John Mateer’s rough night against Georgia has put Oklahoma’s quarterback depth back in the spotlight heading into the Red River Rivalry.
The Sooners’ offense struggled badly in the 41-13 loss, and Mateer was at the center of it. He threw an interception and lost the ball twice on key plays, enough to spark halftime discussions about whether Oklahoma should make a change. Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said the staff considered every possibility.
“We discussed all options, …” Arbuckle said. “I love and trust everybody in (the quarterback) room.”
Even with that talk, Mateer stayed in the game after halftime. Brent Venables made it clear afterward that Mateer is still the starter, though he didn’t rule out a role for either backup.
“Have no idea, we’re not there right now,” Venables said. “John’s our starting quarterback.”
If Oklahoma does need to go another direction, the options are Whitt Newbauer and Bowe Bentley.
Newbauer is the veteran of the backup group. The 6-foot-6 junior transferred to Oklahoma before the 2025 season and appeared in three games as a backup quarterback in 2025. Last season, he saw action against Mississippi, South Carolina and Kent State, and against Kent State he ran three times for 10 yards while completing two of four passes.
Before arriving in Norman, Newbauer made noise at Mercer. He earned all-Southern Conference freshman team honors, started seven games and completed 101 of 179 passes.
He finished with 1,398 passing yards and 12 total touchdowns, including three passing touchdowns. He was a three-star quarterback in the transfer portal, according to 247 sports.
His path to that point started in high school at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he was an unranked recruit. Even then, he showed enough to earn all-conference recognition twice. Despite an injury in his senior year, he completed 97 of 154 passes for 1,186 yards, and he opened that season with 347 yards and four touchdowns.
Bentley brings a different kind of profile. The freshman from Celina, Texas was a four-star recruit and came to Oklahoma with major buzz.
ESPN ranked him the No. 2 quarterback prospect, while Rivals had him at No. 70 overall. At Celina High School, he helped produce a 30-1 record over two years and piled up more than 7,800 total yards and 111 touchdowns.
Bentley picked Oklahoma over Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and others.
His spring game outing was uneven, though. Bentley completed 5 of 13 passes and threw two interceptions, but Arbuckle still took the bigger-picture view of what the freshman was facing.
“You still gotta remember he's 18, right?” Arbuckle said after the spring game. “18 with (safety Michael) Boganowski and (defensive end) Danny Okoye coming at him. That’s real.”
Arbuckle said the experience itself mattered.
“You can’t replicate it,” Arbuckle said after the spring game. “I'm just excited for the experience that he got today (because) I think it'll really propel him forward probably in a quicker manner than maybe even he anticipated in the future."
In Other News...
Oklahoma Faces A Red River Concern Fans Already Feared
Oklahoma heads into the Red River matchup with a defense that could get a boost from a couple of returning pieces, but the more immediate concern is on the other side of the ball. The Sooners are working through injury issues along the offensive line and at running back, and that combination can shape everything from protection to play-calling in a game where margin for error is already slim.
Michael Fasusi is doubtful, Eddy Pierre-Louis is questionable and Xavier Robinson is out, leaving Oklahoma to sort through a patchwork situation at key spots before facing Texas. There are several other availability questions on the report as well, while Texas enters with fewer players listed as unavailable, which only sharpens the concern for a Sooners offense that would prefer far cleaner health heading into one of the season's biggest tests. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Receiver Frustration Just Took Another Hit Before Texas
A week before the Red River showdown, Oklahoma added another wrinkle to a wide receiver room that has already been under scrutiny. Freshman Jahsiear Rogers has been dismissed from the football program, according to an OU spokesperson, and he has already been removed from the teams online roster. Rogers had not carved out a major role this season, but he arrived with the kind of recruiting profile that made him an intriguing long-term piece for the Sooners.
For a passing attack trying to find more consistency, losing a young receiver who once looked like a possible building block is another reminder of how much turnover can shape a season. The Sooners are now moving toward Texas with less depth and one fewer developmental option at a position that has been watched closely all fall. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma's 2028 Running Back Problem Just Got Worse Before Texas Week
The recruiting battle around the Red River Rivalry picked up another jolt when Micah Rhodes, a four-star running back in the 2028 class, backed off his Oklahoma pledge and announced for Texas just ahead of the matchup. Rhodes had originally committed to the Sooners, so the flip adds a fresh layer of sting to a weekend that already carries plenty of recruiting and regional weight for both programs.
Rhodes change of heart came after the departure of Oklahoma running backs coach DeMarco Murray, a reminder of how quickly the staff turnover can reshape a class. The Sooners still do not have a replacement lined up for Rhodes in the 2028 group, though they remain involved with other targets such as Jayshawn Mitchell as they try to steady that part of the board. [Read more 🡒]