NORMAN — Following Saturday's 25-15 loss to Tennessee, OU coach Brent Venables affirmed there would be a quarterback competition between Michael Hawkins and Jackson Arnold.
By Monday, that decision had been made. Hawkins will get his shot this weekend against Auburn, making him the first OU true freshman since Troy Aikman to make his first career start in a road environment.
It was the expected decision given Arnold's struggles against the Vols, when he committed three turnovers that played a big role in the Sooners' 16-point halftime deficit. Arnold was benched with just under two minutes left in the first half, with Hawkins getting the call.
Venables dove deep into that decision and the Sooners' offensive struggles as a whole during his 53-minute press conference on Tuesday, which included a 19-minute opening statement. The main takeaway? Venables didn't want the decision to drag into the week.
"We’ve gotta get guys better. We’ve gotta develop them," Venables said. "We’ve got to do a great job of putting them in a successful position and then we’ve got to execute within there, too. Sometimes again, there’s some real opportunities there. We’re not making the right decisions consistently and it’s hard to get into a good rhythm, it’s hard to have confidence when you’re not doing the things you need to do from decision making within the game. Maybe this will give us a better chance moving forward.
"(We) believe in Mike. Made that announcement for lots of reasons. Certainly didn’t want a decision like that to hang over anyone’s head. We’ve gotta get better. Sometimes maybe change is good. As I expressed to Jackson, this is a moment. Jackson’s gonna have an amazing future and career, is gonna play this game a long time."
The main factor in the starting Hawkins came to down to decision making. In addition to the turnovers, Arnold made bad reads throughout the first half and it led to the Sooners' inability to move the ball. The Sooners totaled -20 yards in the second quarter and scored on just one of its first nine drives of the half. While the offense still struggled in the second half, Hawkins showed better decision making and helped move the offense on a couple of scoring drives.
But Venables emphasized that it wasn't just Arnold. The focus for the offense this weekend is to simplify things as the Sooners attempt to address routine breakdowns in the offense ahead of a pivotal matchup this weekend.
"All of that will work itself out in due time," Venables said. "That might be pulling the trigger even on Saturday night. We know how the game of football is sometimes. (Arnold's) gotta stay ready and he understands where he has fallen short in his responsibility, but anything that he puts on tape to me starts with us as a coaching staff. You’re either coaching it or you’re allowing it.
"We’ve gotta get better there and think that maybe Mike will come in — he’s a very talented guy, not a really experienced guy, but he has certainly shown that he’s got the right stuff to do it at different times since he’s been here. Just like I told Jackson, man, that’s a bad moment, that’s a bad night, that’s not a bad career. So stay out of the gutter and focus on getting better. And that’s all of us."
Davon Mitchell has 'flipped the switch
The Sooners' tight end rotation has been solidified through four weeks. Bauer Sharp has played 217 snaps, per Pro Football Focus — the sixth most on the team — and Jake Roberts has played 98 snaps. The rest of the tight end room has combined for 25 snaps, and no other tight end outside of Sharp and Roberts logged a snap against Tennessee.
That begs the question: where is Davon Mitchell?
The former four-star tight end has yet to play this season after emerging as a standout during the spring. Venables said Mitchell struggled early with the transition to college, and he's primarily played on the scout team.
But since fall camp, Venables has seen a different energy from Mitchell.
"He’s decided to lock in focus here since school started," Venables said. "He’s been down on the scout team with us and everything has been completely and totally different. I’m not surprised. A lot of young guys come in and they struggle with the structure. They struggle with having to be in a million places right on time whether its study hall or class or meals or weight workouts, turning your assignments in on time. Just making good decisions. You got 1000 of them to make daily and every single one of them has consequences.
"And with a lot of help and support both from home and then him taking a good, hard look at himself, he’s done a really nice job. An excellent job. He’s been a scout team player of the week. And so he may have an opportunity to be a part of what’s going on... He’s flipped the switch. He’s been getting after it. He’s been accountable... He’s been the dude that we know he can be and hopefully he’ll continue to be."
Casey Thompson has been 'fantastic'
With Arnold struggling against Tennessee, the Sooners notably went to Hawkins ahead of veteran Casey Thompson. The sixth-year senior was added via the transfer portal with much more experience compared to the rest of the quarterback room, but limited during spring camp and has been listed as the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart.
It's Hawkins' opportunity to lead the offense, but Venables said Thompson has been incredibly helpful on the sidelines.
“He’s been fantastic. He’s been there, done that," Venables said. "He’s started a gazillion games, played a lot of ball, been in a lot of meeting rooms, seen a lot of that kind of stuff happen, and so he’s got tremendous wisdom. He’s mature beyond his years. He’s going to be a coach. He’ll be a fantastic coach. He’s kind of a coach now. But he’s been wonderful. He’s very intentional, constantly, about using the gifts that he has to make people around him better. And I love that.
"He’s just very ambitious, and he’s a giver. Those guys will probably testify to that. He’s a solution-based kind of guy, but he’s a great supporter of his teammates... He’s standing right next to me when we watch a throw... So, he’s just very thoughtful, and you can’t have enough guys like that. We have a great appreciation for Casey.”
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