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University of Oklahoma AthleticsWagon Wheel
Lead, Football Restructuring
OU Announces New Football Recruiting Structure and Engagement with Former Eagles University of Oklahoma Athletics Department announced Thursday a new structure for OU Football’s recruiting operations, including the naming of Curtis Lofton as the program’s first-ever general manager and a partnership with former Philadelphia Eagles Vice President of Football Administration Jake Rosenberg.
The department also announced additional hires as part of the overall structure, including the roles of assistant general manager, director of recruiting strategy, coordinator of on-campus recruiting and coordinator of recruiting operations. The new operation, led by Lofton as general manager, is designed to place OU Football at the forefront of talent analysis, acquisition and retention.
“We’re incredibly excited for this new set-up,” said OU Vice President and Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione. “The instability we’ve seen in college athletics the past few years has presented both responsibilities and opportunities for us to refine our focus on how we evaluate, attract and keep talented athletes. With this move, we’re innovating at a time that demands it and in doing so, we’re demonstrating Oklahoma’s commitment to a championship culture.”
The new model, which was developed in collaboration with Huron Consulting Group, will leverage OU’s longstanding success in recruiting and support its efforts to remain competitive at a distinct moment in the history of college football.
“We’re seeing things we’ve never seen before in the recruiting process,” said OU Head Football Coach Brent Venables. “At Oklahoma we know how to adapt, and this new approach to how we manage our recruiting operations is a representation of our forward thinking and agility. Winning takes all of us and I’m confident in Curtis and the rest of our staff and their commitment to continuing to elevate Oklahoma Football.”
With an eye toward player evaluation and roster management, as general manager Lofton will play a key advisory role to Venables in identifying high school and transfer portal talent and building out the composition of the team. In developing the organizational structure, the program considered how the operations of professional football teams could be applied to the collegiate environment.
“Talent management in college football differs significantly from the NFL,” said Lofton. “In our realm, we recruit athletes rather than draft them, giving our players a broader spectrum of choices than ever before. Despite these differences, there are aspects of the professional model that could enhance our recruitment strategies, particularly as we navigate the complexities of roster sizes and other evolving variables. Our objective is to remain agile, and this structure is designed to enable precisely that.”
Lofton shifts to general manager following a two-year director stint with OU Football’s SOUL Mission player development program, which works to create first-class, impactful student-athletes and prepare them to be servant leaders and sustain a lifestyle of winning. SOUL (Serve Our Uncommon Legacy) Mission was created by Venables upon his hiring in December 2021, and Lofton, who was an OU All-American and starred for eight years in the NFL, was among his first appointees. Lofton oversaw SOUL’s life skills pillar and was OU’s NFL liaison.
Joining Lofton is Chuck Lillie as assistant general manager. Lillie comes to OU from Kansas State University where he served as a scouting analyst from 2020-2023. Prior to his tenure with the Wildcats, he had stints with the New York Giants scouting department and Clemson University’s recruiting team.
Jolie Ale is the Sooners’ new director of recruiting strategy, having most recently worked for the San Diego Chargers in a community relations role. She previously worked in recruiting positions for the University of Utah and the University of Southern California. Under Ale’s supervision will be Coordinator of On-Campus Recruiting Natalie Woch and Coordinator of Recruiting Operations Emily Jones. Woch previously worked as a football recruiting assistant at the University of Illinois and Jones comes to OU after working most recently with the University of Kansas’ football recruiting team.
OU has also engaged Rosenberg to provide counsel and support to its program as it implements the new structure. He is a partner of The Athlete Group – a consulting firm designed to help sport programs solve their biggest challenges – where he is currently leading the agency’s efforts in collegiate sports. In his 12-plus years with the Eagles, Rosenberg contributed critical oversight on player signings and acquisitions, salary cap management, contract negotiations, compliance with the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, roster building, strategic planning and more.
“We knew this shift would require a heavy lift to get us going, which is why we turned to an expert with Super Bowl-winning NFL experience,” said Castiglione. “Jake knows what it takes to build a championship team, and his reputation for developing cohesive programs and teams will serve us well as we modify our approach to meet the moment.”
“Oklahoma Football is a blue blood, with more than a century of producing winning teams. This bold move demonstrates the program’s creative drive as much as its strong tradition,” said Rosenberg. “I see the same relentless pursuit of winning throughout the Sooners’ program that we fostered within the Eagles organization. Their attention to talent management at a moment of great change and uncertainty in college football is both critical and laser focused on the future. I’m excited to be part of this evolution.”
In his work with OU Football staff, Rosenberg will help guide the establishment and refinement of the new recruiting model – a process that will provide ‘best practices’ for other OU sports programs. Castiglione echoed Lofton’s assessment that the dynamic of roster building has and will continue to change in college football.
“In today’s landscape, we know building teams and recruiting athletes requires more innovative thinking and focused leadership,” said Castiglione. “What we have in this new structure and our partnership with Jake is a path forward to position OU Football – and eventually, the rest of our programs – for success in the new world.”
Said Rosenberg, “This partnership represents a dynamic opportunity to lead the way in collegiate sports. I am very excited to join this team and help craft that future starting right now.”
