Sooners on SI Podcast: Oklahoma QB Michael Hawkins Jr. Takes Center Stage on Saturday

John Hoover, Ryan Chapman, Carson Field and Ryan Aber recapped all the news surrounding OU from the past week on the Sooners on SI Podcast.

Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

John Hoover, Ryan Chapman, Carson Field and Ryan Aber got together for the 301st episode of the Sooners on SI Podcast to preview No. 5 Oklahoma's non-conference finale against Kent State.

Brent Venables has spoken to local media members twice since the last pod, with sophomore quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. dominating most of the conversation.

Hawkins is poised to make his fifth career start against the Golden Flashes, and the guys recapped everything said by OU coach Brent Venables, offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, Hawkins himself and Hawkins' teammates over the past week.

They also stopped down to discuss senior offensive analyst John Kuceyeski, who has gotten plenty of credit for his role working alongside Arbuckle to help develop Oklahoma's quarterbacks.

The crew laid out their expectations for Hawkins and the OU rushing attack before moving on to a pair of Sooners who are expected to make their 2025 debuts on Saturday.

Wide receiver Javonnie Gibson is set to make his first appearance for the Sooners after transferring from Arkansas-Pine Bluff over the offseason. He suffered a lower leg injury at the end of spring practice, but is finally cleared to return to game action.

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Read More Oklahoma Football

• Why Oklahoma Believes WR Javonnie Gibson Will be a 'Big-Time Playmaker'
• How Oklahoma QB John Mateer is Seeing His Teammates Through 'a Different Lens'
• Meet John Kuceyeski, QB Guru and Oklahoma OC Ben Arbuckle's Right-Hand Man

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On the other side of the ball, sophomore cornerback Eli Bowen is finally poised to return to the lineup.

Then the crew turned their attention to Venables' demeanor and how pleased he is with the way his team approached the open week before diving into Mateer's status and if he could actually return for next week's clash with Texas.

Oklahoma also picked up a trio of recruiting wins since the last podcast.

Cooper Hackett, an in-state 5-star, flipped his commitment from Texas Tech to OU, marking a huge win for Bill Bedenbaugh to land the offensive tackle.

Bixby star Kaeden Penny also announced his verbal pledge, giving the Sooners a pair of offensive line wins in the 2027 class.

OU also landed defensive back Mikhail McCreary, who helped catapult Oklahoma to the top spot in the early 2027 Recruiting Team Rankings.

Finally, the guys discussed the wild results from college football last weekend, and if the Sooners truly have a path to the College Football Playoff.

You can listen to the Sooners on SI Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or you can watch the podcast every week on YouTube.