Brent Venables doesn’t need anyone to remind him how important this season is. The fans have made it loud and clear, and frankly, he probably knows it better than anyone.
After a rocky two-year start to his head coaching tenure at Oklahoma—capped off by a 6-7 record in their SEC debut—this year feels like the fork in the road. Either Venables rights the ship and steers the Sooners back into national relevance, or the pressure may finally boil over.
It started in the winter with some strategic portal moves. But now, here in the heart of the spring window, the Sooners are straight-up winning the Transfer Portal race. Two key additions—running back Jaydn Ott and offensive lineman Jake Maikkula—could prove to be game changers, and they couldn’t have come at a better time.
How Brent Venables is winning in the Spring Transfer Portal
Let’s start with Ott. The former Cal star was one of the hottest names available, and Oklahoma wasted no time locking him down. Sure, he’s coming off a down year (385 yards and four touchdowns), but his first two seasons at Cal show that he has the ability to be a big-time back for the Sooners.
As a freshman, Ott ran for nearly 900 yards, caught 46 passes, and scored 11 total touchdowns. Then he leveled up in Year 2, putting up over 1,300 rushing yards and leading the Pac-12 in rushing. That kind of production doesn’t just disappear, and with one final season to prove himself — and hopefully healthy — Ott has a chance to be a major piece for Oklahoma's rebuilt offense.
Now, pair that with Maikkula—a 6'5", 300-pound interior offensive lineman with two years of eligibility left and 16 career starts at Stanford—and you start to see the puzzle pieces forming. Offensive line has been a question mark in Norman for a while, but Maikkula brings real experience from a Power Four program. He’s not just a depth guy. He’s someone who could step in and start immediately, or at the very least push the returning group to raise their level.
It also speaks to something bigger: Oklahoma is no longer waiting to develop its way back to national contention. They’re being aggressive. They’re using NIL. They’re targeting the portal strategically. And they’re doing it in a way that matches the urgency of the moment.
Because make no mistake—this is a defining moment for Brent Venables. In the SEC, you don’t get a decade to build a contender. And after back-to-back underwhelming campaigns, patience is thin. But if you land guys like Ott and Maikkula, and they actually deliver on the field? That buys time. That silences critics. That puts wins on the board.
There’s still a long way to go. Winning the spring portal doesn’t guarantee anything in September. But for now, Venables has given Oklahoma fans something they desperately needed: hope.