Brent Venables silenced some of his critics with a 10-win season in 2023, but still has a lot to prove with the Oklahoma Sooners heading to the SEC in 2024. Losses to Oklahoma State and Kansas spoiled what could have been a special season.
However, the arrow is pointing up for Oklahoma who brings back a defense that looks ready to help the Sooners contend. A far cry from what it was during the Lincoln Riley era. The Sooners are recruiting exceptionally well under Venables, which is creating better depth on the roster. The 2024 depth chart is the best yet and could have the Sooners ready to contend.
Though the recruiting success is something the Sooners coaching staff can hang their hat on, it’s what happens between the lines that will determine how Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners are viewed on a national scale.
This week, CBS Sports ranked every Power 4 coach in the country, so let’s take a look at where Brent Venables and the rest of the SEC landed in their rankings ahead of the 2024 season.
16
Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 66
SEC Rank: 16
2023 Rank: NR
He hasn’t coached a game yet, but Jeff Lebby provides some optimism with the success his offenses have had during his time as an offensive coordinator. He has a solid option at quarterback in Blake Shapen to work with to begin his tenure.
15
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 63
SEC Rank: 15
2023 Rank: 56
Prior to his current stint at Vanderbilt, Clark Lea worked across the country and spent a season as the defensive coordinator for Notre Dame. Expectations aren’t very high for the Commodores, but two wins a season isn’t going to cut it for long.
14
Sam Pittman, Arkansas
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 58
SEC Rank: 15
2023 Rank: 42
Sam Pittman had a promising couple of years coming out of COVID in 2021 and 2022 but fell back to earth in 2023 with a 4-8 season. He brought back Bobby Petrino to help revitalize the offense. Will it be enough to save him beyond 2024?
Get more Arkansas Razorbacks news, analysis, and opinions on RazorbacksWire.
13
Billy Napier, Florida
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 47
SEC Rank: 13
2023 Rank: 43
After posting a 40-12 record at Louisiana, Billy Napier is just 11-14 in two years with the Gators. He’s recruiting well, but the results haven’t come yet. With one of the toughest schedules in the country for 2024, this may not be the best year to judge the Florida Gators progress.
Get more Florida Gators news, analysis, and opinions on GatorsWire.
12
Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 46
SEC Rank: 12
2023 Rank: 40
Getting Spencer Rattler in the transfer portal was a huge win for Shane Beamer, but the results didn’t come. Now they turn from the former five-star quarterback to local product and former three-star LeNorris Sellers. Can Beamer bounce back from a five-win season in 2023 to get the Gamecocks back to bowl eligibility in Sellers first year as a starter?
11
Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 34
SEC Rank: 11
2023 Rank: 52
Year one wasn’t great, but year two showed tremendous progress for Brent Venables in his role as a head coach. Game management was better and the team simply liked a lot better. Armed with a defense that’s one of the most experienced in the country heading into 2024, the Sooners look like a playoff team despite one of the most difficult schedules in the nation.
Get more Oklahoma Sooners news, analysis, and opinions on SoonersWire
10
Hugh Freeze, Auburn
Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 33
SEC Rank: 10
2023 Rank: 26
Year one with Auburn wasn’t great, but Hugh Freeze is recruiting well, and it’s only a matter of time before he has the Tigers on an upward swing. Nearly upsetting Alabama in the Iron Bowl shows that this team is capable of playing with the top of the SEC.
Get more Auburn Tigers news, analysis, and opinions on AuburnWire.
9
Mike Elko, Texas A&M
Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
Overall: 32
SEC Rank: 9
2023 Rank: 44
Mike Elko comes to Texas A&M after a couple of solid seasons at Duke, but doesn’t have a ton of head coaching experience at the FBS level. The hope is Elko will help rebuild the culture in College Station and get the Aggies defense to playing at an elite level.
Get more Texas A&M Aggies news, analysis, and opinions on AggiesWire
8
Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 23
SEC Rank: 8
2023 Rank: 16
Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers head into 2024 with their third starting quarterback in three seasons, with former five-star prospect Nico Iamaleava taking the reigns. He’s got the talent to put up big numbers and help the Vols flirt with another 10 win season in 2024.
Get more Tennessee Volunteers news, analysis, and opinions on VolsWire
7
Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 21
SEC Rank: 7
2023 Rank: 51
He had a 12 win season with Appalachian State back in 2019 but didn’t win more than six games in any of his first three seasons at Missouri. That was until the Tigers won 11 games last year, including a bowl win over Ohio State. With Brady Cook and Luther Burden back for 2024, Mizzou will be a good team this year and likely contend for a playoff spot.
6
Mark Stoops, Kentukcy
Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports Kentucky
Overall: 20
SEC Rank: 6
2023 Rank: 18
It took four seasons for Mark Stoops to have a winning season with Kentucky, but now he’s on a nice run with seven winning seasons in the Wildcats last eight years. He got a big transfer portal win with the addition of Brock Vandergriff. If the former five-star quarterback can live up to those expectations, Kentucky is an interesting sleeper team in the College Football Playoff push.
Get more Kentucky Wildcats news, analysis, and opinions on UKWildcatsWire.
5
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 14
SEC Rank: 5
2023 Rank: 14
The portal king may have put together his best roster yet and with Jaxson Dart at the helm, this might be the year Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels breakthrough and win the SEC.
4
Kalen Deboer, Alabama
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 7
SEC Rank: 4
2023 Rank: 31
Kalen Deboer has only been at the FBS level for four seasons and since 2021 has 34 wins, including a 14-win season that took the Washington Huskies to the national championship game. At Alabama, he’ll be tasked with keeping everything Nick Saban built rolling.
Get more Alabama news, analysis, and opinions on RollTideWire.
3
Steve Sarkisian, Texas
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 5
SEC Rank: 3
2023 Rank: 37
It took 10 seasons as a head coach at USC, Washington, and now Texas for Steve Sarkisian to earn his first 10-win season in 2023. But what a season it was for the Longhorns who made it to the College Football Playoff, losing in the final seconds to the Huskies. He’ll have a huge task ahead of him after losing 11 players to the NFL draft last month.
Get more Texas Longhorns news, analysis, and opinions on Longhorns Wire.
2
Brian Kelly, LSU
Andre Broussard/ Special to The Daily Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK
Overall: 4
SEC Rank: 2
2023 Rank: 6
Brian Kelly has had a long run of success at several different stops. He hasn’t won fewer than 10 games since 2016 when he was at Notre Dame and has a career .729 winning percentage.
Get more LSU Tigers news, analysis, and opinions on LSUTigersWire.
1
Kirby Smart, Georgia
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 1
SEC Rank: 1
2023 Rank: 2
Even prior to Nick Saban’s retirement, you could have made a case that Kirby Smart was the best head coach in college football. Now that Saban’s out of the picture, there’s no doubt who the top Dawg is.
Get more Georgia Bulldogs news, analysis, and opinions on UGAWire.
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