How Oklahoma HC Brent Venables Has 'Resonated' With Players from Arizona High School

Nearly 1,000 miles lie between Norman and Goodyear, AZ.

But that hasn’t prevented the Sooners from placing some hooks in the desert.

In November, Oklahoma picked up a commitment from Class of 2027 defensive back Mikyal Davis, who attends Desert Edge High School in Goodyear. The Sooners have offered four other players from Desert Edge: 2027 defensive tackle Yahzeen Zion, 2028 edge rusher Jalanie George and 2028 defensive backs Nekhi Lambeth and Jaelyn Easterling-Flores. OU also offered 2027 defensive back Zerek Sidney, though he chose Washington over the Sooners on Thursday.

Desert Edge coach Henri MacArthur said that OU coach Brent Venables stopped by the school last week, following his previous interactions with defensive backs coach Jay Valai and director of player personnel and retainment Stacey Ford.

“Everybody that I’ve dealt with from Oklahoma has been excellent,” MacArthur said.

Why have the Sooners gone after so many players from a school on the other side of the country?

Simply put, all five of them are high-level players who play for a successful program.

Davis is a consensus 3-star prospect, ranked the No. 411 overall player in the Class of 2027, per 247Sports’ composite rankings. As a junior in 2025, Davis registered 36 total tackles, 22 solo tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He chose OU over offers from Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame, among other major programs.

Zion is also a consensus 3-star prospect, listed at 6-4 and 265 pounds. The Sooners offered him on Jan. 21, and the defensive tackle also holds offers from Texas A&M, Oregon, Georgia and Texas.

George is a 5-star recruit and the No. 2 overall player from the 2028 class in 247Sports’ composite rankings. The edge rusher went for 54 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two pass deflections, two blocked field goals and a forced fumble during his sophomore year at Desert Edge.

Also a rising junior, Lambeth is the No. 175 player in the 247Sports composite rankings for 2028. He logged 17 solo tackles, three pass breakups and two interceptions in his sophomore season and currently holds offers from Texas A&M, Kansas, Kansas State and several other Power Four schools.

Easterling-Flores is a 4-star in 247Sports’ composite rankings, and he primarily plays safety. The defensive back compiled 45 total tackles, 36 solo tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks and two pass breakups in 2025.

“Each one of the guys is different,” MacArthur said. “But I’d say what they all have in common is that they check the boxes for the positions they play. They emphasize speed and athleticism. And, on top of that, they’re really good football players that have the film that speaks to who they are as players.”

According to MacArthur, Venables’ credibility as one of college football’s best defensive minds is something that he and his players have noticed.

“They’ve all resonated with the players for sure,” MacArthur said. “Obviously, Oklahoma’s been playing great defense and coach Venables is a defensive minded head coach. I know that’s stood out to the guys, the defensive players for sure.”

Desert Edge has been one of Arizona’s top high school football programs in recent memory. The Scorpions won the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) Class 5A state title in 2024 before finishing 11-1 and reaching the quarterfinals in 2025.

Oklahoma went 10-3 in 2025 and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019. The Sooners won four games in a row — against Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri and LSU — to finish the regular season and earn their spot in the CFP.

MacArthur believes that the players’ experience at a winning high school would translate to a winning college program like Oklahoma that looks to stay in the hunt for the national championship every year.

“Our kids work really hard, and football’s important to them,” MacArthur said. “They want to win and compete at the highest level. Obviously, Oklahoma’s a great program that made the playoff and, you know, has set a standard of excellence.”