The Oklahoma Sooners quarterback room is set to look a little bit different come kickoff for the 2025 season. Gone will be former five-star Jackson Arnold, who left for Auburn. In will be Washington State transfer John Mateer.
Mateer was lost in the shadows of the Pac-12 (what was left of it) last year and was quietly one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Though he was undecided at first, Mateer eventually made the decision to transfer to Oklahoma, following his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle. He ranked as the No. 2 quarterback in the portal behind now-Miami's Carson Beck.
The question now is what will become of Michael Hawkins Jr.? The sophomore appeared in seven games last year and at one point took over for Arnold during his struggles. Hawkins proved not much better as the Sooners’ offense continued to struggle, and he was eventually benched for Arnold again, finishing the season with 783 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.
During 247Sports' Ultimate CFB Show, Bud Elliot said he believes that Hawkins would be a prime candidate to enter into the upcoming spring cycle of the transfer portal.
"This was a player they were already thinking about figuring out a way to pay last year, even though they were saying they liked Jackson Arnold," Elliot said. "But I know behind the scenes they were trying to figure out how to keep Hawkins in the fold. Now you take Mateer over him. If I'm another team, I'm telling him, 'Venables is getting fired after this year. You don't know who is coming in. You fit our system. Come play with us, win the starting job.'"
Venables is entering a prove-it type season in 2025. In three seasons, he's compiled a 22-17 record, with only one winning season back in 2023, finishing 10-3 and No. 15 in the AP Poll. He has yet to win a bowl, going 0-3.
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There's no wonder he made significant changes to his staff, that included the hiring of Arbuckle, who undoubtedly he used to leverage into gaining Mateer in the process. Although, the Sooners did have to cut a fat check to sign the reported $2.7 million quarterback.
Hawkins was a former three-star prospect out of Texas in the class of 2024. Besides the face of wanting to be a part of a program like Oklahoma, his father played cornerback for the Sooners from 2005–09.