Oklahoma Coach Brent Venables Says Michael Hawkins Jr. is 'Better Version' of Himself

NORMAN — With John Mateer out for at least one contest, Oklahoma will rely on backup quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr for the foreseeable future.

Hawkins is a sophomore who started four games for OU in 2024 as a true freshman. His lone appearance so far this year came in the Sooners’ 42-3 win against Temple.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables revealed on Tuesday that Mateer suffered a hand injury in OU’s win over Auburn and that the quarterback will undergo surgery on Wednesday.

While Mateer’s absence looms large for the 4-0 Sooners, Venables has faith in Hawkins.

“He’s just grown and matured like all players,” Venables said. “This is a developmental game. Mike’s no different.”

Hawkins took over the starting quarterback duties midway through the 2024 campaign when OU benched Jackson Arnold in Week 5. Arnold eventually took the job back, but Hawkins appeared in seven contests, finishing the year with 783 passing yards, 204 rushing yards, three passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and two interceptions.

Oklahoma signed Mateer, Washington State’s starting quarterback in 2024, from the transfer portal in December, keeping Hawkins at the No. 2 spot at the position.

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Now Hawkins will have first-team reps. And because of his work ethic and attitude since the end of the 2024 season, Venables believes that he’ll thrive in OU’s offense.

“He’s attacked everything since the end of last season,” Venables said. “Here we are eight and a half months into it — he’s really worked on the basics. I think he’s grown when it comes to an understanding of offense, defense. He’s picked up the offense really well, and he’s got a lot of really dynamic abilities.”

Hawkins’ lone appearance in 2025 came late in OU’s win against Temple. The quarterback completed one of his three pass attempts and rushed for 25 yards.

The sophomore quarterback has big shoes to fill, as Mateer was stellar in his first four games at OU.

Mateer logged 1,215 passing yards, 190 rushing yards, 11 total touchdowns and three interceptions as the Sooners climbed to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 after their 24-17 win over No. 22 Auburn. Per ESPN BET Sportsbook, Mateer was the Heisman Trophy favorite before his injury with plus-750 odds.

Hawkins will inherit an offense that looks much different than it did when he was thrust into game action in 2024.

Oklahoma’s passing game has been excellent in its first four games, thanks to the connection between Mateer and wide receivers Deion Burks, Keontez Lewis and Isaiah Sategna and tight end Jaren Kanak. The Sooners also have multiple new running backs with transfer Jaydn Ott and true freshman Tory Blaylock.

With those weapons at his disposal as well as first-year offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, Venables believes that Hawkins possesses the tools to keep OU’s offense flowing.

“A tremendous athlete that also has great arm talent, and he’s hungry and driven and has a great work ethic,” Venables said. “So he’s a better version of himself in really every category from where he was a year ago, like you’d expect. You want that for every player in your roster.”