New Oklahoma coach told former Clemson pledges to 'rethink' decommitments

Venables says he tried to talk former Tiger pledges out of their decommitments.

by TigerNet Staff - Wed Dec 15 21:11:59 GMT-04:00 2021

A major storyline out of former Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley's departure for Southern Cal recently was just how many of the Sooners' previous commitments followed him out West.

With the number of talented defenders in Clemson's 2022 class to start the month, there was natural speculation that Brent Venables may have the same sway over Tiger pledges in a route to Norman, Oklahoma. The longtime Clemson defensive coordinator says he did quite the opposite of recruiting his (recent) old stomping grounds.

Clemson's 2022 class did suffer three decommitments ahead of the early signing period, however, with none going to Oklahoma but instead heading to 2021 Playoff teams Georgia (Daylen Everette), Michigan (Keon Sabb) and Alabama (Jihaad Campbell) in basically a week's time. Venables says he tried to talk Tiger decommits out of the move.

"For me, there was a few decommitments -- that was hurtful for me," Venables said in his early signing period news conference Wednesday. "I know, one, the need they have for those young guys. Clemson doesn't just keep recruiting when they get a commitment. Some places just keep recruiting if they can get a better guy. They'll address it down the road and they might have to tell a guy, 'Hey, we don't have a spot for ya.' And guys are left without scholarships. And that's not how coach (Dabo) Swinney handles his business, so by being upfront and honest and doing things the right way, sometimes that can hurt you in this game. But overall, it will serve you well. But again, that's really kind of how it went down over the last week there with them. Even spoke to a few guys after they decommited just to say, 'Hey, you need to rethink this.' And just try to help them.

"Hopefully be another source who can bring a little clarity in a very difficult process for both the prospects and for the universities."

Clemson's committed group did not all sign on Wednesday either, with 4-star Kansas athlete Jaren Kanak not signing as previously indicated for early enrollment. There were predictions from recruiting sites that Kanak could follow Venables to Oklahoma, but Venables denied recruiting any Clemson commits.

"I've not tried to 'recruit' guys (out of Clemson)," said Venables. "My relationship with coach Swinney goes so much further than the football field. He's family to me. The rest of the staff is family to me. And so again, I've got incredible respect and appreciation and thankfulness and again just trying to do things the right way. In this profession, the pressure to win and to get players, I think people lose their way, and for me, that's always been an easy philosophy and value system to have.

"To just do what is right. So, I've tried to do that."

Venables went over what his last week with the Clemson staff was like, as he was in talks with Oklahoma for their head coaching job and also on the road recruiting with Swinney.

"Well, after initially I had initially been contacted - I did hit the road recruiting with every intention of being the defensive coordinator at Clemson," he said. "Trying to be upfront and honest in regards to my interest and some of the communication that had taken place. I think that's just how you do things. Just try to be upfront and honest. To me, Clemson is an easy sell. That's what I tried to do. There's so many reasons -- we don't have time in this press conference to talk about what makes that place so great. Taking me out of the equation is what I'm talking about and what it makes it so great. So that was easy for me.

"Again, I was every bit as invested there at the time and Clemson University and coach Swinney and how good he's been to me and our family, so I felt it was the very least that I could do to try to continue to help Clemson through that time, and again, the speculation -- it was important for me to get in front of them and continue in support of both their opportunity there and again their future there."