Joel Klatt Raises Stakes for Brent Venables After Oklahoma’s Dismal 2024 Season
The 2024 college football season was supposed to mark a new era for the Oklahoma Sooners as they transitioned into the SEC, one of the most competitive conferences in the sport. Instead, it turned into a nightmare. A string of disappointing losses, defensive breakdowns, and offensive struggles left the Sooners with a record far below expectations, and now, the pressure on head coach Brent Venables has reached a boiling point. FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt, never one to shy away from bold takes, has amplified the scrutiny, openly questioning whether Venables is the right man to lead Oklahoma into its next chapter.
When Venables was hired in 2022, he was celebrated as a defensive savior—a coach who could restore the toughness and discipline that had been missing in Norman for years. His pedigree was undeniable: a longtime assistant under Bob Stoops, a key architect of Clemson’s dominant defenses, and a recruiter with deep ties to the region. The hope was that he would bring stability and championship-level play back to Oklahoma. But after three seasons, the results have been mixed at best, and 2024 was a glaring step backward.
The Sooners’ struggles last season were multifaceted. The defense, Venables’ supposed specialty, was repeatedly gashed by SEC opponents. Missed tackles, blown coverages, and an inability to generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks became recurring themes. Offensively, the team lacked identity, shuffling between quarterbacks and failing to establish a reliable running game. The transition to the SEC only magnified these issues, as Oklahoma faced deeper, more physical rosters week after week. Losses to rivals like Texas, as well as blowouts at the hands of Alabama and Georgia, exposed the gap between the Sooners and the conference’s elite.
Klatt, known for his candid analysis, didn’t hold back in his assessment. On a recent episode of his podcast, he pointed out that Venables was brought in specifically to elevate Oklahoma’s defense and prepare the program for the rigors of the SEC. “If you hire a defensive coach to fix your defense, and your defense is still a liability three years in, that’s a major problem,” Klatt said. “The SEC doesn’t forgive. If you’re not improving, you’re falling behind.”
Klatt’s comments strike at the heart of the growing unease among Oklahoma fans. The Sooners have long been a program with championship aspirations, but the 2024 season made it clear that they are far from contending at that level. Recruiting has remained strong—Venables and his staff have landed top-10 classes—but player development and in-game coaching have come under fire. Too often, Oklahoma looked unprepared against top competition, and adjustments either came too late or not at all.
Another point of contention is Venables’ handling of the quarterback position. The Sooners entered 2024 with high hopes for Jackson Arnold, a former five-star recruit, but his development was uneven. At times, he flashed the talent that made him one of the most coveted prospects in the country, but he also struggled with turnovers and decision-making. Klatt argued that Oklahoma’s offensive staff failed to put Arnold in the best position to succeed, leaving the young quarterback exposed against elite defenses. “When you’re playing in the SEC, you can’t just out-talent people like you might in the Big 12,” Klatt noted. “You need scheme, you need discipline, and you need a quarterback who isn’t constantly under duress. Right now, Oklahoma has none of that.”
The schedule doesn’t get any easier in 2025. The Sooners will once again face a gauntlet of SEC heavyweights, along with non-conference tests that could further define Venables’ tenure. Another losing season, or even a mediocre one, could force Oklahoma’s administration to make a difficult decision. The program has historically been patient with coaches—Stoops and Barry Switzer were given time to build something lasting—but the landscape of college football has changed. With the expanded playoff and the financial stakes higher than ever, schools are less willing to wait for a turnaround.
Klatt’s critique isn’t just about X’s and O’s; it’s about the broader trajectory of the program. Oklahoma didn’t join the SEC to be middle-of-the-pack. The move was supposed to cement the Sooners as a perennial national contender, but right now, they look more like a team trying to keep its head above water. Venables was hired to bridge that gap, but so far, the gap has only widened.
Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are still reasons for optimism. Venables has proven to be an elite recruiter, and if those highly touted recruits begin to click, Oklahoma could take a significant step forward. The transfer portal also offers a quick fix for some of the roster’s deficiencies, provided the coaching staff can identify and develop the right pieces. But time is running out. In the cutthroat world of SEC football, patience wears thin fast, and another underwhelming season could spell the end of the Venables era before it ever really gets going.
For now, all eyes are on 2025. Can Venables adjust? Can he fix the defense that was supposed to be his calling card? Can he find a way to compete in a conference that shows no mercy? Joel Klatt’s skepticism is a reflection of the broader doubts surrounding the program. The stakes have never been higher for Brent Venables, and if he doesn’t deliver soon, Oklahoma may have no choice but to move on. The SEC waits for no one, and neither does the pressure to win at a place like Oklahoma.
