Brent Venables ready to capitalize on recruiting momentum generated by massive win over Michigan Wolverines
The Oklahoma Sooners win over the Michigan Wolverines is shaping up to be the break in recruiting the Sooners needed
While the Oklahoma Sooners‘ 24-13 victory over the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday was a key one for Brent Venables and his job security, it was an even bigger one for the future of the program when it comes to recruiting. The Oklahoma Sooners held a massive recruiting event over the weekend for this game, with just around 80 recruits across the 2026, 2027, and 2028 classes making their way to Norman for this showdown.
With a major event like this, the Sooners were hedging their bets on a victory over Michigan making an impression on the recruits in front of one of the best crowds in recent memory. Given the team’s performance and the atmosphere before, during, and after the game, they might have pulled off a major win.
Brent Venables understood that Oklahoma gained some much needed momentum after a full calendar year of negative recruiting, and that it’s up to the staff and team to keep the pedal to the metal and not squander any of it.
Brent Venables Shows Recruits What Oklahoma Football Is Like
In front of the largest recruiting weekend I can recall, the Sooners put on a show on both sides of the ball, delivering several highlight plays through the air and delivering some bone-crushing hits on defense.
Venables, in his postgame press conference, acknowledged that what they put out on the field was a product recruits should be enthused about and want to be a part of, and that that was what the team wanted to showcase to their potential future playmakers.
“For recruits, I think there’s validation. I think they were looking for certain things. Whether it’s a quarterback that’s looking for a place to call home and a style of offense that’s gonna have great balance and give them opportunities to showcase their ability, or an offensive lineman that can show their physical toughness, their ability to pass protect against some of the best, and be developed by one of the best offensive line coaches at any level of football, or to play in a ferocious defense, where guys are gonna play with physicality, passion, and belief and like they’re having fun, like they’re having fun. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that and be developed in every other part of your life as well? So, I’m excited for that. There’ll be a byproduct of having a good night early in the year, creating a bit of momentum in recruiting. I think people will see ‘Hey, I wanna be a part of that, I can see myself there.’”
So far, the responses have paid off for the Sooners. Several offers went out after the game to recruits, and several left campus buzzing based on their social media posts.
This was the kind of performance Oklahoma needed to regain their momentum on the recruiting front. Brent Venables started off with three straight top-ten classes from 2022 to 2024, but the 2025 and 2026 classes have been brutalized by the team’s lack of success.
With a statement win in their back pocket, the Sooners are looking to turn in some last minute runs on wrapping up the 2026 class and get a head start on bringing in an elite 2027 and 2028 group of players.
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