Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables was back at his old stomping grounds for a day, and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney believed Venables gave the Tigers some "good mojo" as they beat Florida State 24-10 on Saturday.
Venables was the Tigers' defensive coordinator in 2012-21 under Swinney and was part of two national championships. He returned to Clemson during the Sooners' bye week to watch his son Tyler, who played two seasons under his father before Venables left to be OU's head coach after the 2021 season.
Dabo Swinney says Brent Venables brought Clemson 'good mojo'
After the game, Swinney was asked about Venables being back on Clemson's sideline. He joked he asked Venables what he thought Florida State's offense was about to call on a 2nd-and-long, and with the perfect Venables impression, Swinney yelled, "Probably a screen or draw!"
“Probably a screen or draw!”
— Grayson Mann (@gray_mann21) November 9, 2025
Dabo Swinney says Clemson had good mojo with Brent Venables back in town.
He also provides a solid impression of his former defensive coordinator.@ClemsonTigerNet pic.twitter.com/IgqYMWiXhH
Swinney still can't top an impression that Tyler could do of his father, though, since the two are nearly mirror images. Except Tyler just comes by it naturally and doesn't even have to try.
Nothing against the name Tyler. But this Venables kid should go by Brent. Goodness it’s uncanny. pic.twitter.com/y8v7SEyflb
— Larry Williams (@LarryWilliamsTI) November 8, 2025
Tyler is a safety and sixth-year senior for the Tigers. He missed most of the 2023 season with an injury, but during that time, he had a role as a student coach. It seems he'll likely follow in his father's footsteps, and although Venables would probably find a spot on his staff for his son, it sounds like Swinney would, too.
"Man, I love Brent," Swinney said after the game. "And it was awesome for him to be dad and to be able to see T-Bone (Tyler), you know, blocked the punt last week. Tyler's just, you talk about one of the best leaders that we've ever had here -- freaking Tyler Venables. This kid loves Clemson. He loves this team. He loves everything about Clemson. He's pretty much grown up here.
"For Brent to be able to get back, and Julie, for them to be able to get back and just be a part of that, it was awesome. It was good mojo. We had some good mojo down there. So it was great to see him and pulling for those guys for a strong finish."