OU DAILY - No one knows the system and philosophies Brent Venables is trying to establish more on OU’s roster than R Mason Thomas and Robert Spears-Jennings.

The duo is entering its fourth season in Norman, and they know everything Venables wants to accomplish on the defensive side of the ball.

Once regarded as understudies to the past leadership of Danny Stutsman, Billy Bowman Jr. and Ethan Downs, the time has now come for more guys stepping out of their shadows into a leadership role on defense.

“Just getting the younger guys right,” Thomas said about Downs’ leadership at SEC Media Days on Wednesday. “Ethan showing me what it would look like. So, when Ethan does that, then I can show the younger guys what it would look like when I step into that role.”

The road to winning consistently hasn’t exactly come to fruition yet the way they had hoped.

In two of the past three seasons in Norman, the Sooners have finished 6-7. According to Phil Steele, OU has the seventh toughest strength of schedule this season. All of this has led to some questioning whether Venables is the right guy to lead this program.

Bright spots emerged last season when the defense allowed 21.5 points per game – the lowest an OU defense had allowed since 2009 – as well as ranking in the top half of the SEC in yards allowed per game.

But if the Sooners want to get to where they truly want to be, everything will have to be elevated a tier above what it was a year ago.

“I feel like we’ve communicated way better this year because we were taught a quiet defense is a dead defense,” Spears-Jennings said. “This year we’re emphasizing on communication on defense a lot.”

As a result, Venables will now be calling the defense during games this season and will solely be focused to that side of the ball. With the switch in full effect, Thomas notes there hasn’t been much change to how things will be operated come fall. “We don’t have to change language or anything like that,” Thomas said. “It’s the same playbook. With him, it’s always been like that. We weren’t nervous, we weren’t frustrated, we weren’t rattled. It was the same.”

A year ago, it was the defense having to carry an extra load as injuries and poor performance depleted an unconfident offense.

The firing of former co-offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, a quarterback change four weeks into the season and suspect play along the line of scrimmage, found OU searching for a solution to a massive problem.

Now led by new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and top transfer portal commodity John Mateer, the offense has become much harder to face in practice according to Spears-Jennings and should be much-improved during the season.

“It’s definitely more challenging because they bring energy,” Spears-Jennings said. “I feel like with Arbuckle and (Mateer), they bring a different type of swag with them. I feel like our whole offense has embodied their swag and their energy because once they score a touchdown, their whole side is over there celebrating with the guys.”

Being the starting quarterback at OU is not for everyone, but Mateer’s elite athleticism, skill set and swagger provide him with the tools for success.

“I’d like to win a lot of games and do it by playing as hard as I can. I’ll let the legacy happen however it should,” Mateer said. “When you win, good things happen. So, I just want to win a lot of games. I don’t see it as pressure; I see it as an opportunity.”

Only time will tell the fate of the Sooners in 2025, but optimism will always remain high of a new season looming, and Venables believes things are headed the way he wants them to.

“We’re not anywhere close to where we want to be and where we’re going to be,” Venables said. “But we’re moving in the right direction. I’m proud of all the work that’s gone into it from both the players and the coaches.”

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