Why Brent Venables is 'Very Confident' in QB John Mateer Ahead of Oklahoma's Opener

NORMAN — Oklahoma will learn a lot from its season-opener.

But with all the new pieces — especially on offense — Brent Venables is pretty confident in what he’ll get from his new quarterback, John Mateer.

“There’s several other first-time players that you feel like maybe you don’t know a little bit more about them and how they’ll respond,” Venables said during his press conference on Tuesday. “I haven’t thought about it, other than I’m very confident in who he is.”

Mateer threw for 3,139 yards and 29 scores last year, adding 826 rushing yards and 15 additional touchdowns on the ground.

Venables is well aware of Mateer’s exploits, as he watched every snap of Washington State’s offense when evaluating new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.

“I studied a lot of game tape of Washington State,” Venables said. “Lots, two years worth, and certainly he was on there a lot. I felt like I knew him before he got here. What he’s about. His makeup. His instincts. His skill. His capacity.”

All of Mateer’s actions since joining the Sooners have only further reinforced to Venables what he saw on film.

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“You love having guys that you know you can count on. That they’re not gonna flinch,” Venables said. “Gonna show up with the right mindset every day, he’s gonna lay it on the line. Cares about his teammates, cares about his coaches, he cares about his opportunity. And he’s just got all the right guts and the toughness and the instincts.”

Arbuckle is looking forward to the season-opener because it will represent a chance for both Mateer and backup quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. to build chemistry with OU’s new faces at receiver.

“Chemistry’s important,” Arbuckle said. “You can overcome some things with talent, sure. But if you look at any great receiver, college or NFL, the chemistry they had with their quarterbacks, I think, is irreplaceable. Because there’s been a lot of talented receivers that haven’t done as well as they want to, because them and their quarterback aren’t on the same page. I don’t think there’s any replacement for chemistry, specifically between those two positions.”

Oklahoma Sooners, John Matee — John Mateer runs a drill during one of Oklahoma's fall camp practices. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Mateer in Norman, but Venables believes his new quarterback is ready to take on the challenge of the 2025 season.

“He’s had a few moments here since he’s been here, and even watching him at Washington State, when he’s had some moments where he’s had some adversity, he’s always responded,” Venables said. “And so I wouldn’t expect anything different than the things I just said.”