The Sooner Defense is Elite Again.

A deep dive into the stunts, twists, and pressure designs that led to nine sacks against the Tigers.

We are four years into Brent Venables’ tenure as the head coach of Oklahoma. Heading into the 2025 season, the Sooners were 22-17 and 0-3 in bowl games. It appeared Venables was going to join a long list of defensive coaches who couldn’t figure out the offensive side of the ball. More importantly, put both sides together simultaneously.

It feels like Venables is finally back to being elite on defense with the comfort of knowing the offense is in good hands. Starting quarterback John Mateer will likely be out for four weeks with surgery on his throwing hand, but Oklahoma had a bye this week, and Kent State is up next before the Red River Rivalry with Texas, and the SEC gauntlet begins. Former starter Michael Hawkins Jr. will assume the reins.

Last year’s defensive unit was excellent and a top-10 defense, but this year’s crew feels different. Venables has always run a high volume of schemes, which sometimes gets him into trouble. The 2025 Sooner defense is a seasoned one.

There are only two underclassmen starters: sophomore DT Jayden Jackson (65) and freshman CB Courtland Guillory (4). With the talent on the field this year, the Sooners run a lot of excellent schematic “stuff” (for lack of a better term) on every down. Every play is something new, and it’s working.

At Clemson, Venables leveraged elite talent at defensive line and linebacker to create massive amounts of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Mason Tomas (DE), Gracen Halton (DL), Adepoju Adebawore (DE), and Samuel Omosigho (LB) all carry draftable grades. The Sooners are loaded with talent up front, and against Auburn, it showed out in a big way, with the defense accumulating nine total sacks.

Blitz design and attacking protections have always been a hallmark of a Venables-led defense. Not only does Venables and staff create unique pressures each week, but they also mix coverages and pre-snap disguises to complicate the reads for opposing quarterbacks. Below are my favorite designs from Oklahoma’s 24-17 victory over Auburn. Let’s dive into the tape!

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