Sources: Oklahoma near deal with Cowboys great Witten as TE coach - ESPN

Oklahoma is finalizing a deal to name former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro Jason Witten as the program's next tight ends coach, sources confirmed to ESPN Thursday.

Witten, an 11-time Pro Bowl selection from 2003 to '20, will join coach Brent Venables' staff after the Sooners parted ways with former tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley after five seasons earlier this month. News of Witten's expected hiring was first reported by CBS Sports.

Witten's arrival comes in the wake of Oklahoma's first College Football Playoff since 2019 this past fall. In addition to bringing instant NFL credibility to Venables' staff and the Sooners' presence on the recruiting trail, the move also reunites Witten with former Cowboys teammate DeMarco Murray, who has served as the Sooners' running backs coach since 2020.

Witten spent all but one of his 17 NFL seasons in Dallas, earning first-team All-Pro honors in 2007 and 2010. He closed his career in 2020 trailing only Tony Gonzalez in the NFL's all-time record book for career receptions (1,228) and receiving yards (13,046) by a tight end. In 2012, Witten was honored as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.

Witten has spent the past five seasons as the head coach at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas. He helped guide the program to back-to-back state championships in 2023 and 2024 before leading Liberty Christian back to the state title game in 2025. Witten's son, Cooper, currently ranks as ESPN's No. 2 outside linebacker and No. 27 overall prospect in the 2027 class.

Witten is now set to join an Oklahoma offensive staff overseen by second-year coordinator Ben Arbuckle.

Veteran tight end Jaren Kanak emerged as a prominent piece within Arbuckle's offense in 2025, catching 44 passes for 533 yards en