Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables has been looking to upgrade his coaching staff during the Sooners’ offseason. It appears he has dipped into the NFL ranks to do so.
The Sooners announced Thursday that former Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Jason Witten has joined the staff as tight ends coach.
Brent Venables Speaks Highly of Sooners TE Coach Jason Witten
After news of Witten’s hire was released Thursday, Venables spoke highly of what Witten can bring to the Sooners both on and off the field.
George Stoia III, who covers the Sooners for SoonerScoop.com and On3 Sports, shared Venables’ comments on X.
“Jason has been a giant in the game of football for a long time with what he’s accomplished and represented on the field,” Venables said. “He’s one of the best to ever do it. I’m excited about the positive impact he’ll have on our football program and all of our players.”
Venables on Witten: “Jason has been a giant in the game of football for a long time with what he’s accomplished and represented on the field. He’s one of the best to ever do it. I’m excited about the positive impact he’ll have on our football program and all of our players.” https://t.co/Iy76Mg8oHz
— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) January 15, 2026
During the 2025 college football season, Jaren Kanak was the top tight end at Oklahoma. According to the PFSN CFB TE Impact Metric, which is measured through the regular season, Kanak finished with an impact score of 79.8 and graded out to a C+.
Witten has been the head football coach at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas, since leaving the NFL in 2021. He led Liberty Christian to a perfect 14-0 record in 2023 and a TAPPS Division II state championship.
Witten was a third-round draft pick by the Cowboys out of Tennessee in the 2003 NFL Draft.
Witten played 17 years in the NFL, 16 with the Cowboys and one with the Raiders. He initially retired before the 2018 season, returned to Dallas for the 2019 season, and joined the Raiders for his final season in 2020.
During his lengthy NFL career, Witten earned 11 Pro Bowl recognitions. Witten also earned two first-team and two second-team All-Pro honors. In his tenure with the Cowboys, Witten had 1,215 receptions for 12,997 receiving yards and scored 72 touchdowns.
With Las Vegas, Witten was not a major component of the Raiders’ offensive plans. In 16 games, seven of which he started, he caught 13 passes for 69 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Now, Witten makes the jump from the high school ranks to college football with the Sooners. He will be tested as Oklahoma competes in the SEC.
