Last year's Oklahoma Sooners team may have been flawed in construction, but it was still a playoff one nevertheless. Brent Venables' defense did the heavy lifting down the stretch, while John Mateer and the rest of Ben Arbuckle's offense stagnated once the weather started to change. Clearly, the NFL has taken notice of this impressive unit Oklahoma has working for it. So who is getting poached?
CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported the Buffalo Bills and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are eyeing Jay Valai.
The #Bills are targeting Oklahoma assistant head coach for defense/co-DC Jay Valai for a defensive backs coach job, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 1, 2026
Valai, who has been of interest to other NFL teams too as well as Notre Dame, helped OU rank sixth nationally in total defense this year. pic.twitter.com/GgeaCCLejK
Georgia Stoia III of On3 shared Valai played with new Bills coordinator Jim Leonhard at Wisconsin.
OU CBs coach Jay Valai is a top candidate for an opening with the Bills, per @mzenitz. Valai has a strong connection with new Bills DC Jim Leonhard. Both played at Wisconsin.
— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) February 1, 2026
OU is trying to keep Valai in Norman. He has also been linked to Notre Dame.https://t.co/4JbPfdJp5G
Although Valai was one of the many Oklahoma assistants to get raises this offseason, he could be a candidate to replace Mike Mickens as Notre Dame's secondary coach in South Bend, or potentially reunite with his former college teammate Leonhard in Orchard Park on Joe Brady's first Bills staff. Valai has predominantly been a college guy, but does have one year working for Andy Reid in the NFL.
With Brady and Marcus Freeman looking at this sought-after defensive backs coach, he might walk.
Oklahoma may lose Jay Valai to either Bills or Notre Dame this offseason
This is not the first time some other team has decided to go big-game hunting in trying to poach a star position coach off Venables' staff. Only a year ago did Penn State try to pry Oklahoma legendary running back DeMarco Murray off this staff, albeit to no avail... Frankly, Murray starring for OU is probably what kept him in Norman. Unfortunately, Valai is a Wisconsin guy with strong Badgers ties...
Notre Dame appears to have been in on Valai as Mickens' replacement longer than Buffalo has. Freeman has to figure out how to keep his defensive guys from going to the NFL. He last defensive coordinator Al Golden to the Cincinnati Bengals last year. Mickens is off to Baltimore to join Jesse Minter's first staff. Al Washington has also left to be a part of Jeff Hafley's first Miami Dolphins staff.
Overall, Oklahoma fans should be pleasantly surprised if Valai is back with the team next season. His college teammate Leonhard has been entrusted with Brady's first defense in Buffalo. Frankly, Wisconsin should have never let Leonhard leave in favor of hiring Luke Fickell away from the Cincinnati Bearcats. Valai has been with OU for years now, but that pull to Orchard Park feels strong.
With Brady being the seventh of 10 NFL head coaches hired in this cycle, these things will take time.