Didn't see this one coming...honest.

Just a heads up on this blog entry Reader, I am firing this one straight from the hip without any of the normal research and long-formed opinion that I usually attempt to offer you.

I never thought that I would really get into the speculation about possible candidates for the Defensive Coordinator position at the University of Georgia here at the BEAST, but that is exactly where I find myself right now.

How does this one strike you….Brent Venables, Oklahoma?

Here is some quick red meat for you:

Brent Venables
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thomas Brent Venables (born December 18, 1970) is an American college football coach.

Born: December 18, 1970 (age 39)
Annual Salary: $260,000

Playing career:

1989-1990 Garden City CC
1991-1992 Kansas State

Coaching career:

1993-1998 Kansas State (asst.)
1999-present Oklahoma (DC)

He is currently the associate head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the University of Oklahoma Sooners football team. In 2006, he was one of five finalists for the prestigious Broyles Award for the nation's top assistant coach. He coached with Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops at Kansas State University and was brought to Oklahoma by Stoops.

As a player he played at Kansas State under Coach Bill Snyder. He would later become an assistant on Bill Snyder's staff at Kansas State.

My initial thoughts are that Venables is a fiery, detail oriented coach and his defenses have players that attack their individual match-ups. Like it. He is used to the big stage in a BCS conference and competed for and won championships. Really like it. Venables played under and worked for a tremendous teacher and head coach in Snyder during his time at Kansas State and has worked right alongside Stoops (whom I have tremendous respect for even with his Gator ties) at Oklahoma. Absolutely love it. And who wouldn’t give up the twisters of Oklahoma for the rolling hills of Athens, Georgia? To top it off, it looks as though Georgia would be in position to offer Venables a significant pay raise for his services (assuming the number quoted above is accurate) and a nice title to go along with it.

As with any of these possible candidates for the Georgia Defensive Coordinator, this means about as much as an answer you might get from a magic 8 ball. I will say, at first blush I am as excited about this name as any I have heard so far in this very cloudy (from our perspective) process. I would be thrilled with the hiring of Brent Venables at Georgia. Now whether or not this is even a possibility, your guess is as good as mine.

You can peruse Venables' official bio HERE.