NFL legend Jason Witten tackles a tight end rebuild for the Sooners, aiming to elevate his coaching career and potentially return to the NFL.
The Oklahoma Sooners, fresh off a college football playoff appearance, have upgraded their coaching staff. They have hired former NFL and Dallas Cowboys legend Jason Witten to coach the Sooners tight ends.
With the move, Witten reunites with former teammate DeMarco Murray, who has coached the Oklahoma running backs for the last six seasons.
This is a golden opportunity for Witten to distinguish himself at the collegiate level as he climbs the ladder of the coaching profession.
But we wonder if there might be another, faster ladder to be climbed.
In college at the University of Tennessee, and with the Cowboys, Witten set himself apart at the tight end position. In only 20 games played with the Vols, Witten is No. 3 all-time with 68 catches and No. 4 with 797 yards. In 2002, Witten hauled in 39 passes for 493 yards and five touchdowns and earned first-team All-SEC honors.
With the Cowboys, Witten holds the franchise record for career receptions, receiving yards and games played. He gained 12,977 receiving yards and scored 72 touchdowns as a member of “America’s team.”
With Witten’s arrival, the Sooners tight end room is about to be touched by a guardian angel.
But ...
Suddenly, Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells is going to be interviewed by Dan Quinn's Commanders for their vacant offensive coordinator position.
Could Cowboys owner Jerry Jones - who is close to Witten - jump in the middle of the icon's move from his high school job in Argyle and lure him back to The Star?
Maybe Wells goes nowhere. And maybe Witten stays committed to OU. But file this idea away for ... sometime.
Meanwhile ...
The Oklahoma tight end position has suffered some attrition via graduation and the transfer portal. As a result, the Sooners will go through a major rebuild in 2026.
As many as four tight ends will not be on the roster next season, including Jaren Kanak. Kanak was third on the team with 44 catches for 533 yards and averaged 12 yards per catch.
Coach Brent Venables has brought in two talented players to bolster that position, including Hayden Hansen (Florida) and Rocky Beers (Colorado State). Hansen was third on the Gators team with 30 catches for 254 yards and 2 scores. Beers led the Rams in receiving with 31 catches for 388 yards and seven touchdowns.
With his knowledge of the position, coaching style, and passion for the game, there is no one better to head up a tight end reclamation project than Witten. He can upgrade the tight ends at Oklahoma for the foreseeable future.
If successful, Witten could use this opportunity as a launching pad to other college coaching jobs down the road. Or, he could parlay an improved Oklahoma tight end corps into a job with the Cowboys, reuniting with his old boss and No. 1 fan, Jerry Jones.