Venables on John Mateer: “He will make us better”

FORT WORTH, Texas – Oklahoma coach Brent Venables wanted to keep the focus on the upcoming Armed Forces Bowl match against Navy on Friday.

However, he made his first public comments about it John Mateer, who committed to the Sooners last Wednesday.

“I’m excited about John,” Venables said during Thursday’s press conference. “I’ll try to limit this to the game that’s in front of us right now, but John is a leader. He has experience. He has great arm talent. Really good instincts. He will make us better.”

The acquisition of Mateer was the biggest news of the Sooners’ offseason, especially since the team has more than 20 players, including quarterback, registered in the portal Jackson Arnold. Mateer was the focus of the Sooners’ offseason plans after having a standout season at Washington State, where he totaled nearly 4,000 yards and 44 touchdowns.

He ranked seventh nationally in yards per attempt (9.09), 11th in yards per completion (14.01), 18th in yards per game (261.5) and 16th. Place on pass plays of 20 yards or more. He was equally effective as a rusher, leading the Cougars in carries (178), yards (826) and touchdowns (15). He averaged 4.6 yards per carry and had 38 carries of 10 yards or more, which ranked 15th among players and fifth among all quarterbacks. Mateer entered the portal last Monday as the top transfer recruit.

In Norman, Mateer joins former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbucklewho was hired as the Sooners’ new signal-caller earlier this month. With the Mateer-Arbuckle duo in tow, the Sooners have a clear identity for the offense moving forward.

And as the Sooners prepare for their 13th and final game of the season (Friday, 11 a.m., ESPN), it’s hard to escape the excitement surrounding Mateer’s acquisition.

“I’ll keep it brief, I’m here at work right now – John, he grew up here in the Dallas area and knows Oklahoma very well,” Venables added. “With the arrival of Coach Arbuckle, it’s certainly great.” Familiarity and comfort for him, but we are incredibly grateful that he chose to be a Sooner. It’s a very competitive space, as everyone knows.

“I appreciate the coaching staff for being able to convince him to come and just make this room better. “We really had to start over in this room, and it’s in a very different place now than it was a few weeks ago, as we know.”

However, Mateer is still months away from his potential OU debut. It will be Michael Hawkins at quarterback against Navy, as the true freshman will make his fourth start of the season. Hawkins started a three-game stretch that included Auburn, Texas and South Carolina, and he showed some flashes, but was benched after back-to-back turnovers on the Sooners’ first three possessions.

Prior to Mateer’s arrival, Hawkins reiterated his commitment to the Sooners and welcomed the addition of quarterbacks through the portal. Against Navy, Hawkins will have his best opportunity to show he can compete next season.

“Mike handled it like a pro,” Venables said. “He’s the same every day. He is a quiet leader, but he is extremely consistent, very competitive, focused and determined. He has a priceless maturity about him and he values ​​practice reps, the mindset you have to have and what that means for you on game day. He understands that you are playing the game long before it happens.

“I appreciate his mindset, which also affects the other guys around him. We have some veterans who have really helped him and embraced him. I think the defensive players as a group also really contributed to his development and maturity and confidence along the way. I think the staff did a really good job supporting Mike and helping him grow up.”

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