McCullough a huge piece for OU
It happened so quickly that maybe some forgot. Or there was almost literally zero drama in the process that it could get overlooked.
But make no mistake about it. When talking about the biggest transfer portal decisions, former Indiana linebacker Dasan McCullough picking Oklahoma is up there.
Not just for defense, either. It has the potential to be a massive difference maker for years to come for McCullough and the Sooners and one of the most noteworthy portal decisions for the 2023 class.
When McCullough hit the portal after a standout freshman season with the Hoosiers, the Sooners became an easy choice to watch.
OU was recruiting his brother, safety Daeh McCullough, and head coach Brent Venables had developed a tremendous relationship with Dasan and the family the first time around.
It didn’t take long to reconnect, on either side.
“Next thing I know – I don’t know how it went down – I’m on the phone with Dasan when he got into the transfer portal,” Venables said. “We were like two sorority girls catching up. It was quick. It was easy in regards to conversations and getting back to the football side of it. He’s a football junkie. He understands schemes and development and opportunity.”
McCullough had 48 tackles with four sacks and three passes defensed last season. But his respect for Venables goes way back to the original recruitment.
McCullough said Venables was the only coach he personally told he wasn’t attending their school, Clemson at the time. Every other coach found out when McCullough made his announcement, but Dasan wanted to show that type of respect to Venables.
It happened fast as things tend to in portal life. One weekend, he announces. The next, Dasan and Daeh are making official visits to OU.
Dasan said they used to dream about playing college football together. But you grow up and realize sometimes those dreams can’t be reality. In this case, though, it did. Daeh actually beat Dasan to the punch and committed to OU first.
“Wonderful family. Incredible family. We’d been looking for safeties,” Venables said. “We happened to come across Daeh’s videotape and loved it. We realized quickly that ‘that’s MuCullough.’ We connected the dots. We hadn’t spoken to the family since we’d been recruiting him a couple of years ago.”
McCullough is appreciative of his year in Bloomington, but you can sense the excitement and the way his eyes get wide when thinking about learning under Venables.
He might get used in some of the same ways, but you know Venables and staff are crafting something special for who McCullough can be now and going forward.
“It’s been great,” McCullough said. “I’ve been jumping into workouts and everybody has been pushing me. This is the exact reason why I came here. Coach Venables has been pushing me. I’m trying to be better than I was at Indiana.”
It didn’t take him long to say the name, either. When asked who he wants his game to resemble, McCullough didn’t hesitate to say Isaiah Simmons. The former Clemson star is the prototype for what Venables and McCullough are trying to unleash in 2023.
With DaShaun White now graduated, indeed, the Cheetah position has McCullough’s name written all over it.
“Oh, no question,” McCullough said. “I can already envision myself at that Cheetah position and making plays. This is the best linebackers coach of all time in my eyes. I can’t wait.”
Venables and staff knew they needed to enhance OU’s defense and the defensive line. And it seems easy to say the Cheetah would have been a spot they would have put in the work to try to find.
It just didn’t take very long at all because McCullough is that guy. There’s no trying to adjust him to the spot or mold him into the role. McCullough is the Cheetah. Let’s see what he can do.
“He saw it as a real opportunity for himself – first and foremost – and then an opportunity to play alongside his brother was a great bonus,” Venables said. “He’s a long guy.
“Through some of our drill work and fundamentals, we’ll see what he can and can’t do. He’s not where he’s going to be, I can promise you. He’s long and athletic. His transitional movement is pretty good right now. He’s improving daily. He’s really a smart, tough, another hungry, humble guy.”