Brent Venables keeps saying Oklahoma’s backup quarterbacks are trusted options. The problem is, the Sooners still haven’t acted like it.
During Wednesday’s bye-week media availability, Venables was asked right away about Whitt Newbauer and Bowe Bentley, the two quarterbacks sitting behind John Mateer. That question came fast for a reason: Mateer is coming off a three-turnover performance in Oklahoma’s 41-13 loss to Georgia, and yet he never came out of the game.
“We got great belief in them, trust in them,” Venables said about his backup quarterbacks. “There’s a body of work that both of those guys, both Bowe and Whitt, have put out there for us to evaluate.
They’re doing a nice job. They’re working hard, they’re improving incrementally - doing all the things we want our quarterbacks to do, as a whole, as a group.
I like the group.”
Later, Venables added: “Yeah, I believe in them, (if) they get their opportunity,” Venables said later during his time with local media. “They both have their strengths and weaknesses, and certainly neither one of them have done it from a game standpoint to the depth that you want them to from an experience.
“Obviously, Whitt having done it prior to getting here. But believe he would do a nice job if he was given the opportunity.”
Even with those words, the reality is pretty clear: Mateer is still the starter, and Venables said he doesn’t yet know whether either backup will play against Texas.
That leaves Oklahoma in a strange spot. Venables says there’s trust.
The game plan says otherwise. If there was ever a moment to make a switch, it would have been after Mateer turned the ball over on three straight possessions and Oklahoma fell behind 28-0 by halftime against Georgia.
Instead, he stayed on the field the entire game.
The contrast with 2024 is hard to miss. Back then, Michael Hawkins Jr. committed two fumbles and an interception on Oklahoma’s first three possessions against South Carolina at home. After that third turnover, he was replaced by Jackson Arnold, who held onto the job the rest of the season after losing it earlier in the year.
Arnold at least brought some experience to the table. He was a sophomore with 11 appearances and five starts by that point, had seen snaps as a freshman in 2023 behind Dillon Gabriel, and also started the Alamo Bowl after Gabriel transferred.
Newbauer and Bentley are a different story.
Neither one has taken a meaningful FBS snap. Newbauer started seven games for Mercer at the FCS level in 2024 before transferring to Oklahoma, then barely played last season while behind Mateer and Hawkins.
Bentley, a freshman and consensus four-star recruit in the 2026 class, has not yet made his college debut. The only live look at him in crimson and cream came in the spring game, when he went 5-of-13 with two interceptions.
Venables said the backups have gotten more work this week, but he also noted that most veterans across the roster are on a lighter practice load while younger players are getting more reps. He added that Bentley has had very few reps against Oklahoma’s starters this year, while Mateer and Newbauer have handled most of the good-on-good work.
That’s why the trust talk lands a little awkwardly. Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle both said after the Georgia loss that they discussed benching Mateer, but decided he was still their best option even on a rough day.
There’s also a football argument for staying put. With a shaky offensive line and no real running game, the quarterback behind Mateer could be walking into the same mess.
And if Mateer - a veteran - has already lost his confidence, there’s no guarantee an inexperienced backup would fare any better, especially with No. 1 Texas next on the schedule in the Red River Rivalry.
For now, Venables is sticking with Mateer. But after what happened against Georgia, the leash feels a lot shorter than it did a week ago.
In Other News...
Peyton Bowen Sees One Big Issue Holding Back Oklahomas Quarterback
Peyton Bowen has seen enough around Oklahomas quarterback room to know how quickly things can change when turnovers start piling up. The Sooners safety pointed to the pressure John Mateer has been dealing with after recent miscues, and he drew a clear parallel to what former teammate Jackson Arnold went through in a similar stretch. Bowen still believes Mateer has the talent and leadership to steer things in the right direction, but he also made it clear that the mental side of the position can get heavy fast.
For Oklahoma, the concern is not whether Mateer can make plays in practice, where Bowen says he has shown plenty, but whether that confidence carries over once the games begin to tighten up. Bowen has been supporting him personally through the rough patch, knowing how important it is for a quarterback to trust his own game again after criticism starts to build. The Sooners have a long season ahead, and how quickly Mateer can turn practice production into game-day results may end up shaping a lot more than one stat line. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Offensive Line Battle Just Took A Meaningful Turn
Oklahomas offensive line has been under the microscope for weeks, and Brent Venables said the group showed a little more steadiness in pass protection during the recent game against Georgia. The Sooners also cleaned up one of the issues that had been adding to the pressure, finishing with only one false start, while the staff continues sorting out who can hold up best up front as the season moves along.
One part of that evaluation is giving Peyton Joseph more snaps and seeing whether the depth can keep improving beyond the first group. Venables also said injured tackle Michael Fasusi is making progress, but Oklahoma still does not have a timetable for his return, leaving the lines next step tied to both development and health. [Read more 🡒]
Kip Lewis Sees One Reason Oklahoma Can Still Turn This Around
Kip Lewis has been around long enough to know the mood around Oklahoma changes fast, especially after a 2-2 start and a rough loss to No. 2 Georgia. The veteran linebacker and captain has been one of the voices trying to steady things inside the building, pointing to a defense that, despite the setbacks, has started to tackle better as the Sooners search for something to build on.
Lewis also brings a little more credibility to the conversation after getting back on the field against Georgia following a knee injury that had limited him in earlier games. With the bye week coming at a useful time, Oklahoma now has a chance to clean up details and reset before a matchup with No. 1 Texas, and Lewis sounded like a player who believes there is still time for this team to straighten itself out. [Read more 🡒]