Brent Venables: 'Oklahoma isn't intimidated...We're running towards the SEC'

Appearing before the media at Oklahoma's first SEC Media Days, head coach Brent Venables voiced his excitement for the challenge ahead and the opportunity to compete in the best conference in college football.

Joined on the stage by three key members of this year's Oklahoma team -- QB Jackson Arnold and senior leaders LB Danny Stutsman and S Billy Bowman -- Venables said in his opening comments to the interview session with reporters that he is really excited about Team 130, as he likes to call it, and loves the direction and development of the team that has taken place since January But he also acknowledged there is still a lot of work to do in the next several weeks and into the season to continue the get better.

"We've got a great blend of both experience and an amazing foundation of youth," the Sooner head coach said. OU has around 24 players, Venables said, that are going on their third or fourth years as starters and 52 scholarship players on the roster that are either freshman or sophomores.

"It goes without saying that the SEC is a deep, incredibly competitive league unlike any other in college football," he continued, "and as a football program, being in our first year, we are really looking forward to the challenge."

Asked what is he expecting from Jackson Arnold as a first-year starting quarterback, Venables said he has the skill, the arm talent, the toughness and the instincts to be an outstanding quarterback and what he likes best about Arnold is his ability to be able to handle the highs and the lows, the challenges, the successes and the failure that a season will bring you.

"He (Arnold) brings out the best in people. No question about it, he's ready for his opportunity and his moment," Venables said.

Venables was asked how ready he felt his Oklahoma team was to take on the challenge of the SEC. "As competitors, as a football program, Oklahoma isn't intimidated. We're running towards the SEC, the OU head coach said. .

"We've looked forward for the past several years for this partnership, to be part of an amazing conference, the best conference in college football."

- Brent Venables at SEC Media Days

A consistent theme with every head coach that has been interviewed in this first two days of SEC Media Days has been asked what the impact of having Oklahoma and Texas now the SEC will have on the conference. Venables was asked what that says about the two former Big 12 schools.

"I think it's a partnership of the elite with elite," Venables said. It's two programs that in the history of college football take a backseat to nobody, he added. And the SEC takes a backseat to nobody.

For a complete transcript of the SEC Media Days press conference with Brent Venables, click here.

Before stepping on stage to address reporters who cover the SEC, Venables met separately with beat writers who cover the Sooners and provided an update on injuries to several OU players.

WR Andrel Anthony has been working his way back from a torn ACL he sustained in OU's win over Texas last season. Venables said that Anthony has had a good summer but that he is not fully cleared. "We're hopeful we can get him in a position to participate in practice ahead of the first game, and I think he will," Venables said.

WR Jalil Farooq has been rehabbing a broken foot. He's doing well, Venables said, but injuries to the feet are tricky things. The Sooners are hopeful Farooq will be able to go for the season opener.

Backup quarterback Casey Thompson, who transferred to OU this offseason, torn his ACL early last season while at Florida Atlantic, but he's been fully cleared and is ready to go without limitations.

Cornerback Gentry Willams is also back and ready to go after undergoing surgery for a torn labrum. He missed spring practice but is cleared to return for fall training camp.

As if there weren't enough concerns about OU's rebuild offensive line, Washington transfer Geirean Hatchett has been recovering this offseason from a lower leg injury. Good news on that front, however, as Hatchell has been fully cleared for about a month. And center Troy Everett is ahead of schedule from a knee injury suffered at the end of spring practice in March, Venables reported, At the end of May, the medical staff thought Everett would miss the start of the season, but the outlook for his return is more optimistic several weeks out from the start of preseason training camp.