The One Message Oklahoma Hopes Brent Venables Will Deliver at SEC Media Days

The Sooners have enjoyed a low-key offseason, but there is one area that Brent Venables can provide a positive update.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables took the podium last year at SEC Media Days in Atlanta. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma has enjoyed a quiet offseason for all the right reasons.

The Sooners have moved along, taking care of their work both through spring practice and into summer workouts. 

With no post-spring transfer portal, there are new additions to the roster, but questions will still remain for Brent Venables as OU rolls through SEC Media Days on Monday. 

Venables will undoubtedly field questions from across the college football spectrum, and while no national titles will be won in talking season, there is one answer from Venables that would be well received. 

A positive update on the passing game’s growth over the summer would be a boon for the offense. 

Last month, Oklahoma assistant head coach for offense Kevin Wilson noted that teams can make legitimate gains in the passing game during summer workouts. 

Getting timing down and everyone on the same page is a process that can continue once the players themselves take workouts over during the summer, and it was a necessity for the Sooners. 

General manager Jim Nagy worked with the coaching staff to put more talent around quarterback John Mateer this offseason. 

The Sooners landed Trell Harris, who is coming off an All-ACC Third Team season at Virginia, as well as big-bodied receiver Parker Livingstone from Texas. 

Both additions were big wins for the Sooners, but Harris missed spring football after undergoing a cleanup procedure. 

Harris was still engaged, learning Ben Arbuckle’s offense and going through mental reps with Mateer in the film room, but Mateer and Harris need to get their timing down, a process that won’t wait until fall camp to get going. 

Last offseason, Isaiah Sategna began to emerge as one of Mateer’s favorite targets during spring football. 

That carried on into fall camp, and Sategna fell just short of a 1,000-yard receiving season for the Sooners. 

Livingstone missed some time as well during the spring, but he was able to participate and begin his own process of building up a relationship with his new quarterback. 

Mateer already started the process of building chemistry with his new tight ends, Hayden Hansen, Rocky Beers and Jack Van Dorselaer. 

That process was delayed a bit for Mateer and Harris, but there’s still plenty of time before the season gets underway for Mateer to get fully comfortable with his new array of weapons. 

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