Why QBs Have Had Such Stunning Success Under New Oklahoma OC Ben Arbuckle

NORMAN — So who’s next for Ben Arbuckle?

Will it be Oklahoma freshman Michael Hawkins whose career hits the college football stratosphere? Or will the Sooners land a transfer — Washington State’s John Mateer, perhaps — who takes his game to the next level under Arbuckle’s coaching?

Whoever it is, it’s almost certain they’re going to do something in 2025 the Sooner QBs didn’t this year: put up huge numbers.

“He’s had four really good ones where he’s been the full-time coach,” OU coach Brent Venables said of his new offensive coordinator and QB coach, “and they all had elite-level success. Breaking national records.”

Arbuckle is just 29 years old. He’s coached QBs full time for just three seasons.

And yet, the players who tutored under him or worked with him have all achieved remarkable prosperity as college quarterbacks.

In 2019, Arbuckle was an offensive quality control assistant who worked with Houston Baptist quarterbacks. Bailey Zappe’s completion percentage increased from .578 to .638, his yards went from 2,822 to 3,811, his touchdowns went from 23 to 35, and his efficiency rating went from 123.6 to 136.2.

In 2021, Arbuckle was offensive QC at Western Kentucky, again working with quarterbacks, as Zappe transferred in and set NCAA single-season records with 5,967 passing yards and 62 touchdowns. Zappe also completed 69.3 percent of his passes and threw just 11 interceptions.

In 2022, Arbuckle was promoted to QB coach and offensive coordinator at WKU. His QB was Austin Reed, who finished the season ranked second in the nation in passing (339.0 yards per game) and fourth in total offense (355.0). Reed was a Division II national champion at West Florida, where he completed 54.2 percent his passes. At WKU, his completion percentage jumped to .646 and his yards jumped from 3,375 to 4,744. (It’s also noteworthy that in 2023, after Arbuckle left, Reed’s completion percentage dropped to .615 and his yards fell to 3,324.)

In 2023, Arbuckle went to Washington State. The Cougars’ returning starter, Cam Ward, saw his numbers increase in his one year under Arbuckle: completion percentage from .644 to .666, yards from 3,232 to 3,736, rating from 130.7 to 145.4. His interceptions dropped from 9 to 7 as well. Ward, now at Miami, ranked fourth in the nation in at WSU in passing yards per game (311.3), sixth in total offense (323.3) and 14th in total touchdowns (33).

This year at WSU, Arbuckle coached Mateer, a first-year starter who leads the nation with 268 total points accounted for and 44 total touchdowns. Mateer ranks 18th in passing yards (261.9 per game), 72nd in rushing yards (68.8 per game) and fifth in total offense (330.4 yards per game).

“It tells you a lot,” said Jett Niu, the 2025 OU quarterback signee who flipped from Oklahoma State after Arbuckle got the OU job and offered him a scholarship the next day. “I mean, especially, you look at Cam Ward. He wasn't really a big name and now, I mean, he's one of the Heisman finalists. He worked under Coach Arbuckle, and they got him kind of just out there and he developed him really well and he's doing well at Miami right now.

“And John Mateer, another name that probably hadn’t been said a lot, but now that he's thrown for, I think, almost 4,000 yards, 44 touchdowns — I mean, that's just outstanding.”

To his credit, Arbuckle said when he was introduced to donors at a National Signing Day function that going into the SEC meant he intended to put forth an offense that can win the line of scrimmage. To that end, he paid immediate compliments to veteran offensive line coach Bill Bedebaugh and tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley, both of whom Venables said he intends to retain for the 2025 season.

“The first thing I always want to do is make sure that we establish the line of scrimmage in all forms,” he said, “establish that intent of dominance.”

And that's what any good offensive coordinator should aim for, especially in their first year in the SEC. But off of that, Oklahoma’s quarterback — whoever it is following Jackson Arnold’s decision to hit the transfer portal — can expect some serious productivity.

“A lot of people have good players,” Venables said, “but they don’t necessarily bring out the best in them. So I look at that as an important thing for sure. But the quality of what he’s been able to do with his opportunities, he’s hit it out of the park.”

Zappe and Reed could move in the pocket but aren’t considered running threats. Ward is a good runner and frustrates defenses with his escapability, but always leans toward throwing the ball if at all possible rather than running. Mateer is a legitimate dual threat who put up a 100-yard rushing game and a 200-yard rushing game this year and created highlight after highlight carrying the football downfield. Mateer finished with 826 rushing yards, scored 15 touchdowns on the ground and average 4.64 yards per carry.

They all do it in different ways, but they all move the football — and they’re all winners.

“For sure,” Venables said. “Whether they’re really athletic, dual-threat guys or just a pure passer, you see him leaning on their strengths and promote their strengths, develop through their weaknesses and protect those as well.

“But, helping them make quick, great decisions, putting them in a position to be successful, not asking them to do things that they’re not great at. So those are the things that stood out the most.”

“Be explosive, right? Explosive plays win,” Arbuckle said. “And so that's what you can expect. That's what you're going to see, and we're going to get to rolling on that as soon as possible.”

“There's a lot of excellent candidates that we narrowed it down to,” Venables said. “And Ben continued to be at the top of the list. … A short resume, but I look at the quality, not necessarily the quantity.”