Oklahoma DC Ted Roof details priorities while installing new defense

Since the Oklahoma Sooners brought in a new head coach in Brent Venables, an entirely new coaching staff came into Norman. There’s always an adjustment period for every new coaching staff in college football. That’s just the reality of the job, or any job, really. Venables picked one of college football’s most experienced assistants to be his defensive coordinator, Ted Roof. Recently, the Sooners’ new leader of their defense spoke with the media about the things he’s been working on and installing leading up to the new season.

“Well, you know, all summer long, we’ve worked on gameplans So, [we prepared] the installation to mirror what we’re gonna see for several games. So we’ve got a big jump on that as a staff. And at the same time, we’re going through things together as a staff. But we’re on the same page and we’re moving forward. I’m very fortunate to work with guys that are team-centered. You know, there’s some staffs out there where guys build kingdoms in their own little area. And our guys are all about the team. And I’ve enjoyed that. And looking forward to it,” Roof said.

He also talked about the learning curve of the new terminology and lingo the players have been learning.

“There is a newness. You know, everyday it gets a little bit better. Certainly, as you go through year one of most staffs, but you know what, you’re always learning. If you’re not learning, you’re falling behind. Whether it’s year 36 or year two. That part, we’re trying to always learn every day,” Roof said.

Roof also discussed the competition between his linebackers

In that same press conference, Roof assessed Oklahoma’s linebackers and their willingness to embrace competition.

“The thing I like about that group is there’s a lot of competition. There’s a lot there’s competition for starting jobs. There is going to be competition for playing time. And anytime there’s competition, that makes everybody better. So, I like that,” said Roof. “You’re right; we are athletic. I’ve got some guys that can run. But running in shorts is different than running with 40 pounds of gear on, trying to chase somebody who’s pretty fast too. So we’ll see how that goes. But I’m excited moving forward about what they’ve done this summer. I like the way they’ve worked, the way they’ve committed [to] spending time learning what to do. And again, I think I know we’re ahead of where we were when we stopped in the spring.”

The Sooners will have to replace two talented linebackers from last year’s team, Nik Bonitto, and Brian Asamoah. Bonitto was taken in the second round by the Denver Broncos after receiving All-American recognition in his previous two seasons in Oklahoma. And Asamoah was selected one round later by the Minnesota Vikings and received an All-Big 12 team nod in 2021.

The Oklahoma Sooners will kick off their 2022-2023 season against the UTEP Miners. That one is slated for 3:30 PM EST.

On3’s Justin Rudolph also contributed to this article.