Brent Venables had heard the whispers. Year 4 in Norman is the crossroads moment. After going 6-7 (2-6 in SEC play) last season, there’s no more grace periods. No more transition talk. A $44.8 million buyout has been in discussion since late 2024. And this is going to be a make-or-break season for the fourth-year HC. But just when the pressure cooker looked ready to burst, a surprising verdict dropped that might change the national narrative. It serves as a wake-up call to all 134 FBS teams. Oklahoma is now in the trench warfare business, and they’re bringing heavy artillery. 

On May 28, Cole Cubelic made a bold prediction on Oklahoma’s defensive line on the Cube Show: Presented By Wickles Pickles. “The easiest team for this list to select was number one, and it’s Oklahoma, and it ain’t even close,” he said. “I’m just going to be honest with you. This was not a debate with Texas, this was not a debate with Georgia, this was not a debate with Florida in my head. Oklahoma by far had the best defensive line in the SEC, and it is by a landslide.” And as much as Brent Venables is on the hot seat, this isn’t just preseason fluff if you look at the depth. 

“They literally have a 40-yard head start on everybody else,” Cole Cubelic said. “The defensive tackle depth is off the freaking charts for this group.” Let’s start inside. Damonic Williams, 6’1, 319 pounds of SEC muscle, might be the most undervalued DT in the country. The TCU transfer spurned LSU and became a beast in crimson, posting a career-high PFF grade in 2024. His impressive stat line includes 14 stops, one missed tackle, eight pressures, and a sack. And there’s Gracen Halton right beside him, who was a menace last year with 29 pressures, 16 stops, and two FFs. His 75.4 PFF grade ranks among the top five returning SEC DTs. 

Then Brent Venables got Jayden Jackson, the IMG Academy product who cracked the Sooners’ starting lineup as a true freshman. And he didn’t just show up. He delivered with 387 defensive snaps for 30 total tackles, three TFLs, two sacks, and eight hurries. And that’s far from all. OU also boasts freakish players like Marvin Jones Jr., R Mason Thomas, and Danny Okoye. This group isn’t just deep, it’s formidable. But what about the offense? 

Brent Venables is high on QB John Mateer 

No one wants to remember what Oklahoma’s offense was like in 2024. Bottom 10 in the country. Brent Venables knew it, and in a bold move, he hit the eject button on Seth Lithrell midseason. We saw Jackson Arnold burn his redshirt when he was benched and reinserted in the lineup. But all these will remain in the past because the Sooners are on to a fresh start on offense with Washington State OC Ben Arbuckle and his QB John Mateer, who recorded 3,965 yards and 44 TDs last season. 

Brent Venables took the time to hype up his potential savior during SEC meetings in Destin. “He’s got great arm talent, but he’s a guy that’s going to show up early, going to stay late, got great humility,” he said. “All he’s done since he’s gotten here is work, and he’s elevated everybody around him by how he does what he does. He’s honest, he’s transparent, easy to connect to. People related to him. He’s got great depth to him.” Yeah, he’s all in, but OU isn’t exactly staring down an easy path in 2025. 

Oklahoma has a gauntlet of a schedule that includes Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, and LSU. Welcome to SEC! Brent Venables has a war machine in the trenches. Now we’ll see if the Sooners can fire on all cylinders.