Oklahoma Soonershead coach Brent Venables made quite a few changes after last season's College Football Playoff run. Venables looked at what the Sooners did last season and realized just getting to the playoff isn't good enough at a place like Oklahoma.
One of the positions that needed to be totally revamped was the tight end room. So, Venables parted ways with long-time tight ends coach and Oklahoma alum Joe Jon Finley. The Sooners hired legendary former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, who was a high school coach in Texas, to fill that void.
They also attacked the transfer portal, adding three guys who are expected to contribute quite a bit this season: Florida Gators' Hayden Hansen, Colorado State Rams' Rocky Beers and Tennessee Volunteers'
Jack Van Dorselaer. ESPN's Cole Cubelic appeared on "The Oklahoma Breakdown with Ikard and Lehman," where he said the tight end room should bring more versatility this season.
"That kind of versatility, running the same things that allows us to be consistent," Cubelic said. "We don't have to run 57 plays. We can run 10 plays 57 ways, and that gives us a lot of advantages to stay consistent and build that continuity. I don't know if there is a true grinder in that group. But I do know with Hansen you get a ton of length. So, in the red zone, he's going to be a guy that can help you in a ton of ways."
The tight end position was one of the biggest areas Oklahoma needed to improve if the offense wanted to take the next step. With Witten bringing his experience and a group of talented transfers providing more options, the Sooners now have the versatility they lacked last season.
If this group can become a reliable part of the offense, it could create more balance and make Oklahoma much harder for opposing defenses to prepare for in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma's tight end room adds versatility to the offense
