Hayden Hansen’s first catch for Oklahoma came with just enough heat on it to show exactly why the Sooners wanted him in the mix.
On a third-down snap in last Friday’s 51-0 rout of UTEP, John Mateer needed a safe answer, and he found the 6-foot-8 tight end working across the middle. The throw wasn’t clean all the way through - Mateer’s arm got hit as he released it - but the ball still got to Hansen for a 15-yard gain and a first down.
That’s the kind of moment Hansen has been talking about since Oklahoma brought him in. At the program’s Media Day in early August, he described the role he wants to play in blunt terms: "I try to build just the best security blanket in the world basically," Hansen said during Oklahoma's Media Day in early August.
"If you're rolling out and going through your reads and you're like, “Dang, everyone's covered,” just go find the 6-8 giant. I'm there somewhere."
Against UTEP, that vision showed up exactly as planned. Mateer first looked right toward Isaiah Sategna, who had tight coverage from a cornerback.
When safety Kode Lowe came flying in on a blitz, Mateer moved on to a second read. Xavier Robinson gave him just enough time to spot Hansen crossing the field, and the quarterback got the ball out despite the contact.
Hansen didn’t just appreciate the catch because it moved the chains. He also liked the feeling that came with it.
"Oh, it was awesome," Hansen said. "You know, it was also 3rd-and-15, so it's kind of pressure-filled."
The distance was off - it was actually 3rd-and-five - but the point still stood. It was one of the few real pressure moments for Oklahoma’s first-team offense against the overmatched Miners, and Hansen came through in the exact way he hoped he would.
"You catch it, you kind of just hear the crowd kind of, [sighs]," Hansen said on Monday. "I kind of relax. So, it was a nice first catch for sure."
Mateer spread the ball around to seven different pass catchers in the win, a balance Oklahoma hopes to keep when it heads to Michigan for a major road game. Sategna is already established, and Trell Harris has also shown what he can add.
Now Hansen is giving the Sooners another option - one built on size, reliability and the kind of presence that makes a quarterback breathe easier when a play starts to break down. Whether it’s 3rd-and-five or 3rd-and-15, that’s the job he wants.
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