Oklahoma Sooners Football

The exodus of Oklahoma football recruits is continuing. Class of 2022 5-star defensive lineman Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy flipped his commitment from the Sooners to Texas A&M, per 247Sports' Steve Wiltfong.

Brownlow-Dindy is the fifth player to decommit from Oklahoma since former head coach Lincoln Riley left to accept the head coaching position at USC.

A senior at Lakeland High School in Florida, Brownlow-Dindy had been committed to Oklahoma since October. He's the No. 4 defensive tackle and No. 10 overall player in the nation in 247Sports' composite rankings.

Brownlow-Dindy cited the coaching staff leaving Oklahoma and his familiarity with the staff at Texas A&M as the reasons for his decision.

"In every single interview I’ve been doing the past two years, I’ve always talked about having the relationships with the coaches and basically all the coaches I talked to left Oklahoma and it was even to the very end Texas A&M and Oklahoma so with all the coaches I was familiar with and had a chance of leaving I knew Texas A&M would be right for me," Brownlow-Dindy told Wiltfong.

Brownlow-Dindy joins linebacker Kobie McKinzie, defensive lineman Derrick Moore, running back Raleek Brown and offensive lineman Demetrius Hunter as players to decommit from Oklahoma after Riley's departure.

The Aggies now have four 5-star recruits in their incoming class. Brownlow-Dindy will play alongside defensive tackle Walter Nolen, the No. 2 overall player in the class of 2022. Wide receiver Evan Stewart, the No. 3 overall player in the class, and quarterback Conner Weigman are also headed to Texas A&M.

Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables was hired as the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners on Sunday, giving the school its successor to Lincoln Riley.

"This is an incredibly special opportunity," Venables said in a statement. "... There's no question we are equipped to compete at the very highest level and attract the best players from across the country. The OU logo has never been stronger."

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports broke the news that the two sides had finalized a contract.

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman reported a contingent of Sooners officials traveled to Clemson, South Carolina, to hammer out the details of a contract.

Venables has never been a head coach, but he has been considered one of the top assistants in the country for several decades. He served on Oklahoma's coaching staff from 1999-2011, mostly as a defensive coordinator, and helped the team win the national championship in 2000.

The 50-year-old has been Clemson's defensive coordinator since 2012, winning two more titles under Dabo Swinney.

He takes over the Sooners job after Riley surprisingly left for USC following a 10-2 regular season.

Oklahoma had been one of the most consistent programs in the country, winning at least nine games in each of the past seven seasons. The squad won six consecutive Big 12 titles before falling short of the conference title game in 2021.

Riley notably created some of the best offenses in the country during his five years with the program, helping Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray win the Heisman Trophy.

The problem has been the inability to take the next step, losing in the national semifinals in three straight seasons from 2017-19 before missing the College Football Playoff in 2020 and 2021.

Despite many close calls, the last national championship for Oklahoma came in 2000.

Venables will have high expectations to not only keep the Sooners in the national title picture but also help them bring home a trophy.

The 9-2 Arizona Cardinals have the best record in the NFL, and they reportedly have no interest in seeing head coach Kliff Kingsbury elsewhere with just one year remaining on his contract after the 2021 campaign.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported Sunday that "a long-term extension is a significant offseason priority for the Cardinals, and the coach's leverage has clearly never been higher."

Perhaps that leverage comes in part because ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Nov. 28 that Oklahoma "targeted" Kingsbury in its search for a head coach after the departure of Lincoln Riley to USC. Still, La Canfora noted "there was no serious dialogue between" the two sides.

It was certainly a surprising development when the Oklahoma position became available considering Riley helped lead the Sooners to the College Football Playoff three times and had a 55-10 record during his tenure.

However, he created a vacancy at one of the country's elite programs.

Kingsbury has Big 12 connections from his time as a player and head coach for Texas Tech, although he was just 35-40 as the coach from 2013 through 2018. Oklahoma is also set to join the SEC in 2025.

The Cardinals head coach is also in one of the most favorable positions in the NFL since Kyler Murray is the team's franchise quarterback at just 24 years old and seems primed to compete for MVPs and NFC West crowns for seasons to come.

Arizona is also trending in the right direction under Kingsbury considering it was just 5-10-1 in his first season in 2019, 8-8 last year and now 9-2 through its first 11 games this season.

His background as an offensive coach at the collegiate level is well-suited for Murray's game, as the quarterback can hurt opposing defenses with his legs and his arm as a dual-threat playmaker.

Keeping the quarterback and coach together and continuing to build on their progress seems like the fastest way to a Lombardi Trophy for the Cardinals, and they are apparently going to make an effort to do just that during the offseason.                 

Oklahoma has reportedly zeroed its head coaching search on Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables.

Chris Low of ESPN reported the deal could be finalized as soon as Sunday. Venables has focused on Ole Miss offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby to serve in the same position under him in Norman.

Venables, the 2016 Broyles Award winner as the nation's top assistant coach, has served as defensive coordinator under Dabo Swinney since 2012. He's been one of the most respected assistants in the nation over the last decade, with several schools pursuing him for head coaching vacancies only to be rebuffed.

Oklahoma is a natural landing spot for Venables given he was an assistant for 13 seasons in Norman under Bob Stoops.

The Sooners program is reeling after losing Lincoln Riley to USC late last month. Riley, who went 55-10 in five seasons at Oklahoma, is also taking many of the team's future commits. The Sooners are down to 13 players committed in the 2022 class and down to two commits in 2023. It's possible, if not likely, more players will reopen their recruitment.

Given the 2022 and 2023 classes will be vital parts of the team when Oklahoma makes its move to the SEC in 2025, it's fair to say the ripple of Riley's departure will have a long-lasting impact on the program.

Adding Venables, who has significant experience recruiting at the highest level, could be vital in preserving Oklahoma's standing among the nation's best programs.

Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables and Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning are reportedly drawing interest for Oklahoma's vacant head coaching position, according to ESPN. 

The position was previously filled by Lincoln Riley, who became head coach of the USC Trojans earlier this week. 

Venables previously served as an associate head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Sooners from 1999-2011 under Bob Stoops, who is currently serving as Oklahoma's interim head coach. 

Since joining Clemson, the 50-year-old has helped the team to two national titles (2016, 2018), in addition to six ACC championships. He also won the 2016 Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in the nation. 

Several Oklahoma players also recently predicted Venables would be the team's next head coach in a YouTube video posted by Sooners punter Michael Turk.

"Who do I think is going to be the [next] head coach? I think Coach Venables," one player said. 

"I think it's going to be Venables," another Oklahoma player replied. "It might be Venables." 

Lanning, meanwhile, has spent the last three seasons as Georgia's defensive coordinator under Kirby Smart. In two of those three seasons, the Bulldogs have led the nation in total defense, per Sports Illustrated.

Lanning started his coaching career as a graduate assistant for Pittsburgh in 2011 before becoming a graduate assistant at Arizona State. He then was elevated to a recruiting coordinator in 2013 before becoming defensive backs coach and co-recruiting coordinator at Sam Houston State in 2014. 

The 35-year-old was also an inside linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator at Memphis in 2015. He began his career at Georgia as an outside linebackers coach in 2018 before being elevated to defensive coordinator in 2019. 

In addition to Venables and Lanning, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell and Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell are reportedly drawing interest from Oklahoma. 

Riley had been head coach of the Sooners since 2017. He announced his departure from the school shortly after the team's 37-33 loss to Oklahoma State on Nov. 27.  

The wave of college football recruits decommitting from Oklahoma to join ex-Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley at USC continued Friday, with 5-star class of 2023 athlete Makai Lemon announcing that he will be joining the Trojans.

Lemon told the news to Hayes Fawcett of On3 Recruits:

Five-star class of 2023 quarterback Malachi Nelson and 5-star class of 2022 running back Raleek Brown have already decommitted from Oklahoma to join USC.

Five-star class of 2023 wide receiver Brandon Inniss has also decommitted from Oklahoma but has not announced his college destination.

Losing Lemon is a tough one for the Sooners. The Los Alamitos High School star is 27th overall in the 247Sports composite rankings for the class of 2023 and fourth among prospects in California.

Gabe Brooks, who is 247Sports' Midlands Region recruiting analyst, wrote the following about Lemon:

Requisite size for receiver or defensive back with a lean, athletic build that can add some more mass. Dynamic playmaker at the high school level with outstanding junior year production at receiver and cornerback. Also provides a dangerous return game option. Excels in the short area with terrific lateral twitch and explosion, which fosters separation, whether at the line of scrimmage or the top of the route. For the same reasons is dangerous as a run-after-catch threat. Also uses suddenness to close on the catch point as a defender. Elite body control in his routes and when the ball is in the air. Football IQ combines with functional athleticism to provide great feel for tempo as a route runner.

Brooks also wrote Lemon looked like a receiver in the "long run" but that he could have a higher ceiling as a cornerback.

Either way, Brooks called him one of his class' best two-way prospects, with the potential to ultimately hear his name called in an early round of the NFL draft.

Now he'll be joining what appears to be a loaded USC class of 2023 as the Trojans look to return to past glory under Riley.

As Oklahoma continues to search for a new head coach, Iowa State's Matt Campbell reportedly won't be getting the job. 

Per Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde, Campbell is not a candidate for the Sooners gig. 

Forde noted that Oklahoma's search "has gone quiet," with the school possibly waiting for at least one person whose team is playing this weekend. He did cited Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables and Nevada head coach Jay Norvell as two who could be in the mix. 

The Sooners job was a surprise opening when Lincoln Riley decided to leave the program to take the same position at USC on Nov. 28. 

Bob Stoops, who is currently serving as Oklahoma's interim head coach, said on his YouTube channel (h/t John E. Hoover of Sports Illustrated) he would "anticipate this weekend sometime" or "maybe Monday" at the latest to get an announcement about a hire. 

Dean Blevins of OKC-KWTV reported the Sooners will wait until after Saturday's games to interview Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell. 

The Bearcats (12-0) are playing Houston in the AAC Championship Game. They could also clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff with a win. 

Blevins also cited Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning as a possible candidate. 

Campbell is in his sixth season as Cyclones head coach. He has a 42-33 overall record (7-5 in 2021) and has led the program to four consecutive bowl appearances. 

Oklahoma is one of the most prestigious programs in the country. The Sooners have won at least nine games in 19 of the past 22 seasons and four appearances in the College Football Playoff since the format was adopted in 2014.     

When he accepted the position to become the Oklahoma Sooners' interim football coach, Bob Stoops was prepared to do his job for free.

According to The Athletic's Jason Kersey, Oklahoma president Jason Harroz said Stoops "twice refused" to be paid but the school decided to pay him anyway. Stoops is set to make $325K for his time leading the Sooners.

Stoops is replacing Lincoln Riley, who accepted the head coaching position at USC on Sunday. Stoops previously served as head coach of Oklahoma from 1999 to 2016, leading the Sooners to 10 Big 12 championships and a national title in 2000. Oklahoma had a record of 190-48 in 18 seasons under Stoops.

Stoops will coach Oklahoma (10-2) in its bowl game, but the school is seeking a permanent replacement for Riley. Per Kersey, Harroz said, "The search is proceeding at pace. Recruiting is taking place. … [Athletic director] Joe Castiglione is engaged in the search process. … It is proceeding and proceeding well."

Oklahoma is ranked No. 14 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Sooners fell to No. 5 Oklahoma State in Saturday's regular-season finale, missing out on a spot in this year's Big 12 title game.

Since Riley's departure, Oklahoma has lost commitments from multiple recruits. Five-star athlete Makai Lemon de-committed from the Sooners on Tuesday.

Malachi Nelson, who is ranked as the No. 2 overall player and No. 2 quarterback prospect in the class of 2023 by 247Sports' composite rankings, announced Tuesday that he is following Riley to USC. Running back Raleek Brown did the same Thursday. Both players had previously committed to Oklahoma.

Oklahoma wideout Marvin Mims is reportedly "strongly considering" putting his name in the transfer portal, according to Chris Hummer of 247Sports. 

That potential decision may go deeper than just the departure of former head coach Lincoln Riley, who bolted to USC this past week, however.

Per that report:

Sources say Mims has been considering a transfer since midway through the 2021 campaign, largely due to frustration with his role in the offense; a freshman All-American in 2020, Mims didn't catch a touchdown until Week 6 and was targeted only 39 times this year.

Mims caught 37 passes for 610 yards and nine scores as a freshman, but this season's production—30 catches for 648 yards and four scores—hasn't been the leap that was expected during his sophomore campaign. 

Granted, he could have a change of mind. Hummer reported that a transfer isn't "considered imminent, but sources indicate the plan for him is to leave following the fall semester." But Hummer noted that those same sources said "a coaching hire and staff shake-up in Norman could always alter Mims' plans."

Mims could join quarterback Spencer Rattler, who already announced he was entering the transfer portal:

And Oklahoma's incoming 2022 and 2023 recruiting classes have already taken a hit in the wake of Riley's departure.

The biggest loss was 2023 5-star quarterback Malachi Nelson, who flipped his commitment from the Sooners to USC, though 2023 5-star wideout Brandon Inniss, 2022 4-star linebacker Kobie McKinzie and 2023 4-star running back Treyaun Webb also decommitted from the Sooners. 

Whoever ultimately replaces Riley is going to have an interesting rebuilding job on his hands. The potential to lose established talents like Mims would be a major blow to that transition effort. 

Two days after 5-star quarterback Malachi Nelson decommitted from Oklahoma, he announced publicly that he would be following head coach Lincoln Riley to USC. 

Nelson is considered the No. 2 player in the class of 2023, the No. 2 quarterback prospect and the top player from the state of California, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Nelson's decision doesn't come as a huge surprise, considering he plays for Orange County's Los Alamitos High School, about 25 miles south of Los Angeles. Riley's departure from the Sooners to the Trojans surely made staying close to home all the easier. 

It followed something of a purge for Oklahoma, as 2022 4-star linebacker Kobie McKinzie and 2023 5-star wideout Brandon Inniss and 4-star running back Treyaun Webb also decommitted from the Sooners following the Riley news. 

And 2022 5-star running back Raleek Brown, currently an Oklahoma commit, might be the next high-profile recruit to leave Norman behind.

"That changes everything," he told ESPN this week regarding Riley's move. "I had a good relationship with all [the Oklahoma coaches], so that will really change everything."

As for Nelson, his switch in allegiances is huge for USC. Greg Biggins of 247Sports wrote in his scouting report that Nelson "has all the physical tools you could want in a next level signal-caller."

He also wrote Nelson has "an athletic body with plenty of room to grow" and is "a very fluid athlete in everything he does," adding that "no quarterback in the class has a higher ceiling right now than Nelson."

The 6'3" and 180-pound Nelson threw for 2,690 yards, 39 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a junior in 2021. USC and Riley have pulled off a coup flipping his commitment.