Barry Switzer questions if Oklahoma's NIL can compete with Texas, criticizes offensive struggles

Following another rough performance against South Carolina, there are plenty of questions about where Oklahoma’s offense goes next. Brent Venables made an offensive coordinator change, but legendary OU coach Barry Switzer said the Sooners are “short in a lot of areas” – and it might take some time to fix it.

Switzer pointed out the shortcomings for the Oklahoma offense, which will now see Joe Jon Finley take on play-calling duties after Seth Littrell’s departure. But he also questioned the Sooners’ ability to succeed in NIL dollars, particularly with rival Texas.

During an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show on Tuesday, Switzer noted the difference between Texas’ population and Oklahoma’s. That, he said, impacts fundraising ability in the current state of college football. That’s why he wondered if the Sooners can keep pace with the Longhorns if recruiting battles turn into bidding wars.

“We’re short in a lot of areas, Paul,” Switzer said. “Defensively, we’re probably a lot better than we are offensively. We’re short, offensive line, with running backs, receivers, quarterback – every area of the offense needs help. And it’s gonna take a while to get there. But I think that they can. I don’t know. I question, sometimes, with NIL whether we can or not, whether we can compete against Texas every year. They can raise more money than we can. We’re a small state. We’ve only got 3.5 million people, and it’s gonna be more difficult than it is for the University of Texas, where they’ve got 35 million people. A wealthier state and people to be able to support the programs. We’ll have to wait and see.

“NIL is still a mystery for everybody because we don’t know where we’re gonna end up. Hopefully, someday, we’ll get something that has some stability to it that we all will have a chance to be successful with.”

A closer look at Oklahoma, Texas NIL initiatives

Barry Switzer was one of the founders of 1Oklahoma in 2022, and the NIL collective later came together with the Crimson and Cream and The Sooner Nation Collective. Upon the move, 1Oklahoma became OU’s official NIL collective.

As for Texas, the Texas One Fund emerged as one of the top NIL collectives in the country, and On3’s Pete Nakos ranked it at No. 3 in his top collectives in college sports in August. Sources told On3 it has roughly 60 football players under contract, and the organization has a working partnership with WME Sports.

The two collectives also came together ahead of this year’s Red River Rivalry matchup between Oklahoma and Texas. They teamed up for the “Golden Hat Classic” golf tournament with NIL money on the line. The winning side saw 55% of the pot go to its NIL collective while the loser received 45 percent.

Barry Switzer: Getting education is ‘not the goal anymore’

When looking at the changing NIL landscape, Barry Switzer pointed out a comment Nick Saban made after his retirement to sum things up. The former Alabama coach recalled an incident in which a player asked about NIL money before entering the transfer portal, which signaled it was time to walk away.

Switzer noted the differences in recruiting today compared to when he coached from 1961-97. In doing so, he sees education becoming less of a priority.

“I knew – I think when I saw Nick Saban leave and he said I think something about a 19-year-old kid coming into his office wanting to know how much he was gonna pay him to keep him from going into the portal, Nick knew it was time to get the hell out. I think I can understand that and appreciate that,” Switzer said. “When I recruited in the back in the ’70s, ’60s – I was recruiting in the ’60s at Arkansas. I started coaching in 1960 at Arkansas. I was with a lot of Coach Bryant’s people. … They were my mentors. I coached with those guys.

“I look back at this and say, back then, we were recruiting, we would have kids four or five years. Mothers and fathers, if they had a father, they wanted them to get an education. These kids today, that’s not the goal anymore, to get an education, to go to college. They all think they can play pro football, and that’s not true, that’s not gonna happen. If they’re not gonna be out there playing within a year or two, they’re in the portal or going somewhere else. I don’t know how in the hell they expect to get an education.”

Switzer also spoke about his approach in recruiting. He wasn’t just trying to get players to Oklahoma for four years and move on. He saw a lifelong bond, and he said that was part of his success during his career.

“I said this early on – and I ought to have to trademark on it, Paul – you know what NIL means? Now, it’s legal,” Switzer said. “What goes around, comes around. Back 50, 60 years ago, you did anything for a player, helped a player, it was illegal. Today, it’s not. I obviously coached in an area I helped kids when they needed help. I didn’t induce a player to come to Oklahoma, but once they [became] a part of my family, there were gonna be things that come up that you had to help a kid and I always told them, if you come be a part of my family, my program, I’m gonna treat you like you’re one of my own and I still do. … That’s been my approach and always has been.

“I think that’s one of the reasons I was successful is kids believed in me, they knew I’d help them if they needed help when they were here. And I’m not talking about buying a damn car. I’m talking about if they needed to get home – there was an emergency or a funeral, whatever, they’ve got to fly somewhere – I’m gonna get them there. I’m gonna treat them like they’re one of my own kids.”