Brent Venables has always been known as a mastermind of defensive football, but his legacy extends far beyond the sidelines and stat sheets. For over two decades, Venables has been a relentless architect of elite defenses, a motivator of men, and a cultivator of professionals. With a career rooted in the highest levels of college football, Venables has now reached a remarkable milestone that underscores both his longevity and impact on the sport: 63 defensive players drafted into the National Football League.
That number is more than just a testament to success. It’s a symbol of sustained excellence. Sixty-three times, NFL franchises have looked at players developed under Venables’ guidance and deemed them worthy of competing on Sundays. Sixty-three young men, molded through countless hours of discipline, grit, and technical precision, have achieved their dream of hearing their name called on draft night.
This isn’t by accident. It’s by design.
Venables, currently the head coach at the University of Oklahoma, earned his reputation first as a defensive coordinator with stops at Kansas State, Oklahoma, and Clemson. At every program, his defensive units weren’t just good—they were dominant. His playbooks were thick with complexity, but his teaching style was methodical. Players didn’t just learn to play fast; they learned to think fast, process faster, and trust the system. That development often started from the moment they stepped on campus, and the growth was undeniable by the time they left.
What sets Venables apart from many of his coaching peers is that he doesn’t coach for attention. He coaches with purpose. His commitment is to the full development of each player: physically, mentally, and emotionally. He holds his players to an almost impossibly high standard, but he never asks of them what he isn’t willing to give himself—full effort, all the time.
Many of the 63 players who’ve reached the NFL under Venables’ watch have echoed similar sentiments. They speak not just about how they learned football from him but about how they learned life. Venables demands accountability. He demands attention to detail. He demands that players become students of the game—and in that process, they become men ready for the challenges of the NFL.
He has coached first-round picks and undrafted free agents alike, but the common denominator is preparation. His defenders leave college not only with an edge in athleticism or instinct but with a professional mindset. Venables understands the business of football at the next level, and he prepares his players accordingly. Walk into any NFL facility and mention his name, and it’s met with respect. General managers trust his evaluation. Coaches know that if a player came through a Venables system, they’re going to be tough, technically sound, and unafraid of hard work.
Perhaps what’s most striking about the number 63 is the diversity of roles it encompasses. Venables hasn’t just churned out elite edge rushers or shutdown corners. He’s developed talent at every level of the defense—linebackers who serve as the brain of the unit, defensive linemen who dominate the trenches, safeties who deliver punishing hits, and corners who can shadow the nation’s best receivers. His fingerprints are on all of it.
At Clemson, where he served as defensive coordinator from 2012 to 2021, Venables’ defenses routinely ranked among the nation’s best. From future Pro Bowlers like Christian Wilkins and Clelin Ferrell to versatile stars like Isaiah Simmons, Venables turned raw athleticism into refined, NFL-caliber skill sets. It wasn’t unusual for his defenses to feature multiple future draft picks on the field at the same time, all moving in harmony through his aggressive, yet disciplined schemes.
But perhaps even more impressive than the talent he developed is the culture he built. Venables doesn’t believe in shortcuts. He believes in reps, in practice habits, in film study, in accountability, in building trust through action. He believes in developing not just a player’s skill set, but their character. He instills values that matter at the next level—resilience, responsibility, and leadership.
And while the glitz of the NFL Draft tends to shine brightest on offensive stars, Venables has always been content to build from the shadows. His defenses may not always grab headlines, but they win games. They frustrate Heisman contenders. They rise in the biggest moments. And they produce professionals.
In recent years, as head coach of Oklahoma, Venables has begun to put his full stamp on the program, both culturally and structurally. And already, the results are showing. Defensive players are coming to Norman with one goal in mind: to be developed by one of the best defensive minds in college football and to take that next step to the NFL. The Sooners are recruiting at an elite level again on the defensive side of the ball, in no small part due to the reputation Venables carries with him.
And why wouldn’t a top defensive recruit want to learn under him? He’s not a coach who promises the world only to deliver a fraction of it. He’s a coach who tells you the truth—that it’s going to be hard, that you’re going to be pushed beyond your limits, that nothing will be handed to you. But if you buy in, if you embrace the challenge, he’ll take you where you want to go.
Reaching 63 drafted players isn’t just a feather in Venables’ cap—it’s a billboard to every future recruit that what he’s selling is real. In a sport where hype often outpaces production, his track record is undeniable. The numbers speak. The NFL speaks. His former players, many of them now stars or long-time contributors in the league, speak volumes about what it means to come up through his system.
And for Venables, it’s never been about the number. It’s about the impact. It’s about watching a kid come in, uncertain of his place in the world, and leave as a professional—prepared not just for the NFL, but for life. He talks often about building men, not just athletes. About character over talent. And when you speak with those who’ve come through his system, that message echoes long after the cleats have been laced up for the last time.
There are very few coaches in college football with the kind of consistent track record Venables has compiled when it comes to defensive development. He doesn’t just build players. He builds pros. He builds people. And in an era where development can sometimes be overshadowed by flashy NIL deals or transfer portal movement, his approach remains old-school—and effective.
The future will likely add more names to that list of 63. Venables is far from done. As Oklahoma moves into the SEC and steps into a new era of college football, the demand for elite defensive talent—and elite defensive coaching—will only increase. If history is any indication, Venables is more than ready for the challenge. He’s already proven he can develop talent at the highest level. Now he has the chance to do it against the very best, week in and week out.
Every year, NFL teams will continue to dig deep into film rooms and scouting reports, trying to find the next great defender. And every year, Brent Venables will keep producing them—coached up, coached hard, and coached right. Because for him, cultivating professionals isn’t a slogan. It’s a calling. And 63 times—and counting—he’s answered it.