FOOTBALL

Former Oklahoma Staffer Joins SMU As Assistant AD And GM

Published

3 months ago

February 19, 2024

Former Oklahoma Director of Player Personnel and Recruiting J.R. Sandlin is on the move to the DFW as he’s taken a new job. He will be taking his talents to the ACC along with SMU as he joins the program as the school’s Assistant Athletic Director and General Manager, which was reported by 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz on Monday.

SMU is expected to hire Oklahoma’s J.R. Sandlin as an assistant AD and general manager, sources tell @247sports.

Was a key behind-the-scenes piece for Brent Venables as OU improved from 6-7 in 2022 to a 10-2 regular season record in 2023.https://t.co/dJORJ80Uo5 pic.twitter.com/IFQ8ybclDD

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 19, 2024

Sandlin first joined the program late in 2021, arriving in Norman at the same time as current head coach Brent Venables. He helped the Sooners to a top-five recruiting class in the 2023 cycle and has worked with programs like Jacksonville State, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Alabama.

In his role, Sandlin provided plenty of help to Oklahoma’s program behind the scenes as the director of recruiting. As mentioned, the program’s 2023 class was ranked top-five, but their 2024 recruiting class was ranked top-eight. His efforts were a big help for a Oklahoma program that seemed to have an uncertain future.

While Sandlin won’t be entering the SEC with the Sooners, he will be taking on a big challenge as SMU is making the leap to the ACC to compete with some storied programs like Florida State, Clemson and Miami. Taking SMU to a conference loaded with talent will be a difficult task, but could easily prove Sandlin’s value with the program.

For Oklahoma, there’s another support staffer Venables and the program will have to replace. Moving into the juggernaut of a conference that the SEC is, recruiting will be as important as ever with both the transfer portal and incoming high school recruiting classes will have to be near the top of college football for the program to consistently.

Sandlin played tight end for UCF during his college football playing days, and he’s spent time as a high school football coach before getting into the college football scene.

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