 4-star high school prospect. He eventually signed with OU over offers from Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami and others. In his career so far, Gibson has made just 15 catches in 22 games, but has produced 387 yards — an astounding 25.8 yards per catch — with five touchdowns. Gibson played in nine games as a freshman and made just one reception, then busted out as a sophomore in 2023, playing in all 13 games (one start) and producing 199 yards and three touchdowns in his last four games. Those included a 59-yard TD against TCU, a 55-yard TD at BYU and another TD against West Virginia. But, possibly slated for starting duty last year, Gibson went down in the preseason and never made it back onto the field. He then suffered what Venables called “a setback” last spring and could miss the 2025 season altogether.

OL Jacob Sexton, Edmond, OK: Sexton was a 4-star prospect who grew up on Sooner football at nearby Deer Creek High School. He chose OU over Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and others, then played in 10 games as a true freshman, logging 71 snaps at left tackle and right tackle, according to PFF. He started the Cheez-It Bowl against FSU, but was injured early and missed spring ball after knee surgery. He played in seven games (four starts) at right tackle as a sophomore in 2023, then earned a starting role at left tackle and left guard last season before another injury cost him the final five games. Like Taylor, Sexton has the ability to be a starter in the SEC, but will have to stay healthy this season and then beat out competition like Logan Howland (tackle) and Heath Ozaeta (guard).

* TE Kaden Helms, Bellevue, NE: The wildly athletic Helms was a 4-star out of Nebraska who chose the Sooners over the Cornhuskers as well as Miami, Arizona State, North Carolina and others. However, he’s had bad injury luck in Norman and has played in just 11 games in three seasons. He played in three games as a true freshman, making his first career catch against the Huskers before injuries derailed his progress. Then he missed the entire 2023 season with injury. Last season, with the Sooner tight end room in flux, he missed the first five games with another injury then played in eight games, including each of the last five and made two catches for 19 yards. The Sooners hit the portal hard to replenish the position, but if Helms can stay healthy, he’ll be in the mix to start in 2025.