Venables has high hopes for ‘very hungry’ Sooners
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Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer
NORMAN, Okla. — Brent Venables, entering his third season as Oklahoma‘s football coach, isn’t one to make predictions.
But he is a big believer when it comes to experience — both his experience in the coaching profession and his team’s experience. He told ESPN on Monday that top to bottom, this has been the most competitive offseason the Sooners have had since his arrival in Norman.
“We’ve got the most depth of leaders that we’ve had, and this is the first year we have guys who will be going on their third year in the program,” Venables said. “That’s a big part of building a stable, strong, consistent environment and building a team.”
The Sooners, who are making the move to the SEC this year, improved from 6-7 to 10-3 in the second season under Venables. He knows firsthand what championship teams look like. He was Clemson‘s defensive coordinator on its 2016 and 2018 national championship teams. And while he isn’t suggesting Oklahoma has reached that status, he said he has seen enough of this club to know it’s moving in the right direction. The Sooners will wrap up spring practice on Saturday with their annual spring game.
“It goes all the way back to my days with Bill Snyder,” said Venables, who played for Snyder at Kansas State and later worked under him with the Wildcats for six seasons. “Having those strong, experienced voices has been a part of every good locker room that I’ve been around and every winning environment that I’ve been around. That’s a foundational thing, and it would be that way for any type of business.”
Two of the biggest wins this offseason for OU were getting back linebacker Danny Stutsman and safety Billy Bowman Jr. for the 2024 campaign after they both contemplated going pro.
Stutsman, who led the Sooners with 16 tackles for loss, initially decided that he was entering the NFL draft before changing his mind. But when he went to sleep that night, he said something just didn’t feel right. In particular, he couldn’t stomach the thought of leaving Oklahoma without ever having won a championship.
“Before I got here, Oklahoma won six Big 12 championships in a row,” said Stutsman, a third-team Associated Press All-American last season. “Coming here, you found out how hard it actually is to do something like that. I want to get Oklahoma back on that path. That’s what the standard is. You look around in our indoor facility and all you see are banners. That’s motivation every single day for us. These guys that’ve been here in this program, the guys coming in, we’re very hungry. We’re malnourished.
“There’s not a lot of jewelry in my trophy case right now.”
The Sooners started 7-0 last season and beat Texas 34-30 on Oct. 7, but they closed October by falling to Kansas 38-33 and lost a week later to Oklahoma State 27-24 in the last Bedlam Series game for the foreseeable future. They also lost to Arizona in their bowl game.
Venables has preached consistency ever since last season ended, especially on defense.
in 2023, Oklahoma showed improvement on defense from its first season under Venables. The Sooners ranked 48th nationally in scoring defense (23.5 points per game) after ranking 99th in 2022 (30 points per game). However, in two of their three losses in 2023, they allowed 38 points, and they also gave up 45 points in a win over TCU to end the regular season.
“Danny and Billy are back and invested in Oklahoma for all the right reasons, which sets a tone,” Venables said. “There’s a continuity aspect of it too. But the best teams, best players and best units are consistent. If there’s something you’re going to be good at, you better be consistent. And that side of the ball [defense], in particular, was everything but consistent.”
Expect a new look for Oklahoma on offense, including first-year starting quarterback Jackson Arnold. And with Jeff Lebby moving to Mississippi State as head coach, former North Texas head coach Seth Littrell moves over from analyst to offensive coordinator. What’s more, OU’s offensive line will be completely rebuilt after losing six linemen from a season ago who made starts.
Arnold played in the Alamo Bowl against Arizona and passed for 361 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions. Now that there’s no question he is the starter with Dillon Gabriel transferring to Oregon, Arnold has emerged as more of a leader this spring, perhaps not so much vocally but by the way he has carried himself on the practice field.
“It’s like any leader. You don’t anoint leadership,” Venables said. “Leadership, to me, is action. It’s not a title. It’s not a position. It’s action, and Jackson has been a doer. He’s a worker. He’s fearless. He gets out in front. He’s more and more comfortable in front of the guys, and he’s tough on himself, demanding of himself.
“He has broad shoulders and brings out the best in people.”
Arnold spent the first part of his childhood in the Atlanta area and was a big University of Georgia fan, so he is pumped to be playing in the SEC. He said he also is excited to see what he says will be a more explosive version of Oklahoma’s offense this season.
“We’re going to take shots,” Arnold said. “We’re going to throw the ball around the yard, but Coach Littrell wants to be very dominant in the run game too, which I love because it complements our pass game. We’ve got some playmakers that can go catch the ball, catch the ball 2 yards from the line of scrimmage and take it to the house.”
Venables, whose first Oklahoma team in 2022 lost five of its seven games by seven points or fewer, said he has a better feel for this group of players. He said the roster only changed by about 30% this offseason, whereas it changed by 50% during each of the previous two offseasons.
“There’s still a lot of work to do, and that’s the offseason, summertime, fall camp and our players’ commitment in the summer,” Venables said. “This team’s got tremendous potential, but this is a game of performance and a game of doing, not a game of talking and potential. We need to have a great offseason, and the level of our commitment will determine what type of team that we’re going to have and be able to compete week in and week out in a conference that can be unforgiving.”
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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