For a team that spent plenty of time over the last decade hanging with the Alabamas and Ohio States of the world, Oklahoma’s fall from grace has been a shock. And as OU held its Crimson Combine on Saturday, the final spring practice and a marker for the teams progress approaching the 2025 season, head coach Brent Venables addressed it head on.
“Last year was last year, but we had a top-10 efficiency defense, and top-15 special teams unit, efficiency-wise,” said Venables during a press conference. “Three teams in college football had that: Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Oklahoma.
“But we were historically poor on offense, and they both had offenses that were good enough, obviously, to play in a national championship.”
According to the Freameau Efficiency Index special teams rankings, Oklahoma finished 34th in the nation. But Venables is right about the defense, which was impressive and continues to improve each year under his leadership. Oklahoma had a higher ranked defense in efficiency than four teams that finished in the top 10 final college football rankings in 2024. The unit ranked 10th, with a 77.8 efficiency rating.
The offense, however, ranked 95th in efficiency. New offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and transfer quarterback John Mateer have been tasked with installing a new offense to completely revamp the unit. As spring practice concludes, the duo is on track with the task. But Oklahoma can't afford to get comfortable with its defense either, the one facet of the team that’s still ranking near the top.
New linebackers coaches Nate Dreiling and Wes Goodwin are the young defensive minds brought on to do just that.
“(Dreiling) pours his all into us, and that’s what I love about him,” said redshirt junior linebacker Kip Lewis. “You’ll go to war with somebody who stands up for you and gives you everything that he’s got. So that's what I love about him.”
In 2024, Lewis had 63 total tackles and two interceptions for touchdowns in big moments against Auburn and Alabama. With the return of junior Sammy Omosigho, redshirt junior Kobie McKinzie and transfer Kendal Daniels, the linebacker room could be the position most primed to help keep the defense in its successful trajectory.
“I left a lot of meat on the bone last year,” Lewis said. “I feel like I could prove that I’m one of the best out there in the country.”
Earlier this year, Venables announced that he’d take over play calling duties for the defense.
“Why am I going to call the defense? Because I’m good at it,” Venables said at a press conference in March.
He’s not wrong. And in 2025, he’ll be joined by Goodwin, his longtime assistant at Clemson. Their already established relationship will lend its strength to the defensive progress of the team, as Goodwin is well familiarized with the Venables’ defense.
“No one’s a better recruiter,” said Goodwin about Venables. “No one's going to outwork him more. No one's a better teacher and coach of defensive football, I believe, in this country.”
If Venables can help his defense maintain its level of play while the offense is rolling with its new schemes, there’s no telling how good Oklahoma could be come fall. To finally balance the scales of offensive and defensive eliteness would be to capture the goal Oklahoma’s been chasing for years.
When the Sooners finished in the top five and boasted the nation’s best offense in 2018 with a 96.6 efficiency rating, they had the 92nd ranked defense in the nation with a 41.4 efficiency rating. Fast forward to 2025, and the numbers have nearly switched places. For Oklahoma to get back on track, it needs to have a transformation on offense, while not neglecting the defensive progress that’s been made.
New coaches, returning talent and transfer portal additions have arrived in Norman to make it easier. But ultimately, it will fall on Venables shoulders to make another significant push towards success.
“I feel like we're one of the most athletic rooms in the country,” Lewis said. “And I think (Venables) is going to put us in the best position to show our athleticism out there.”
