NORMAN — On Thursday evening, 32 lifelong desires will come true.
After months of anticipation and mock drafts, the 2022 NFL Draft is lastly right here.
Now a three-day spectacle, a whole bunch of one of the best school soccer gamers anxiously wait to listen to their names referred to as.
Oklahoma can have a big contingent of former gamers who’re prone to fly off the draft board by Saturday evening, as evidenced by the 11 Sooners who had been invited to the NFL Mix in March.
Whereas these prospects are prepared to begin the subsequent stage of their careers, the place each will get drafted may even have an effect on Brent Venables’ program.
The NFL Draft has lengthy been a recruiting device for school packages throughout the nation, as continued success within the draft proves yr after yr a program can take a recruit and assist information them into the skilled ranks.
“It’s essential that there’s a historical past of growth, that the gamers coming out of your program could be developed, that you could facilitate all of (their) desires,” Venables stated.
At the moment, Oklahoma is within the midst of a streak of proving this system can develop professional prospects.
The Sooners have had 4 or extra gamers chosen in 14 straight drafts — essentially the most of any program within the nation — and seem like on tempo to increase that streak once more this weekend.
Over that span, OU has additionally had 10 gamers chosen within the first spherical, which is one thing that resonates with highschool recruits.
“They’re very conscious of it,” Oklahoma defensive tackles coach Todd Bates stated. “Most of them that play this recreation, that’s their final dream or final objective.
“… They need to go the place they’ve received the chance to be acknowledged and get seen. At OU, they’ll do this.”
This yr, line of defense seems to be Oklahoma’s finest hope at touchdown one other first-round decide.
However even when Winfrey or Nik Bonitto have to attend till Friday’s second or third rounds to listen to their names referred to as, the duo might be success tales for the teaching workers to promote on the recruiting path.
On prime of the success the previous Sooners are anticipated to have this weekend, Venables’ workers can be in a singular place to promote the success of Clemson, too.
With Venables and Bates coming over as former on-field coaches for the Tigers, alongside former Clemson assist staffers Ted Roof and Miguel Chavis, OU’s defensive workers will have the ability to reap the benefits of the success Venables’ protection had beneath Dabo Swinney.
“Whereas we had been at Clemson,” stated Venables, “I believe we’d have had essentially the most defensive linemen drafted and a bunch of men drafted during the last decade.
“I believe it simply provides you credibility that, OK, you get good gamers, however you continue to gotta coach ‘em. Lots of people get good gamers, however you gotta coach ‘em.”
In complete, Venables has coached 57 defensive gamers who’ve been chosen within the NFL Draft since 2000, together with 12 first-round picks.
Now, the Venables pedigree is as soon as once more mixed with that of Oklahoma’s, which ought to restore credibility again to the Sooners’ recruiting efforts within the years to return.
“For me as a coach, one in every of my largest fears is that my participant or gamers would underachieve,” Venables stated. “Nothing extra fulfilling from an Xs and Os, growth standpoint than seeing one in every of your gamers overdeliver.
“… No matter alternative you’ve, you overdeliver. You go above and past. For a coach, that’s a really pleasing place to be, is to have your gamers above and past their potential each week.”
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