

“You have one more year to figure this out.” Erase the Alabama game from the whiteboard, and tell us one positive thing about Brent Venables and OU’s 2024 conquest. Every time we sat down for a Sooners game, we were praying how Sooner it would be over. Watching Venables’ roster felt like watching a second-hand Auburn with an offense that is more tragic than Wake Forest. If we are being honest, Brent Venables doesn’t have that many lifelines left anymore. 2025 will be the year that will decide if he gets to wear the HC cap, or will Norman throw him out. However, despite all of this, there is one googly which we and probably OU fans also didn’t expect: A $2.5 million gamble.
When the news of Jim Nagy joining the Sooners as the GM started floating around X, it made us wonder – maybe it’s an April Fool’s joke? The ex-Senior Bowl director is coming to Norman, and in Nagy’s own words, OU and he are going to get some “excellent results”. So how will this all even work? “Input equals output, and if the output you want is to win at the highest level, what does that require? Probably gotta have pretty good players, probably gotta have one of the better rosters in college football. So you want to have a great roster; what do you have to have? You gotta have a good infrastructure, you gotta have the right personnel department,” J.D. PicKell clarifies on On3. Here, Nagy is your “right personnel”.

USA Today via Reuters
Nov 12, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables argues a call with an official during the first quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
If Venables wants to turn his dreams of SEC success into reality, he needs a GM who is out there interviewing for NFL GM positions. Honestly speaking, we love this decision from OU. Nagy has the vision that Venables so desperately needs.
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Say Offense Woes; Oklahoma was ranked 97 after the 24′ conquest got over. They were rated lower than Northern Illinois, Oregon State, and h-ll, Western Kentucky in terms of passing, rushing, and total offense. Out of all the games on their 24′ conquest, the Alabama showcase stands out not JUST because Venables’ roster decided to “show up”.
Jalen Milroe and the entire Tide offense was managed tragically by Nick Sheridan. It played a direct role in their 3 score downfall. However, with Nagy in the house if OU manages to pull the same Bama feat in 2025? Then the win will not be graded as a “lucky win.”
All things considered, Venables needs every single stick he can grab to build his ship before the flood. More so because his QB is on a mission to prove the SEC wrong.
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John Mateer boxing SEC trash talk
“There’s a couple (teams) here and there that really make me mad. I’m not over it.” Coming straight from Texas and getting ghosted by almost every single SEC team is not something a 3-star QB has on his bingo card. Unfortunately for John Mateer, that was the reality.
What’s your perspective on:
Is Brent Venables' gamble on Jim Nagy the key to OU's redemption, or just wishful thinking?
Have an interesting take?
Honestly, if Washington State hadn’t bet on him, then he’d probably be stuck in some random FCS school wasting his eligibility years before becoming a 7th-round backup QB pick in the NFL. Fate had quite the plan for Mateer and right now, it is directing him to the right direction.
With the 2024 fallout, Venables turned his sights on Ben Arbuckle and this is something that is going to pay off in millions. Those quick route reads followed by rushes are perfect for Mateer and even Michael Hawkins Jr. This entire narrative is shaping up to become a comeback season for Brent Venables.
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But will it see the light of day? Or fade away into obscurity once more?
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"Is Brent Venables' gamble on Jim Nagy the key to OU's redemption, or just wishful thinking?"