NORMAN — There's a lot of urgency for Brent Venables around Oklahoma's football program.

The weekly Tuesday press conference reflected that.

The Sooners currently sit at 5-5 on the season and remain one win away from bowl eligibility with two games left on the schedule. The offensive coordinator search is ongoing, which Venables discussed in some detail. Fears surrounding the Sooners' ability to keep the 2025 recruiting class have increased with five-star offensive lineman and OU recruit Michael Fasusi set to visit Texas this weekend.

Oh, and the Sooners host No. 10 Alabama this weekend (6:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC).

Venables covered a lot of topics during his 37-minute meeting with the media. Here are some of the highlights:

Context: The true freshman running back has appeared in four games this season. If he appears in either of the final two games, he would lose his ability to redshirt and preserve a year of eligibility.

However, Robinson told reporters Monday that Venables and OU running backs coach DeMarco Murray approached Robinson and asked whether he wanted to play, and the true freshman told them he wanted to be available. That's a huge boost considering Robinson was a rare bright spot in the loss to Missouri, totaling 56 yards on nine carries.

Venables discussed that meeting with Robinson.

Quote: "You always try to be sensitive to that. A guy like Xavier, he loved the University of Oklahoma. All of his best football is ahead of him. Being a freshman coming in at a position where we had a lot of depth didn’t give him as many opportunities early on and he’d be the first to tell you too, there’s always a transition. Things weren’t necessarily smooth for him during the course of the spring, not that that’s abnormal. That’s more normal than not. But a few weeks ago we were a little healthier there at that position and his opportunities came because we weren’t able to travel.

"In the off week, we went back and looked at it, and there’s a better chance than not that he’ll play and be more a part (of the offense). You look at, we've gotta find a way to win. And if playing him these last two games gives us a better chance in whatever role that is, then we’ve got to be loyal to the team. And he’s all on board with that."

Context: The Alabama game will bring the traditional senior-day activities for the Sooners as they conclude their home schedule.

While it's unclear who all will participate in the pregame ceremony, the Sooners know that this will be the final home game for several players. That includes Danny Stutsman, Woodi Washington, Billy Bowman and Ethan Downs, who've spent their entire career with the Sooners.

Venables talked about their legacy.

Quote: “They’ve just been fantastic. Completely bought-in. They’ve been the example when it comes to the work, the investment, the love for their opportunity and their teammates, the locker room. They’ve enriched it in every way. They’ve grown as men in every way that you’d want to, as a coach and as a parent. Incredibly proud of their contributions from a football standpoint, but what a great legacy that all of them have left from a ‘this is what it looks like’ (standpoint) to pour into the program and to make the most of their opportunities, squeeze all the juice out of it that you can. And then just be present in the moment.

"They all have incredibly bright futures, but something I’ve been most proud of is they haven’t been distracted through the good and the bad. They’ve been as consistent people in this program, players in this program, as you could ever want them to be. Really thankful. I love these guys like they’re my own kids. Proud of all their accomplishments and know they’re gonna go dominate after their careers here are finished.”

Context: The wide receiver duo made their long-awaited return to the field against Missouri. Burks played most of the game while Farooq logged just 27 snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Burks did notably exit the game late in the fourth quarter with an apparent injury, and his status remains unclear for this weekend.

Quote: "They certainly weren’t practicing for two weeks with us prior to going into last week’s game. They had to knock off a little bit of rust. Certainly the volume, their play capacity certainly wasn’t what it would normally be. Thought they did great. Thought they fought their butts off to get back. That was all them and their willingness to push the envelope and stress themselves to get back out with their teammates and be part of what we’re trying to do. So really proud of them and the toughness they showed and the leadership they showed as well through it all.

"Thought they did a good job. Second half, started to lose a little bit from a stamina standpoint. Particularly, limited Jalil in his play count. We’re hoping that will continue to improve as we move forward. Thought they brought a lot of excitement with the rest of the guys, too. Having them back out there had a real effect that you could tell there was a different kind of buzz."

Context: The offensive line has dealt with injuries and inconsistency all season. The unit hit a low point against Ole Miss, when it gave up nine sacks for the second consecutive week. The offensive line has surrendered 41 sacks this season, which ranks dead last in the FBS.

However, even without Michael Tarquin, Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor, the offensive line showed improvement against Missouri. The Sooners surrendered just seven tackles for loss and three sacks — significant improvement from where they've been for most of SEC play — and finished with a pass-blocking grade of 71.9. Their run-blocking grade of 54.4 marked their second-highest mark in SEC play.

Quote: "I think we have Tarquin and Spencer Brown and Branson Hickman (as) the three guys who won’t be back as seniors. Then everybody else is back. Watching these guys develop and improve in incremental ways through their opportunities, I love the fight of those guys, the work they’ve put in. The improvement that has really happened. Knowing that all of their best football is ahead. They’re still going to continue and improve.

"Even if it’s a guy like Febechi (Nwaiwu) from where he was at the beginning to where he is now or getting Troy (Everett) back, I believe Texas week was when we got him back, his leadership. A guy that was out for six months. He has also developed and gotten better over recent weeks. Then along with Isaiah Autry, Eddy Pierre-Louis has also gotten some reps along with Daniel (Akinkunmi) against Maine, in particular. It has given us a glimpse of what the future looks like. We still have other guys – Josh Aisosa, (Eugene Brooks) guys you haven’t seen yet that we really feel great about as well as several mid-year guys that will come in here and make us better from Day 1.

"It’s a group that we’re tremendously excited about and even though we fell short this year, it’s a group that has improved and several guys had their opportunity came before they had ‘earned’ it. But I thought they did a great job with the opportunity they were given."

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