Why Brent Venables Compares Oklahoma’s Starting TE to George Kittle—And What It Means for the Sooners’ Season

So here’s a curious angle for you: Oklahoma Sooners’ head coach Brent Venables, now stepping into his fourth year at the helm, draws a thoughtful comparison that’s as bold as it is grounding — linking one of his own players, Jaren Kanak, to NFL tight end superstar George Kittle, but with a wise caveat. Can a linebacker-turned-tight end really fill shoes as big as Kittle’s? Well… Venables isn’t putting that pressure on Kanak. Instead, he’s urging the young player to just be the best version of himself — a refreshing perspective in a sport often obsessed with instant greatness. As Oklahoma gears up for their sophomore SEC campaign after a rocky start, the transformation of Kanak hints at the kind of talent reshuffling Venables hopes will elevate the Sooners from their 6-7 slump to a genuine powerhouse status. Makes you wonder — will this position shuffle spark a breakout season or just underline the heavy adjustment awaiting Kanak? Either way, it’s a narrative worth following as the Sooners open their season against Illinois State. LEARN MORE

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables had a take involving NFL star tight end George Kittle that connected him to one of his players.

Venables is approaching the fourth year of his head coaching career, all of them being with the Oklahoma Sooners. He has helped the program transition from the Big 12 to the SEC in 2024, elevating them to a status as a powerhouse with the right talent on board.

Venables took part in a press conference on Monday, per reporter Mason Young. He talked about Jaren Kanak, who switched his position from linebacker to tight end for this upcoming season. He named Kanak as the starting tight end, understanding the responsibility that comes with it while making sure not a lot of pressure is on the young player to be like someone else.

“Nobody’s proclaiming him to be George Kittle or anything… just be the best version of you,” Venables said.

What lies ahead for Brent Venables, Oklahoma

It’s an interesting move for Brent Venables to have Jaren Kanak be the Oklahoma Sooners’ starting tight end.

Kanak played in all 13 games throughout the 2024 season, including one start. He played primarily as a backup linebacker and on special teams. In those games, he made 17 tackles and made one fumble recovery. It was a step back from 2023, where he achieved career highs with 62 tackles, six TFLs, two sacks, and two pass breakups. He will hope that his position move to tight end will grant him more chances to succeed in an area with plenty of potential.

Oklahoma will enter its second year in the SEC. The first year for the program was an up-and-down one for the Sooners. They finished with a 6-7 record that includes a 2-6 display in conference play. Despite the poor record against their SEC opponents, they earned enough wins to secure bowl eligibility. However, they ended the season on a bitter note with a 21-20 loss to the Navy Midshipmen in the Armed Forces Bowl.

The Sooners will prepare for their season opener, being the 18th-ranked team on the AP Top 25. They will start the year at home, hosting FCS opponent Illinois State on Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. ET.

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