Jon Gruden doesn't do anything halfway, and his latest BarstoolGruden project proves it. He spent 2 full days embedded with Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners program, and the video he put out covers everything from a motivational speech to a walk through the stadium tunnel to catching up with an old Raiders guy on the strength staff.
Gruden posted the recap himself, calling Norman "an awesome college town" after hanging out with Venables and the OU_Football staff.
I Spent 48 Hours as an Oklahoma Sooner!! What a great time hanging out with Coach Venables and everyone at @OU_Football, Norman is an awesome college town! My full video from Oklahoma is live NOW check it out: t.co/L6sv2SOzzf
The centerpiece is Gruden addressing the team directly, standing in front of a projector screen that reads "WHAT LIES AHEAD - PHIL 3:13" inside an Oklahoma-branded lecture hall. He leaned on an old story from 2003 about Roy Jones Jr. to make his point: it's never good enough, you always have to raise the bar.
The great Roy Jones Jr. taught me this back in 2003... it ain't EVER good enough!
Barstool's main account clipped the same energy for a wider audience, framing it as a broader philosophy on sustaining success rather than tying it to any one game or opponent. It's Gruden doing what Gruden does best — motivating a room, whether it's an NFL locker room or a college one.
The tour wasn't just film-room stuff. Gruden also got the full stadium experience, walking out of the tunnel at Owen Field to take in the empty bowl before fall camp really ramps up.
There are few things like getting to see the Oklahoma Sooner's Stadium from right out of the tunnel. What an experience!
There's a personal thread running through the trip too. Gruden linked up with the Oklahoma strength staff and reminisced with Will Compton, the former NFL linebacker Gruden once tried to sign — a negotiation Compton says was tougher than locking up Keyshawn Johnson, even over what amounted to a backup-linebacker deal at league minimum.
Fun reminiscing about my man @_willcompton with the Oklahoma Strength Staff!
But the real headline out of Norman is what Gruden thinks of John Mateer. The redshirt senior quarterback, a Washington State transfer, threw for 44 total touchdowns last season — tied for the most in the FBS — despite playing through a broken thumb that needed surgery after the Auburn game. He's back for a second year running Venables' offense, and Gruden is already selling him as a breakout name, even if he flubbed the conference in his hype tweet.
I love this guy John Mateer... look out for him to make a big splash this year in the SEC!
For a coach who's spent years building a media brand around access and old-school football gospel, this is Gruden in his element — hyping a QB, needling an old friend, and reminding a locker room that good enough is never actually good enough. Oklahoma opens the season looking to build on last year's playoff appearance, and Gruden clearly likes what he saw in Norman.