Why OU football coach Brent Venables says Sooners won't look for QB in transfer portal

NORMAN — Brent Venables has repeatedly emphasized the need to live in the now this season.

So when the first-year head football coach was asked Tuesday what holes in OU's roster he'd like to fill via the transfer portal this offseason, it came as no surprise when he provided a vague response.

"I think our roster would probably need a couple of spots," Venables said. "We'll just see how everything goes."

But Venables did make one noteworthy remark on the subject.

"I just want to say... we don't need a quarterback," Venables said. "That's how I feel."

OU is currently led by redshirt junior quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who still has two remaining years of eligibility left after this season. The UCF transfer has thrown for 2,217 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions in his first campaign with the Sooners.

When asked Monday if he has given much thought about his future after this season, Gabriel stuck to the same game plan as his head coach.

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"Just focusing on the now, the present," Gabriel said. "That’s all I can do. At times, people focus on the future or the past, and that affects their present. So I'm just trying to stay present as much as possible, and also just play my butt off and finish the right way."

OU also has an up-and-coming prospect already on the roster.

Freshman Nick Evers is a former four-star recruit who was ranked by ESPN as the 166th-best prospect in the Class of 2022. He made a brief appearance late in OU's Week 6 loss to Texas and failed to complete his only pass attempt of the season.

Still, Evers boasts a good arm and a quick release in addition to being quick on his feet.

"Nick's continued to get more and more work and come along," offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said Monday.

But OU's most promising prospect is set to join the roster next season.

The Sooners are awaiting the arrival of five-star commit Jackson Arnold, who is ranked by ESPN as the top quarterback in the Class of 2023. The Denton, Texas, native is an excellent decision maker who puts good velocity behind his passes, and he's able to escape pressure in the pocket and deliver accurate throws while on the run.

OU leaned heavily on the transfer portal last offseason following the departure of Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler. The team brought in Gabriel along with Pittsburgh transfer Davis Beville and junior college transfer General Booty.

Venables said that won't be the case this time around. But if the transfer portal has taught people one thing, it's that nothing is off the table.

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Developing depth at linebacker

OU's lack of depth at linebacker has been a talking point this season.

The Sooners don't have many experienced options besides fifth-year senior DaShaun White and senior David Ugwoegbu, especially following junior Shane Whitter's season-ending shoulder surgery.

But Venables went down the list of OU's young linebackers and their continued growth throughout the course of this season. He began with sophomore Danny Stutsman, who is tied for a conference-high 91 tackles (9.5 for loss) this season to go along with two interceptions.

“I'm pretty proud of him," Venables said of Stutsman. "He's gotten better. Like all growth patterns for young players, there's gonna be some ebbs and flows. But I'm telling you, he's on his way to being an outstanding player. He’s really hard on himself. Great worker. He’s investing a lot of time into his craft, into this team. And he takes accountability when it’s not good, so he’s easy to coach."

Venables then spoke about freshman Jaren Kanak. The former Clemson commit has had to learn the linebacker position after primarily playing quarterback in high school, but he still boasts 23 tackles this season.

"I like the the versatility of a guy like Kanak," Venables said. "I think he can play all three."

Venables also spoke about OU's other two freshmen linebackers, Kobie McKinzie and Kip Lewis.

Venables said in late September that both players would redshirt this season, but they've seen some time on the field due to the group's lack of options.

“Kobie has been working a little more scout team, but Kobie has really made improvement fundamentally," Venables said. "He leaned his body up. He's playing quicker and faster and he's got great instincts. He's got concrete in his helmet. Really a striker.

"Kip Lewis is really coming. I'm not sure how ready he is for game reps yet just based on how practice is going... Wish he’d gain a little weight. He's barely over 200 pounds right now... But he's got a great frame. And he's got great hands and ball instincts."

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No-call on CJ Coldon hit

Venables provided more information Tuesday on the play surrounding CJ Coldon in the fourth quarter of OU's recent loss to West Virginia.

Freshman defensive lineman Gracen Halton got called for offsides prior to a snap, giving the Mountaineers a free play. West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene heaved a prayer into the corner of the end zone and watched as it it fell directly into the hands of Coldon for the interception.

Coldon then began to take a knee for a touchback, but wide receiver Sam James came flying in and tackled the redshirt senior defensive back. Flags littered the field for what was expected to be a personal foul, but the referees ultimately ruled that there was no penalty on the hit.

Venables didn't have much to say about the no-call after the game, but he provided an update on Tuesday.

"I know they've come back and said they shouldn't have," Venables said. "It's bang-bang. They thought that he wasn't down yet, so it wasn't reviewable. It happens. We're all human."

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Key returns in the secondary, other injury updates

Venables said Tuesday that he thinks senior cornerback Jaden Davis and junior Key Lawrence will be available for Saturday's rivalry game against Oklahoma State at 6:30 p.m. Both players missed OU's recent loss to West Virginia but participated in Monday's practice.

Justin Broiles is also expected to play barring any setbacks. The redshirt fifth-year senior safety hyperextended his knee late in the second quarter against West Virginia and did not return.

“He’s really really tough," Venables said of Broiles. "If you’ve ever had one of those (injuries), it’s really painful initially. Structurally, there’s not a damage. But there's a lot of pain initially. And then you’re probably really scared. And again, there’s some bruising and things like that, too, but functionally and structurally everything is really sound."

Redshirt junior defensive lineman Jalen Redmond is also dealing with a lingering knee injury of his own that bothered him last week, according to Venables. Redmond only played three snaps against West Virginia as a result, and his status for this weekend is dependent on if his swelling goes down.

Junior center Andrew Raym also suffered an apparent shoulder injury late in the third quarter against the Mountaineers and didn't return. Venables said Raym's status for this weekend is up in the air depending on how Raym feels, but the injury will "probably" require surgery at some point.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football: Brent Venables, Sooners aren't eying transfer portal QB