SEC Media Days is now in the past, so the next time we hear from Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners, they'll be starting fall camp and getting ready to kick off the 2025 college football season.
Quarterback John Mateer, defensive end R Mason Thomas and safety Robert Spears-Jennings joined Venables in Atlanta, Georgia, to represent the crimson and cream. They all took the spotlight on Wednesday, but there was buzz about the Sooners during the entire four-day event.
Here's everything Sooner Nation needs to know from SEC Media Days.
WR injury update
Venables started Wednesday with some good news about transfer receiver Javonnie Gibson, who broke his leg and needed surgery during spring ball. Venables told reporters that Gibson is out of a boot and still on schedule to return by the Sooners' season opener against Illinois State on Aug. 30.
Gibson transferred to OU from Arkansas-Pine Bluff this offseason. He had 70 receptions, 1,215 receiving yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 17.4 yards a catch last season. Gibson being on the field with that big-play ability will be crucial for the Sooners after averaging a measly 6.11 yards per pass attempt last year.
Steve Sarkisian didn't add up
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian took the stage on Tuesday and basically lied through his teeth when asked about recruiting within the new revenue-sharing rules and NIL.
"I think sometimes, quite frankly, I think it hurts us a little bit in recruiting, in the fact that when kids come on our campus, one of the first things we do, we don't talk about NIL," Sarkisian said. "We don't talk about NIL or revenue sharing or publicity rights until the very end.
"And that may hurt us on some kids, but if the kid is coming to Texas for that reason, we don't want them anyway. You know, we want kids that want to be at the University of Texas because of the school, the coaches, the team, the culture, all those things that go into it. And, oh, by the way, you can get publicity rights or revenue shares, so on and so forth. If you're coming for the other reason, he's probably going to be the guy in 18 months that's back in the portal going somewhere else where they're going to offer him more money. Because I can't offer every player the most money that he might get offered from another school. It just doesn't work like that."
I went into more detail about why Sark's words don't match Texas' actions, but the Longhorns have went viral for greeting recruits on visits with rows of Lamborghinis and multiple outlets have reported that they were the biggest spenders in all of college football in 2025.
Jaydn Ott hype
Venables said all the things Sooner Nation wants to hear about new running back Jaydn Ott.
"He's a home-run hitter," Venables said. "Great natural runner, got great instincts, runs well behind his pads. His yards after contact are eye-popping. He makes plays as opposed to 'take what they give you.'"
Ott committed to the Sooners during the spring as the No. 1 running back in the Transfer Portal at the time. An ankle injury hindered Ott last season, but in 2023, he led the Pac-12 with 1,305 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, and was named First-Team All-Pac-12.
Venables defends Bauer Sharp
Sooner Nation was not ever quiet about its disdain toward tight end Bauer Sharp and even celebrated when he transferred to LSU this offseason. Venables apparently heard all the hate and went out of his way to defend Sharp at SEC Media Days.
“I really like the group of guys," Venables said. "I know we had some opinions about Bauer Sharp - that he wasn't a really good player. He's a really good player, everybody will see it. He was one of our best leaders. It is what it is. Not a soapbox, sad to see him go."
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