Venables success at Clemson was based on sound scheme and exceptional DT talent: Bryan Bresee, Dexter Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins: 6'4, 310 with power, and quickness. The OU defense has good talent in spots, but not to the level of Clemson anywhere (? DB possibily, paradoxically). Based on this, I'm thinking of a scheme based on the following assumptions.
- OU won't get 5-star DT for at least a couple of years (if ever). Everybody wants the same unicorns.
- That he'll do what he did while he was at OU last time, when he had a similar or worse DL. This is assumption could be wrong for several reasons (he's changed, offenses change, rosters change).
On the inside:
Pairing a 6'0, 320 dude who's tough to move (think Casey Walker, from about 10 yrs ago) with basically Jalen Redmond (6'3, 280), quicker DT with pass rush ability.
Redmond looks fat and may have lost quickness during his time at OU. S&C may really help him.
On the outside:
OU has some interesting dudes who may, with more disciple and better scheme, be really good, flexible players: Grimes, Downs, Stripling, Gilliam, Arinze could all factor into a SDE/WDE role productively. The Edge players OU's recruited over the last several years don't have a direct anolog to Venables' old schemes that I recall, but OU has some talent here too (Clayton Smith, who wasn't great in the bowl game, his first real action)