Kirby Smart believes Oklahoma's defense is on its way to being elite

Heavy hitters took the podium for Day 2 of SEC media days in Dallas. The Oklahoma Sooners, Missouri Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers and Georgia Bulldogs were the four teams to share their opinions on Tuesday.

One head coach, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, had high praise for the way Brent Venables is building his roster and recruiting. He’s just the latest current or former coach that thinks OU is heading in the right direction under Venables’ leadership. Josh Heupel, Brian Kelly, Shane Beamer and Nick Saban also praised the transformation going on in Norman.

Colton Sulley of The Oklahoman relayed that Smart joined the chorus with remarks about OU’s head coach.

“As he gets the players he’s recruiting more and more, they’re going to be a dominant defensive football team,” Smart said.

That’s music to Oklahoma fans’ ears after slipping in defensive talent and production under the previous regime. Brent Venables was hired, in part, because his ability to recruit and develop defensive talent is among the best in college football.

Venables is already acquiring young, elite defensive talent through recruiting. Names like Adepoju Adebawore, Peyton Bowen, David Stone, Jayden Jackson and others weren’t coming to Norman before Venables arrived.

Smart clearly knows what he’s talking about when it comes to defense. He’s a former defensive coordinator himself and has built a juggernaut in Athens as a head coach. Georgia won the national championship in 2021 and 2022, and no one would be surprised if they won again in 2024. Smart’s idea of a “dominant defensive football team” is one that can win multiple national titles.

If Brent Venables does indeed bring an elite defense back to Owen Field that helps him win multiple national championships, he’ll have a statue outside the stadium next to his former boss, Bob Stoops’.

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