By Adeniyi Precious 
Brent Venables is stacking up experience on Oklahoma’s defensive staff. The latest addition? Former Clemson defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin, who’s coming in as a defensive analyst, according to Tulsa World. Several other outlets backed up the report.
Goodwin was initially in the mix for OU’s open defensive coordinator spot after Zac Alley left for West Virginia. But later in the day, news broke that the Sooners were bringing in former Arkansas State and Utah State DC Nate Dreiling as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. On top of that, Venables himself will be calling defensive plays in 2025, a role he’s more than familiar with after 23 seasons as a defensive coordinator at Oklahoma and Clemson before becoming OU’s head coach in 2022.
With Dreiling and Goodwin now in the mix, Oklahoma has six coaches with defensive coordinator experience on staff. Todd Bates and Jay Valai were already co-defensive coordinators, while safeties coach Brandon Hall has called defenses at Troy, Jacksonville State, and Central Oklahoma.
Goodwin, who was let go after last season, still led a Clemson defense that helped secure an ACC title and a trip to the College Football Playoff. In 2023, the Tigers ranked 32nd in total defense, and in 2022, they were 22nd. Notably, he actually took over Clemson’s defense when Venables left for OU, having previously worked under him in multiple roles.
Thanks to a recent NCAA rule change allowing unlimited coaching staff and giving analysts a more hands-on role, Goodwin can have a direct impact on the Sooners’ defense, which ranked in the top 25 last season. With these moves, Venables appears to have wrapped up his staff for 2025—except for filling the Football General Manager role left open by Curtis Lofton’s departure.