Oklahoma defensive coordinator Ted Roof describes leadership abilities, growth of his son TD Roof

Ted Roof is in an interesting position entering his first season as the defensive coordinator of Oklahoma.

As he looks to build a foundation with the Sooners, he’s joined by his son — Oklahoma transfer linebacker T.D. Roof. Prior to transferring to Norman this past offseason, Roof spent some time at three different programs — Georgia Tech, Indiana and Appalachian State.

While it’s been a winding road, Ted Roof believes it’s helping his son prepare for his first season in the Big 12.

“He has been a couple places. I’m proud of how he’s worked, just like I’m proud of how the other guys have worked,” revealed Roof. “At the end of the day, our job is to put the people that earned it on the field. He’s going to have to earn whatever his role is. At the same time, because he’s been around the block a time or two as you mentioned, I get back to the same type of experience, but this is a different experience because of the culture here. Like I am with all our players, what gets poured into him on a daily basis from Coach Venables and the rest of our staff, I’m really grateful for that.

“Again, he’s going to get what he earns. When we hit the field, he’s No. 18 and that’s the way it goes. But I’m pleased with him. Again, he’s in a battle, and a competition. That’s going to help him, and help the other linebackers as well. So it’s win-win.”

As you can see, Ted Roof isn’t going to give his son T.D. Roof any special treatment. The linebacker will get what he earns, and his track record proves that he’s just fine with that.

Oklahoma Sooners favorited in 11 of 12 games

Moreover, the Sooners kick off year one of the Brent Venables era in 30 days. The Sooners lost the Big 12 title for the first time in seven seasons last year, giving the team a clear goal to shoot for in 2022.

ESPN recently released the game-by-game predictions based on win probability for all of Oklahoma’s regular season games. The latest numbers have the Sooners as favorites in almost every game. The only game where the Sooners are not the favorite is the Oct. 8 game versus Texas. ESPN FPI gives OU a 44.6% chance to win versus the Longhorns.

Oklahoma is coming off of a 11-2 finish in 2021 that included an Alamo Bowl victory against Oregon. Brent Venables hopes to bring what he learned about winning championships in Clemson with him for his first head coaching gig.

The Sooners’ roster underwent a lot of changes with the departure of Lincoln Riley, losing the top two quarterbacks and receiver Mario Williams to the transfer portal. They also had several key members of the defense leave for NFL careers. Personnel has changed but expectations remain high as ever for OU.