Brent Venables’ grateful reaction to receiving CFP offer
Oklahoma’s push into the College Football Playoff comes amid a chaotic recruiting period. The The Sooners just scored in their 2026 class when four-star wide receiver Braiden Allen withdrew days before the early signing period.
Allen, a dynamic 6-foot-1 playmaker out of Lafayette Christian Academy who had 55 catches for 1,155 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior, was one of the headliners of OU’s future haul. His decision underscores how hotly contested this recruiting cycle is, especially with LSU and other powers circling.
On the field, however, Brent Venables is focused on what his team has already earned. Asked if Oklahoma carries a chip on its shoulder after securing a CFP bid, Venables gave a grounded but clear answeras shared by George Stoya III on Ks.
“Every game we’ve played this year has been the biggest game of my career,” he said, noting there is little outside belief in the Sooners’ ability to reach this stage. “Not many people believed we would do what we did,” he continued, before summing up the team’s thinking with one line: “We’re just grateful to have the opportunity.”
That mix of defiance and gratitude fits a program that finished 10-2 overall and 6-2 in its first SEC slate, demanding respect in a loaded league. Venables leaned heavily on urgency all year, treating each matchup as a referendum on Oklahoma’s place among the sport’s elite. The payout is a CFP hit that few thought was realistic back in September.
At the same time, he did not take his eyes off the long game. Sooners recently turned over by North Alabama linebacker Kristan Mooreadding the versatile three-star Selma who amassed over 200 tackles, double-digit sacks and a string of impact plays during his 2024 and 2025 seasons while also contributing on offense. For Venables, Moore is the prototype of the kind of tough, multi-positional defender he wants to anchor future defences.
So even as Oklahoma celebrates a hard-earned CFP berth, Venables’ message remains consistent: Outside noise has never mattered, opportunity is everything, and tomorrow’s roster is being built in the same spirit that got them here.
2025-12-07 19:59:00
