Brent Venables is no stranger to calling a strategic and strong defense. After Venables was hired by Oklahoma football, the program has been a bit fickle.

They've had some success, but nothing that could be sustained. However, he made an interesting decision this offseason. Venables announced he would call the Oklahoma football defense once again.

On the Josh Pate Show, the head coach explained his decision behind it.

“Instinctively, that's a very natural position for me,” Venables said. “And I got a great staff, several of us have been together for a long time. There's a deep understanding of how we do what we do. I've got my fingerprints all over the defense, always have.

“Two years ago, I called it (the defense) and we won ten games.”

In 2023, the Sooner went 10-3 and were extremely close to a Big 12 championship game. However, some of those close losses prevented them from reaching the category.

Still, the faced off against Arizona in the Alamo Bowl and were squashed by freshman quarterback, Noah Fifita. Either way, Venables's tenure has been a bit rocky.

Will Oklahoma football succeed with Brent Venables calling plays?

Venables enjoyed his time as the defensive coordinator at Clemson. His effort and skill on that side of the ball helped the Tigers win a national championship.

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However, Oklahoma football moved from the Big 12 to the SEC. They joined an elite football conference, and likely the top football conference in the country. Calling games is different, no matter what way someone slices it.

In 2024, the Sooners went 6-7 and lost in the Armed Forces Bowl. Before that game took place though, Venables was questioning what to do moving forward.

It's not uncommon for coaches to not take control of one side of the ball. Again though, Venables record with leading the defense was 10-3. The following season, 6-7.

Perhaps making this change will do wonders for the program. Since losing Lincoln Riley, there have been some glaring inconsistencies.

One thing that is certain though, is that Venables is a master on defense. He'll hope to bring that back in 2025. After seeing what happened two years prior, there's optimism to believe that it could work.

At the end of the day, there is plenty of time before the season begins. The offense might be more developed as well, with Oklahoma football landed John Mateer, the No. 1 quarterback in the transfer portal.

Vibes might be up in Norman in the 2025 season.