A United Front: Oklahoma’s New AD Faces the SEC’s Hardest Questions Together

Oklahoma’s new Athletics Director, Roger Denny, is a man on a mission. A corporate tax attorney from Illinois, Denny has spent the last five years navigating the complex world of college athletics, eight days after NIL pay was approved across college sports. He’s never known a world without NIL, and it’s this unique perspective that has led Oklahoma to hire him as their new AD.

Source: sportshub.cbsistatic.com

Unlike his predecessor and many of the current ADs across the SEC, Denny says the quiet parts out loud. ‘Right now, the long-term things are our short-term issues,’ he said in May. On the question of rising roster costs, he was direct: ‘Certainly at Oklahoma, we were really fortunate to have the support that we have from our fan base and our donors. But that’s certainly something we’re all thinking about – just how much longer we can go with these rates.’

Denny’s openness to discussing the issues facing college athletics is a breath of fresh air in a world where many leaders are hesitant to speak out. But he’s not alone in his concerns. Oklahoma’s head coach, Brent Venables, is also aware of the challenges facing the sport. ‘I know it’s not sustainable as it is now,’ he said. ‘Whatever Oklahoma’s problems are, they probably pale in comparison to a lot of other programs, and I don’t like that for college football.’

Venables and Denny share a common goal – to create a more sustainable future for college athletics. And it’s this unity of purpose that has led them to work together to address the issues facing the sport. ‘The thread connecting Denny and Venables is sustainability,’ a source close to the situation said. ‘Neither pretends the current model works.’

But what does the future hold for Oklahoma football? Venables and Denny are working tirelessly to ensure that the Sooners remain a force to be reckoned with in the SEC. And it’s not just about the football – it’s about creating a more sustainable future for the sport as a whole.

The question on everyone’s mind is – can Oklahoma do more after a 10-win season? The Sooners made the playoff last year on the strength of a defense that allowed 15.5 points per game and created the kind of chaos plays that papered over an offense that couldn’t move the ball consistently against good teams. But Venables knows that won’t be enough again. ‘Overall, we’ve got to be a more aggressive, physical, offensive unit running the football,’ he said. ‘It starts with mentality. You look at fundamentals, how you coach it, how you teach it, how you correct it, what you emphasize.’

The case for optimism is straightforward: quarterback John Mateer is healthy, and he spent the offseason correcting his throwing motion, which was more side-arm than over the top, which resulted in several tipped passes last season. The offensive line that struggled a year ago was young, but returns several starters plus E’Marion Harris, the starting right tackle from Arkansas. The nine first-year starters from last season are now second- and third-year players with SEC experience. Leading wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III is back alongside transfers Trell Harris from Virginia and Parker Livingstone from Texas.

Livingstone, the former roommate of Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, was Texas’ third-leading receiver (565 yards) last season. ‘If it was all said and done, he’d still be a Texas Longhorn,’ Venables said. ‘But today’s new, modern college football created him an opportunity to start his career somewhere else.’

The roster theory Venables is operating on is specific. He doesn’t believe the top 20% of his roster separates Oklahoma from anyone. He doesn’t think the bottom of the roster does either. ‘The middle half of the roster, to me, that’s where there can be a potential separation,’ he said. ‘I felt like last year we had a really good middle half of our roster, and we’ll see how fast we can take that middle half of the roster and elevate it (this season).’

So what’s the plan for Oklahoma football this season? Venables and Denny are working tirelessly to create a more sustainable future for the sport. And it’s not just about the football – it’s about creating a more sustainable future for the sport as a whole.