How Oklahoma QB Bowe Bentley's 'Cerebral' Nature Will Help him Improve

Bowe Bentley's struggles were on full display in the Sooners' spring game, but his teammates believe he'll be better as a result.

Oklahoma quarterback Bowe Bentley throws during the spring game. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

Being 18 years old and going against Oklahoma’s first-team defense is quite the challenge — and it’s one that Bowe Bentley faced on April 18.

Bentley, a former 4-star quarterback who signed with OU in December, played for the “White” team in the Sooners’ spring game. In the intrasquad scrimmage, Bentley completed only five of his 13 pass attempts for 35 yards and two interceptions.

Throughout spring ball, offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle praised Bentley’s natural skills and his ability to learn quickly. But he also wasn’t surprised to see his struggles against OU’s defensive starters.

“You still gotta remember he's 18, right?” Arbuckle said after the spring game. “18 with (safety Michael) Boganowski and (defensive end) Danny Okoye coming at him. That’s real.”

Bentley was a star while playing Texas high school football.

During his junior year at Celina High School, Bentley compiled 63 touchdowns and more than 4,200 yards of offense, leading the Bobcats to the Texas 4A Division I state championship. He was dominant again in his final high school season, as he took Celina to the state semifinals and earned Texas 4A Ford Built Tough Player of the Year honors.

Even though Bentley consistently shredded strong Texas high school defenses, the jump to the SEC is, obviously, a large one.

“You can’t replicate it,” Arbuckle said. “I'm just excited for the experience that he got today cause I think it'll really propel him forward probably in a quicker manner than maybe even he anticipated in the future."

The good news for Bentley? He doesn’t have to be a finished product right away.

John Mateer is back for 2026 after leading OU to the College Football Playoff in 2025, his first year with the Sooners. Mateer’s first season in Norman was riddled with ups and downs, but the signal caller is an experienced arm who should be more comfortable with another year under his belt.

Bentley might not even be the first option behind Mateer. Whitt Newbauer transferred to OU from Mercer prior to the 2025 season, and he took second-team reps throughout spring ball.

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Fellow true freshman Jake Kreul — an edge rusher — described Bentley as “cerebral.”

He believes that Bentley’s time waiting and learning will allow him to be more polished when he does get his opportunity to start behind center.

“Probably his favorite thing to do is talk football, learn football,” Kreul said. “The way he's composed in the pocket no matter what's going on around him, I think that's really impressive and that's gonna carry over to the game very well."

Cornerback Eli Bowen is one of the many defensive veterans who got the better of Bentley during the spring game.

Bowen is entering his third year with the Sooners and knows first-hand how tricky OU’s defense can be for young — and veteran — offensive players.

Though it didn’t necessarily show on April 18, Bowen said that Bentley consistently became more comfortable against the defense throughout the spring. And that leads Bowen to believe that Bentley will develop into the star quarterback that he was recruited to be.

“He’s been improving,” Bowen said. “When he first got here, I think our defense is more complicated than anything he’ll see in high school and most places in college, so I think it was an adjustment period. But I think he’s getting rolling right now.”