Oklahoma Sooners HC Brent Venables opens up on a new player’s role despite some recent changes that have made things a bit complicated
The Oklahoma Sooners are going to have an elite defense once again, and Brent Venables has to be excited about linebacker Cole Sullivan.
The Oklahoma Sooners are ready to boast another elite defensive unit. Last year, they were the best in the country. This year, they could be a top unit again.
They lost some key players to the draft, transfer portal, and other things. But they also gained some really good players. Cole Sullivan, the transfer portal linebacker addition from Michigan, is one of those guys that everyone is interested in seeing.
“I love where he’s at. He’s earned great respect from guys in the locker room. He’s become a leader, which is not an easy thing to do as a new player,” Brent Venables said at SEC Media Days.
Sullivan was a stud at Michigan. He’s a guy who puts pressure on offenses because he can be everywhere at once. At least, that’s what it feels like. While he struggled in coverage last season, allowing 20 catches on 23 targets for 190 yards, he did have three interceptions, per PFF. But, outside of some weaknesses in coverage, he’s a linebacker who could be a huge addition to an already elite unit.
Sooners will have an elite LB room
The legal battle over linebacker Owen Heinecke’s additional year of eligibility has been one of the biggest offseason storylines for the Sooners.
Heinecke has been pulled back and forth between the NFL and the NCAA for months. After a proceeding that lasted well over six hours, Judge Balkman granted Heinecke’s injunction, allowing the Oklahoma linebacker to return for his fourth year of football. That situation created a bit of a dilemma. The Sooners had already picked up former Michigan linebacker Cole Sullivan in the transfer portal because of Kobe McKinzie’s departure, Kip Lewis possibly entering the draft, and the Heinecke situation.
Now they have Sullivan, Lewis, and Heinecke on the roster. But what does this mean for Sullivan? How has his role changed? Well, we won’t really know until the season is here, and even then it will take weeks to really figure it out. And the coaching staff can’t really get into that much either. But they seem to be happy with what Sullivan has brought to the team thus far.