When Brent Venables crafts a plan, he doesn’t just scratch the surface. Especially when it comes to quarterbacks, because Oklahoma has certainly seen its share of ups and downs in that room. Remember, they once had Dillon Gabriel leading the charge. But after he transferred, Jackson Arnold took over for the 2023 Bowl game. That’s when things got tough; in his first full season as a starter in 2024, Arnold faced real challenges, even getting benched after four games before returning three games later. After that disappointing run, Venables fired their offensive coordinator, Seth Littrell, midway through the season. They hired Ben Arbuckle from Washington State. But to make it a full package, they also signed Arbuckle’s quarterback, John Mateer.
And that’s when Paul Finebaum dished out his expert opinion. “What he did at Washington State, having his coordinator coming with him, I think, sets them up for great success.” Maybe the high ceiling set for Mateer is something that Venables should worry about. But at least the head coach and GM Jim Nagy have a safety net ready.
The pressure is on John Mateer
One can sense a fire of revenge burning inside Venables’ quarterback. “Even Oklahoma passed on me. So now it’s great. It’s all on the schedule. There’s a couple (teams) here and there that really make me mad. I’m not over it.” To many, Mateer comes off as equal parts Baker Mayfield and Cam Ward (more of the latter). At Washington State, he threw for 3,406 yards and 32 TDs. No wonder Venables threw a load of NIL money to lure him. Well, we know it was not an easy job for Mateer to walk away from the one program that gave him an opportunity to play Bowl Subdivision football. However, his current role in Venables’ squad now demands full focus and 100% effort. The young chap can’t afford to make any mess-ups.
On the May 27th episode of Josh Pate’s College Football podcast, the host sounded all confident about Venables’ 2025 chapter. “At Oklahoma, Brent Venables is extremely volatile. It looked like they were off to the races after that 10-win season in year two in 2023. I’m a believer in Oklahoma this year…I believe the talent’s there and I believe in the quarterback move, I believe in the coordinator move, I believe in the defense just continuing to be what they’ve been.”
The Sooners return a large portion of their offense and defense, ranking 10th nationally in returning production. Venables’ goal has been to bring intensity. They are coming off as a top-25 defense in the country. Here came a wake-up call. As Pate shared, “But dude, you think about the pressure on a college football quarterback. John Mateer’s coming in there, and think about the pressure, man.”
Michael Hawkins Jr., the true freshman who replaced Jackson Arnold earlier this season, looked very much like a freshman. He averaged just 147 yards with just one touchdown in his three primary outings (Tennessee, Auburn, and Texas) but also endured 10 sacks. Later on, after the Venables’ team fell prey to South Carolina’s 35-9 heroic feat, Hawkins Jr. got benched too. So, it has been a long time since Oklahoma fans tasted quarterback success. As Pate shared, “Every one of their potential or expectation levels depend on whether you [Mateer] perform.” But at least he can thank Nagy and Venables.
Brent Venables and Jim Nagy’s safety net for John Mateer
What does the 2025 season hold for Mateer and Co.? Long story short. An impending doom. Why so? Venables’ program has nine opponents next season that have odds currently to win the national championship among the top 25 in the country. They fell prey to an ugly bias, where they are the only team in the entire SEC to be facing such a daunting schedule. But at least, Mateer comes off as the fifth quarterback in the nation in total offensive production. Also, he does not have to worry much about his protection.
The Sooners had their training session on March 23, Thursday, under NFL wide receiver and tight end specialist Delfonte Diamond. Venables’ quarterback got hold of the opportunity to strengthen his chemistry with redshirt sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Sategna and redshirt junior wide receiver JaVonnie Gibson.
In an interview, Mateer was questioned, “How are the new receivers like Isaiah [Sategna] and Javonnie [Gibson]? Maybe some other guys. How they been impressing you already?” Even though the quarterback-wide receiver bonding takes time to develop, Mateer has been good about the pace.
He enthusiastically replied, “They’ve been doing a really good job. All of them, all the transfers just getting in a quarterback-receiver relationship. You can’t build on day one. It’s not going to be perfect. Every human is different, every player is different. But we’ve been taking some time together. Talking and getting to know each other.” So, Jim Nagy and Brent Venables have the safety net ready. Sategna is carrying a strong resume, having hauled in 37 receptions for 491 yards and a touchdown in Arkansas. Gibson, on the other hand, walks into Oklahoma with a 79.9 offensive player grade and an 83.7 receiving grade. All eyes on Mateer—can he rise above the noise and own the moment?
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