Large Group of Oklahoma Players Poised to Make Their Red River Debuts Saturday

While the Sooners have plenty of players with Red River Rivalry experience, there are a large number of OU players who will be playing in the unique rivalry for the first time.

Oklahoma wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Kent State. | NATE BILLINGS/FOR THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NORMAN — Jake Maikkula grew up in Colorado.

But Oklahoma’s starting center, who transferred from Stanford over the offseason, was born in Austin.

He didn’t live there long, moving away when he was a toddler, but the annual Red River Rivalry between Oklahoma and Texas still captured his attention.

“Lot of memories watching that,” Maikkula said after the Sooners’ win over Kent State last weekend.

Saturday, Maikkula gets his first chance to play in the storied rivalry when the sixth-ranked Sooners square off with the unranked Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl (2:30 p.m., ABC).

Maikkula is one of a large group of Sooners, especially on offense, who will be making their Red River debuts Saturday.

“The guys have told me it’s going to be loud, it’s going to be packed,” Makkula said. “It’s going to be really exciting, so (I’m) looking forward to playing in that atmosphere.”

There are plenty of players with OU-Texas experience on the roster as well — Michael Hawkins Jr. started the game last season, Eli Bowen was the Sooners’ leading tackler as a freshman, and Kendel Dolby and Gentry WIlliams both recorded interceptions in OU’s 2023 win.

But for many Sooners, Saturday will be their first experience playing inside the cauldron that is the Cotton Bowl in early October.

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Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, center, and offensive lineman Jake Maikkula, right, will both make their Red River Rivalry debuts Saturday when the Sooners take on Texas in the Cotton Bowl. | Carson Field, Sooners on SI

Quarterback John Mateer, whose status for the game is unclear after suffering a broken hand against Auburn that required surgery and kept him sidelined for the win over Kent State, is one of several potential first-timers that have been to the game as a fan.

Mateer grew up in the Dallas Metroplex, and in high school, Mateer went to the game once.

“Every weekend it goes on, everybody’s talking about it.” Mateer said before the season. “I’m really excited for it. The atmosphere and the competition, it’ll be great.”

But Mateer didn’t make it to the end of that game.

“I left in the third quarter,” Mateer said. “It was homecoming. I was stupid. Homecoming dance. I know, it was stupid.”

Before this season, the biggest game Mateer played in in college was probably last season’s Apple Cup game between Washington State and Washington in Seattle.

Mateer excelled in that rivalry game, throwing for 245 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 62 yards and two more scores to lead the Cougars to a 24-19 victory.

Regardless of whether the Sooners’ quarterback is Mateer or Hawkins, Isaiah Sategna figures to be a central piece of OU’s offense.

Sategna is from Austin, though he went to high school in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

“I’ve gone there a couple times as a fan, but never got to play there,” Sategna said. “So I’m super excited.”

Oklahoma receiver Isaiah Sategna will play in OU-Texas for the first time on Saturday. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Other players that figures to make their Red River Rivalry debuts include offensive linemen Michael Fasusi, Derek Simmons and Ryan Fodje; running backs Tory Blaylock and Jaydn Ott; wide receiver Javonnie Gibson; kicker Tate Sandell; punter Grayson Miller and defensive standouts Kendal Daniels, Courtland Guillory and Marvin Jones Jr. among others.

Sooners’ first-year offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle is also plenty familiar with the rivalry, having grown up in Canadian, Texas.

“I’m excited to get down there and get to be a part of the tradition that goes with it, the history that goes with it, the pageantry that goes with it,” Arbuckle said. “I think it’s something that’s really, really good for college football, but you can’t look at it through a different lens. It’s our next opponent, we have to prepare, and we have to put these kids in position to go be successful and ultimately win the game.

“I am excited for it, but what I’m excited for is our players to get to go play in this game and be in those moments. A lot of our guys have done that before; they’ve been here for a few years, but some of them haven’t. I think it’s going to be a really special moment that these guys are going to get to carry with them the rest of their lives, so really excited about it.”