The Oklahoma Sooners have struggled overall as an offense this season. It's a problem that has plagued Brent Venables' teams for most of his tenure, especially the last three seasons. Those struggles stem from a variety of factors, but Venables touched on one of the biggest issues this week.
In his weekly press conference ahead of Saturday's clash with Texas, Venables was asked about the ineffective play on the offensive line, both this year and in recent years. The normally measured Venables offered a grim explanation for why that unit has been subpar for several seasons. He highlighted the poor development in the trenches.
"It’s been incredibly inconsistent, very disappointing," Venables said. "That is a critical piece. That is a piece that
probably requires the most development at any position that you have on your roster."
Venables went on to say that the sport's current unstable climate and the transfer portal have hurt the Sooners in this area, but he also said he and his staff have not done a good job of allowing the o-line to develop. Venables also said OU had been "uneven" in choosing the players to bring into the program at the position.
"Way too many guys are coming and going at that position group and we need continuity and consistency in order to develop that group into what we want," Venables said. "We’ve got six guys (currently) coming in in the ’27 class. It’s going to be incredibly important to bring back a good majority of the guys that are already here, that are young guys that are developing as we speak, but it’s been very unstable and certainly not the kind of development that you want from top to bottom."
Though Venables said that he likes the players that the room now, and the players that OU has recruited, it sure sounds like he's not at all pleased with the way that room is developing and performing.
Those things are the primary responsibility of offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, Oklahoma's longest-tenured member of the coaching staff. He's been in Norman since 2013, and though he had some excellent offensive lines in the late 2010s, it's been a while since the Sooners have been good enough up front. That group has also struggled to stay healthy from year to year.
Again, the Sooners have a myriad of problems on offense, not just a problem on the offensive line. After entering the season with big expectations, Oklahoma is falling flat, and eventually coaches and players will pay for it with their jobs. Venables sounds unhappy with how his offensive line is playing, and it's one of many problems that he and the offensive staff will have to figure out very quickly.
Oklahoma's Current Offensive Coaching Staff
- Ben Arbuckle: Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- John Kuceyeski: Quarterbacks
- Deland McCullough: Running Backs
- Emmett Jones: Passing Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers
- Jason Witten: Tight Ends
- Bill Bedenbaugh: Offensive Line
- Kevin Wilson: Assistant Head Coach for Offense
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Brent Venables discusses OU's 'inconsistent' offensive line growth
