Open Post | Tuesday, February 1st
Posted on: February 1, 2022
The Uncommon Coach | Angie Wisner on Brent Venables & OU
– Charlie S – Posted on: January 31, 2022
I was fortunate to be able to catch up with Angie Wisner over the weekend. Angie is ‘23 RB Tre Wisner’s mom and she made the trip up to Norman with Tre and ‘24 DB Kobe Black for the Sooners Junior Day.
I wanted to get some insight for you all in regard to the way the new staff runs their events and visits and how Brent Venables is being received as the new head coach. Angie was very generous with her time and I am very appreciative.
The first topic we covered was the set up for the visit itself.
I knew Angie and Tre had been to Norman previously, so I asked her if she noticed any big changes or if anyone from the new staff stood out.
Angie said, ‘At first, I didn’t realize. I was thinking that one of the ladies was the same as from the earlier visits, but as the visit went on, I knew there were a lot of new people, but you don’t even realize the change because of how good they make you feel. The atmosphere was better, but it comes from Venables.’
The impact of Venables appears to be immediate and noticeable when you step on campus. Angie continued by saying, ‘Now, don’t get me wrong, DeMarco already set his place with us. The reason I feel the way I do about OU has a lot to do with DeMarco, but Venables has now added to that’.
We continued to talk about this visit, so naturally, the former staff came up. Both Angie and I agreed that there was no reason to talk about the previous staff in a negative light, as they are gone, but obviously, comparisons did arise.
Angie told me, ‘I’m not going to talk bad about the previous staff, because, at the end of the day, they are human. I understand and I get why OU fans feel the way they do about Coach Riley because doing what he did the way he did was kind of shady, but at the end of the day he is human and it is a business. With that being said, when we did meet with Lincoln, it was ‘ok’. It was nice. He had a lot of things to say as well, and I don’t want to compare it because I’m not trying to get into that, but, it was more of a nonchalant feeling back then. When I talked with Lincoln, it wasn’t all clicking. Speaking with Venables and speaking with Lincoln…it’s different. It felt like Lincoln’s speech was more of a rehearsed deal…where with Brent, it felt genuine whenever he spoke.’
As the discussion continued, Angie shared some additional thoughts. She said, ‘The first visit we took to Norman was a ‘ooooh, ahhhh’ type visit because that was our first time. The first time we met Lincoln he was very nice and very professional. Almost too business-like. I got a sense that Lincoln cared about my kid, at least from a business aspect. With Venables, he had word to back up what he was saying, and what I mean by word…he went into that Bible. He could back up everything that he was saying’.
She added, ‘For instance, Coach Venables said, ‘Don’t build a foundation on football’. He said ‘if you stand on a football, what’s going to happen?’ If you stand on a football, you’re gonna be shaky!’
As I have talked about on our board, the foundation of the program is vitally important and under the previous regime, some cracks were starting to show both on and off the field. Angie spoke a bit more about Venables message about his foundation as she said, ‘Venables’ foundation is built on more than football. His foundation is built on faith. I always said that I want my son to have more than football God forbid in case something happened. Any day something could happen. You have to look at it from a realistic side.’
Coach Venables is doing things differently than what we have really ever seen in Norman. Angie described one new innovation. She said ‘He (Venables) has this thing that he created that he calls the four horsemen. That’s a group of men that is going to be working with and instilling things into these young guys that builds character, morals and responsibility.’
During the visit, Tre and Angie were able to spend some one on one time with the head coach. In regard to that meeting, Angie said ‘Venables is an awesome man because of faith. He is held to a higher standard, the ultimate standard and he isn’t scared to tell you that and show you that. A lot of people don’t like to mix it, but he isn’t mixing it, he is living it. He shared his story about growing up, his background brings it home because we all have a story. Tre has a story and I told Venables some of it. A lot of people might not know about Tre’s background but my son faced some things that not a lot of people have faced and only God brought him through. So me and my son could really relate to him’.
She continued by saying ‘His speech to us was so good that I had to sit up on the edge of my seat! I was like wow! On that morning, I had it in my mind that I didn’t really want to make the drive up to Norman because I was exhausted, but I didn’t want to let DeMarco down. Something pushed me to go to see Venables though and I know it was the Lord because we had already built our relationship with DeMarco. I thank God that DeMarco got to stay at OU so I know he’s better than them (the former staff) with me and my son. But getting to Norman and meeting Venables was something that had to be done.’
As a parent, I think we can all agree that we only want what is best for our children. Obviously, Angie is no different and she also knows that there is more to life than football. Coach Venables hit on that very topic. Angie said ‘The message he gave us, about the foundation he is building being about way more than football tells me that no matter what happens, he is going to succeed. I don’t care what it looks like with the football aspect, Venables is going to succeed in reaching these kids because he is doing the work of the Lord. He is going to succeed with that and he’s not going to be stopped with that. He was put there, through football, because he can reach more people that way’.
She added, ‘He has something. He is about something that I personally, haven’t heard at any other places. We have been to other schools and programs and I have never heard anybody talk about anything other than football’.
It never hurts when a parent notices something unique and genuine about a coach. Often times, that gets lost on the recruits, but that was not the case with Tre and Kobe according to Angie.
‘You should have seen Tre and Kobe’s (Kobe Black ‘24 DB from Waco) eyes when Venables was talking. Tre got up and said ‘Mama I haven’t ever gotten any wisdom from a man like I just got right there and I didn’t want to say it but in my mind, I was like ‘ME TOO!’ There was so much wisdom and knowledge shared in that room that it was unbelievable’.
As many of you know, Coach Venables himself went through some trials and tribulations while growing up. He does not hesitate to share his story with his visitors and that was not lost on Angie.
‘Because of where he came from, because of his background, he is all about helping build these young men. That is what he’s about because he doesn’t know what kind of background they come from until he sits down with them and hears a little bit about them. He doesn’t know what the kids been through and how some of them may use football as a way to escape some of the things they are going through. That man is working for the Lord and it shows by the way he treats people and works with these young men’.
As mentioned earlier, Tre and Angie had made two prior trips to Norman. She graciously shared some insight into how each of the visits differed.
Angie said ‘This was our third visit to Norman and like I told you, the first time it was all ‘ooooh and ahhhh’ because it was new and it was our first time. The second time was kind of the same, Lincoln met with us all and talked about the boot he had on his leg right before he went out for the game and all…but this third time…man I laughed and talked with so many people that I didn’t even know, I just felt like I was at home!’
She continued by saying, ‘I’m a goofball and I like to laugh and enjoy life and me and this one guy, I’m not good with names but he told me he was a student and former player (guessing Kelly or Criddell) we laughed and laughed. I didn’t know that they were new staff because of the way they allowed me to come out of my shell! It felt like home and being around people you’ve known forever but I hadn’t even met them yet. That comes from Venables. That’s what he is building his program on and building those kids into morally responsible and healthy young people.’
‘That didn’t happen the first couple of times. This brand new staff, who didn’t know me from a can of paint made me crack jokes like they’ve been with me forever…I didn’t know half of these people were new. Thats how good they make you feel. Venables is working on building his foundation and thats his staff’.
The impact Venables had on Angie cannot be understated. She believes that a solid foundation is vitally important for these young people. Angie said, ‘As long as he has his foundation right…he is going to reap what he sows. Like he said, ‘I can’t go get no sand, dirt, rocks…put it all together and then think I’m gonna grow something good out of it. Those were his words, he knows that you need to care for your garden’.
She added, ‘The man is different. It didn’t feel like he was even recruiting us. The way he recruits, he hardly talks about football. He makes it about life by saying ‘be the man you want to be both on and off the football field’. If he helps mold good people off the field…of course…how do you think they are going to be on the field?’ He lives what he talks. He walks what he talks and he backs it up’.
While much of the focus of our discussion was on Brent Venables, don’t get it twisted, DeMarco Murray has been the constant presence. ‘DeMarco has already done a wonderful job with Tre and me and I am grateful Venables was able to keep him. Tre has something special with DeMarco. He is a special person and has kept up communication with us and he keeps it real with us. That itself is amazing because everything at these schools is so repetitive’.
Both Venables and DeMarco left Tre and Angie with the same message, which they have not heard from any other plce. ‘You usually hear the same thing at every school. But what separates Venables and DeMarco is the uncommon. The common people aren’t going to want to deal with what they are trying to do…it’s the uncommon people that are going to take heed and buy into what they are trying to build. It’s the same for Venables, he is the uncommon coach. There will be people who can’t receive what he is trying to do, they won’t want to hear it. I received every word that that man said in that meeting and I am better for having made that trip’.
There is not much more that I, as the author of this write-up, can add.
By the sound of things, Brent Venables is building a very strong foundation in Norman and he is taking an uncommon approach in doing so.
Team | Sourced | Notes
– Super K – Posted on: January 31, 2022
***As I previously noted, Schmidty 2.0 has been more focused on speed and explosion than endurance. In Scmitty’s previous stint at OU, endurance was more of an emphasis. Under Wiley, endurance was also an emphasis.
***You may have seen references from players on Twitter to the 4th quarter workouts last week.
***This was actually an endurance workout at the end of the week – sleds, sprints, etc.
***I was told that Schmitty has the week broken up in four quarters – Monday 1st quarter, Tuesday 2nd quarter, Thursday 3rd quarter and Friday 4th quarter.
***The point of the 4th quarter workout is to build mental and physical toughness that is needed during the 4th quarter of a football game. So, just when you’re ready for the week to be over, Schmitty turns it up a notch and demands more, not less, of you.
***Pretty good set up, if you ask me.
Commit Quick Quotes | McCarty and Freeman
– Charlie S – Posted on: January 31, 2022
Over the weekend, the Sooners got a couple commitments from in state prospects.
One from the ’23 class in ATH Erik McCarty and a preferred walkon commit for ’22 in WR Gavin Freeman.
***On his decision to commit to OU, McCarty said:
‘OU has always been the dream school my entire life, but I think when I got up there and around the coaches, I felt the energy. That’s when I knew OU was my home!’
McCarty is a guy I see fitting in very nicely on the defensive side of the ball, likely as a safety.
***’22 WR Gavin Freeman, who is a legacy, flipped his commitment from Texas Tech and accepted a walk-on offer from the Sooners.
Freeman said, ‘What sealed the deal is the fact that OU is home! There is no place I would rather be! I cannot wait to get started”.
I have a feeling his story is just beginning, will be fun to keep an eye on him.
Signing Day | What You’re Looking At
– Charlie S – Posted on: February 1, 2022
Tomorrow, February 2nd is the traditional signing day for the ’22 class.
***The Sooners currently have 15 signed high school commits from the early signing period.
***One additional High School recruit who enrolled early (Kanak)
***One ‘Public’ commitment in Gentry Williams.
So that is 17 once Gentry signs.
Tomorrow, there will be a number of recruits who make their announcement.
*** ’22 DB Gentry Williams will sign his NLI to the University of Oklahoma.
*** ’22 DL Gracen Halton will announce and sign…as you know, we really like OU here.
*** ’22 OL Devon Campbell will announce his decision…as far as I am led to believe, Texas will get his signature
*** ’22 DL Ahmad Moten will announce and sign. K will have a note on him soon, but right now, this is between OU, Miami, and Tennessee. Nobody has a clear picture on him.
*** ’22 EDGE R Mason Thomas, an Iowa State commit, will announce his final decision and sign. OU is in a ‘good’ spot here, but I have not heard that he has given the Sooners the nod yet so nothing is off the table.
*** ’22 EDGE Kevontre Henry will announce and sign to the school of his choosing. As I have maintained, I do not believe OU is actively involved here. I could be surprised, we will see.
*** ’22 WR Gavin Freeman will sign his PWO offer to OU
*** ’22 S Jamarrien Burt…another update here…originally told me he will be signing on Wednesday, then let me know he would be signing today, and now, he just told me he will actually be signing on Thursday. With all that said, I still really like where OU is in this one.
Then, there is always the chance for a signee out of left field that nobody is aware of. I am not counting on it, but I certainly am not discounting it as this new staff has shown us they can work very well in the shadows.
So it appears like you are looking at a signing class of 19-21 barring the unexpected.
The Sooners also added 10 transfers via the portal.
