Brent Venables put up a commendable fight last year, as evidenced by the way he led the Sooners’ defense. This season, he’s bringing a familiar face back to help him out in creating an even bigger impact. This new hire is also getting a shot at a prolific career, which evaded him for most of his time in the NFL.

Oklahoma is hiring former Clemson and Broncos DT DeShawn Williams as an analyst. While he was at college, Williams played under Venables for three seasons when the latter was Clemson’s defensive coordinator. The former DT is expected to mostly help out DT coach Todd Bates and DE coach Miguel Chavis. The latter is pretty psyched about Williams’ arrival at Norman.

“Coach V knocks it out the park bringing DeShawn in!” Chavis wrote on X. “DeShawn is 1 of my All- Time fav Clemson DL. He had great ability & was in one of the most competitive DT rooms I’ve ever seen. Hard worker, over deliver, natural leader of men, high football/DL IQ. Good guys got better!”

As a rookie Tiger, Williams also helped the program win the 2011 ACC Championship. Under Venables’ guidance, he emerged into an extremely talented defensive tackle, finishing his career with 161 total tackles, five sacks, and 24 QB pressures. Despite these numbers, Williams went through an extremely tough ride in the NFL.

The troubles started at the very beginning of his pro journey. DeShawn Williams went undrafted in 2015. He was picked up by the Bengals as UDFA, but was constantly made to switch between active and practice rosters. He spent most of his NFL career off the field, getting to play with Cincinnati in only four games. In his first five years, Williams was waived multiple times by the Bengals, Broncos, and the Dolphins, and once by the Colts. In 2020, to safeguard his interests by joining Amazon’s Web Services in 2020.

Thankfully, the opportunity he had long been waiting for finally knocked at his door. DeShawn Williams was brought up the order after injuries piled up, and made an impact in his very first season on the active roster. He started in the front seven for the entire duration of this stint. Williams left the franchise with 113 total tackles and 7.5 sacks. He retired after the 2023 season, playing one season with the Carolina Panthers.

“The route, it made me better,” Williams told ESPN. “It made me understand the game more and cherish the little things like putting the helmet on and going through that gate everyday knowing that I can come here and do what I’m here to do.”

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Now at Oklahoma, DeShawn Williams gets to work with one of the best defenses in college football. However, Brent Venables isn’t the only familiar face he will be working with at Norman. Enter Xavier Brewer, who has also gone through a similar arc in his career.

DeShawn Williams also reunites with former Clemson teammate, Xavier Brewer

In 2025, Venables’ defensive staff was the deepest ever in college football. Among the analysts, there was an up-and-coming name: Xavier Brewer. He has been with the program since 2022 and has now risen to a senior post. Brewer was also Williams’ teammate for two years and was with the Tigers from 2008 to 2013. He played as da efensive back, but could also play at other positions in the secondary. He and Williams stand tied for fourth in career games played in Clemson history.

Like Williams, Brewer also went undrafted. He was signed by the Cowboys, but was released that very year. He tried to make it work in the Arena Football League’s Jacksonville Sharks, but couldn’t get on the field. Eventually, he had to end his playing career. Brewer also spent time as a personal trainer during this time, but turned to football coaching after his pro career. After spending some time as a high school football coach, Brewer became a graduate assistant at Clemson in 2019.

After a brief stint at Louisiana-Monroe as cornerbacks coach, he reunited with Venables for a second time at Oklahoma. Brewer can also be up for a promotion sometime soon, as the head coach looks for options to replace former cornerbacks coach Jay Valai. His experience at the position and familiarity with Venables make him an interesting choice.

Brent Venables now has to make his way forward in what is turning out to be an exciting year for Oklahoma football. There’s a massive defensive overhaul in this roster, as a lot of new players come in to replace some talented outgoing ones. But he has more than enough help on the staff, which will now give wings to equally talented staffers like DeShawn Williams and Xavier Brewer.