NORMAN — OU coach Brent Venables held his weekly press conference on Tuesday, just ahead of the Sooners' home finale against Alabama on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC). Venables covered a wide range of topics during this presser, including the ongoing offensive coordinator search, the progress made during the bye week, the challenges faced during the season, quarterback play, and more.

Brent Venables' Sense of Urgency in the OC Search

Venables expressed a positive sentiment about the state of the offensive coordinator search. He stated, "Feel like we're in a good position where we need to be. Haven't put a hard deadline on having to make that decision. There's a lot of layers to it, as you can imagine." Seth Littrell was let go earlier this season due to the Sooners' offensive struggles, and Joe Jon Finley took over the playcalling duties on an interim basis. With signing day and the transfer portal window opening in early December (moved up from recent years), the hire is expected to happen quickly after the regular season concludes. Venables emphasized, "There's got to be a sense of urgency." Later, when directly asked about former Florida and Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen and if the job was his if he wanted it, Venables replied, "I'm not going to comment about the details of the search. I reached out to him a year ago."

Jackson Arnold: One of OU's Best Leaders

Despite facing difficulties against Missouri, sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold remains one of the Sooners' captains for Saturday's game. When asked if this indicated that Arnold is the quarterback for the rest of the season and beyond, Venables didn't provide a definite answer. He said, "I don't know what the future holds. We love Jackson. We believe in him. It's a sign he's one of our best leaders that we have on the team. There are plenty of guys going through rough spots that still have the ability to lead and fight and compete."

Xavier Robinson's Great Strides

A few weeks ago, the plan was to redshirt freshman running back Xavier Robinson. However, with his recent success and the injuries to Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk, that decision has changed. Robinson mentioned on Monday night that coaches had approached him about playing in the last two games, which would take him out of redshirt territory. Venables praised Robinson, saying, "Xavier got his opportunity, did a great job with it. Some things that he showed maybe in the Maine game — what a big, strong, physical, explosive guy like him could do. He earned a lot of trust through that experience."

Brent Venables' Visit Policy for Committed Players

Five-star offensive lineman commit Michael Fasusi is set to visit Texas this weekend, raising questions about whether Venables' policy on committed players visiting other schools has changed. Venables clarified, "If you're visiting other schools in the present moment, you're not committed." When asked if this meant a player visiting elsewhere would have his scholarship offer pulled, Venables responded, "I never said that."

Roster Contraction and Its Impact

Venables was asked about the changing NCAA calendar and its effect on the offensive coordinator hire. While answering that, he also mentioned another serious challenge over the next few weeks. He said, "The real carnage is getting our roster down to 105. You're going to have several players that don't have a spot. … I'm not sitting here complaining. My job is to make the best decisions (for the team). But the collateral damage is real. These are human beings that have dreams and are valued members of our team and our locker room. … Everything's getting ready to change. There will be more of a business-type approach that we will operate under."