Oklahoma notebook: Brent Venables shares who is standing out at fall camp
Oklahoma has officially started fall camp, finishing its second of 24 practices Friday before the season opener on Sept. 2.
Coach Brent Venables and Oklahoma are looking to turn things around in his second year, after a disappointing 2022 season. Through two practices, Venables is impressed with what he’s seen and spoke about a handful of topics following Friday’s practice.
Four guys working at cheetah
Venables was asked who exactly is working at the cheetah position this fall, as Oklahoma looks to replace last year’s starter DaShaun White. Venables said Justin Harrington, Dasan McCullough, Reggie Pearson and Peyton Bowen are the four main players competing for the starting role. He also mentioned true freshman Samuel Omosigho as someone who is working at cheetah.
Harrington played some cheetah last season for Oklahoma and is one of the frontrunners for the starting job. But McCullough, Pearson, and Bowen – all newcomers – are vying for playing time. And it’s clear, though, Oklahoma will have different packages for each, with Harrington and McCullough working with the linebackers and Pearson and Bowen working at safety. Each of their roles could depend on the situation in the game and the opponent.
“We’re trying to develop both depth and versatility so that you can always keep your best players on the field,” Venables said. “We’re really looking at a lot of different combinations on both sides of the ball. I challenged the coaches. We have a lot of guys who have versatility. I don’t want to water down anybody because they’ve got too much on their plate. But the right ones that we feel like can do multiple things, let’s give them the opportunity here early in camp and see what they have a knack for, what their acumen is.
“But there’s a group of them, from Justin (Harrington) to Dasan (McCullough) and Peyton (Bowen) and Reggie (Pearson). Those are the main group of guys, and Sammy (Omosigho), of course. There are some other guys that are there who haven’t really gotten the reps.”
Oklahoma offensive standouts
Oklahoma is looking for playmakers this fall after losing three of their top offensive players in Marvin Mims, Eric Gray, and Brayden Willis. Venables said several guys have already started to emerge after two practices.
He specifically mentioned tight end Austin Stogner and receivers Jaquaize Pettaway and Jayden Gibson as players who made plays during Friday’s practice. Stogner returns to Oklahoma from South Carolina, where he played last season, and is looking for a bigger role with the Sooners as their most-experienced tight end. Pettaway has been the buzz of the summer, already showcasing his speed and athleticism as a true freshman. And Gibson is looking for a rebound season, after struggling as a freshman last year.
“(Gibson) made a really nice play in the end zone,” Venables said. “I think it was Jaquaize (who had a nice play). Stog had a great back shoulder. We were in great position and he just ripped it from him. And I love that. I love to see guys make plays because that’s the game. If all things are equal, who’s going to make a play? That’s the name of the game. We’re going to give them a whole bunch of layups. Don’t airball a freaking layup. We’ve got to get out of our own way. That’s Oklahoma losing to Oklahoma. That’s a real thing.
“We had some guys make sacks and all that, but we’re in shorts.”
Gabriel, Arnold impress
Both Dillon Gabriel and Jackson Arnold have been impressive at quarterback so far, according to Venables. Gabriel is looking to improve after an up-and-down first season in Norman, while Arnold is trying to push for any sort of role as a freshman.
“Jackson had a couple plays yesterday and today where he’s thrown guys open and thrown it before they’re open and, ‘how did he see that?’ So he’s made some good plays,” Venables said. “Dillon’s had a couple of really, really well-placed balls in the red zone where we have to get better. We were not very good in all the critical situations. Red zone and third and fourth down.”
Arnold has been the talk of the offseason, with many having high expectations for the five-star prospect. He’s expected to be the backup this season, giving Oklahoma some much-needed depth behind Gabriel.
So far, Arnold has lived up to the expectations in practice.
“Just seeing him get better,” Venables said. “Again, that’s what you see: a guy that’s improving and getting better. That doesn’t sound sexy, but it’s very important, and not everybody does. He certainly hasn’t been perfect, but I think probably a lot more consistent. You, generally speaking, stand back and watch him making better decisions, (he’s) a little more patient, sometimes making the decision faster or blitz packages or whatever, and things are going crazy in front of his face, (he’s) making good decisions at the right time. So, all of those things, I think he’s getting more and more comfortable, more consistent, and then he’s made some instinctual plays as well.”
Oklahoma defensive line depth
One of Oklahoma’s biggest points of emphasis this offseason was improving the depth and size of the defensive line. Watching practice Friday, it’s clear Oklahoma has achieved that. There were not only more bodies with that group, but it’s clear they’ve gotten a lot bigger and more physical.
“Everything happens really fast. So it’s not just – you got to be able to play fast and play with leverage and to the level of the point of attack,” Venables said of the defensive line. “And so it’s everything that’s one of the hardest positions to play, and mentally and physically. So we think we’re a little better there. I want to see it over time. I want guys to prove it. And that’s across the board, not just d-line. Show me, and it’s easier to come out here in shorts and run around and look good.
“But that growth and development is going to be everything. That relates to the whole defense, but we do have a little more depth and a few more bodies across the whole front.”
Practice observations
Jaren Kanak looks more comfortable and natural at MIKE linebacker. Great feet, physical, explosive, and just locked in during individual drills. Savion Byrd was one of the first up in individual drills, clearly wanting to lead. I am no longer worried about his weight – he looks great.Jovantae Barnes looks like he lived in the weight room this summer. He just looks different than the other backs. Kalib Hicks also looks the part.Danny Stutsman is the leader of the team. He broke down the warmups, teaching guys on the side, and encouraging guys during breaks. He was leading everything.Konnor Near still has a lot to learn, but I’m not worried about his size. He and McCullough messed up a drill and Venables ripped them both. Peyton Bowen just floats on the field. He makes things look easy. Very fluid during drills. Can tell why he’s so good in space and seeing the ball. Da’Jon Terry is a massive human. They did not have a guy like that on the interior last season. Really, the entire defensive line looks bigger from the spring. Gracen Halton looked the part and led a lot of the drills. Jacob Lacey and Robert Spears-Jennings were both in blue jerseys which means no contact.
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