Oklahoma's Brent Venables is impressed by his young defensive tackles
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The Oklahoma Sooners had a stellar defense in 2025, and much of the success on that side of the ball can be attributed to the defensive line, specifically the defensive tackles. However, that group will be much younger this season, though there are two stars returning.
OU lost Damonic Williams, Gracen Halton, Markus Strong, Siolaa Lolohea, and David Rowaiye from the DT room this past season. Additionally, the room also lost Ace Hodges, who is now playing offensive line for the Sooners. With a mixture of veteran starters and depth pieces leaving the group, head coach Brent Venables and defensive tackles coach Todd Bates will need to get to work building the position back up.
Fortunately, Venables and Bates will have both Jayden Jackson and David Stone back to anchor the interior of the defensive line. However, with both players missing most, if not all, of spring ball over the next few weeks, the Sooners have gotten to see what their DTs look like behind that dominant duo.
Talking to the media last week, Venables specifically made sure to mention that he’s been impressed by his young defensive tackles, and has liked what he’s seen from the players who will have to step up in 2026.
“I’ve been very encouraged by our young defensive tackles,” Venables said. “I’ve been really impressed with not just yesterday and today, but over the last several months. The maturity, the work that they’ve put into the film room has shown up. We’ve seen that through walk-throughs over the last several weeks.”
The player many hope can break out this season for the Sooners is Nigel Smith II, who is entering his third season with the program. He’s gotten a lot more playing time this spring, along with second-year player Trent Wilson. Venables has been impressed with what he’s seen out of that duo so far this offseason.
Georgia State transfer Bishop Thomas is another player who is getting a lot of snaps in the spring, and true freshmen James Carrington and Brian Harris, along with another returner in Jacob Henry, also have an opportunity to show what they’ve got this spring with Jackson and Stone sidelined. UTSA transfer Kenny Ozowalu has mainly been working at defensive end, but he is capable of playing defensive tackle as well.
Oklahoma is replacing so much depth at a lot of positions across the defense, after graduation and the portal ate away at a lot of their rotational players from a season ago. However, it sure sounds like Venables has liked what he’s seen in the trenches. The Sooners believe in their ability to develop the DT position, and that ability is already being tested in spring football.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Brent Venables praises young Sooners DTs for spring play
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