Defensive reformation
Former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch made appreciable improvements to a Sooner defense that just a couple of short years ago was one of the worst in college football, especially defending the pass.
Brent Venables has assembled a staff of defensive coaches with sparkling resumes and a proven record of recruiting some of the best defensive talent in the country. And let’s not forget about Venables, himself a mastermind of defensive success.
Defensive coordinator Ted Roof and his defensive assistants have been charged with reforming and building a defense with size and strength that plays aggressively and plays with physicality. With former Clemson and Alabama defensive coaches on staff, you can expect the revamped OU defense to operate under a different philosophy (e.g., out with the Speed D concept) and take a different form and substance.