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Brent Venables reacts to Oklahoma's growing transfer portal player total

FaceProfileby: Thomas Goldkamp12/24/24
OU Brent Venables
Nov 9, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables reacts prior to a game against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Oklahoma has had 25 players hit the NCAA transfer portal since it opened, including quarterback Jackson Arnold. That has left the Sooners with a thinner squad ahead of the Armed Forces Bowl.

But coach Brent Venables doesn’t seem to be sweating it too much.

“Yeah, this is modern college football,” he said. “I don’t think any team’s going to be immune to that. Certainly again, as we’ve said a lot here over the last several months, we’ve been preparing for that. Got to get our roster to 105. There’s a process that takes place. You don’t like it. I’ve said I don’t like it, but it’s part of where we’re at right now.”

Oklahoma will take on Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl on Friday in a game that kicks off at noon ET from Fort Worth, Texas. The Sooners will be looking for a win that would cement a winning record, sitting at 6-6 on the year.

For Venables, the roster reconstruction that is underway is all part of the process. Of course, guys that leave right now can’t be replaced immediately.

That’s the challenge in bowl season.

Still, Venables wants what’s best for his Oklahoma players, and if they feel a move to another program is warranted, he’s doing his best to be supportive.

“Everybody has to figure out what’s best for them, and we as a program, as we continue to try to grow and start back over with team 131, that’s all part of the process,” Venables said. “So that’s right on schedule.”

In terms of the actual bowl preparations for Oklahoma, Venables thinks things are going pretty well.

“It’s still good,” he said. “I don’t know how many’s out there right now, but there’s still over 100 guys out there. They’re working hard, showing up, they’re excited to be able to go to work and get a chance to play in a bowl game and go win.”

After winning the first three games of the season, Oklahoma has lost six of the last nine. So establishing a winning streak again with a bowl win would be huge for the program.

Like everyone else, the Sooners will have to combat the transfer portal to get there.