Oklahoma has made a lot of changes during the offseason. The biggest one could prove to be at quarterback.
The Sooners added former Washington State quarterback John Mateer via the transfer portal, pairing him with his offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. Together, the duo paves a new era and a new identity for the Sooners' offense built around the air raid system.
It's a move the Sooners had to make given how much they struggled offensively last season. The offense ranked 119th in passing offense (175.8 yards per game), 131st in passing plays of at least 20 yards (20) and 133rd in yards per completion (9.2). The issues extended well past Jackson Arnold and Michael Hawkins, but with Arnold on the move to Auburn, the Sooners had to do something to inject explosiveness into the offense.
Hawkins comes back for his second season and is the only quarterback returning from last season. The Sooners also added Cole Gonzales from Western Carolina and Jett Niu in the 2025 freshman class.
Outside of Hawkins, it's a whole new group that faces a ton of pressure in 2025. Here's a look at where things stand with the quarterbacks heading into spring practices:
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART
John Mateer
Michael Hawkins
Cole Gonzales
Jett Niu
NOTES
— Mateer, the prized acquisition of the offseason, offers immediate optimism that the offense can turn around, and it makes sense.
The third-year quarterback was fantastic last season in leading a Washington State offense that was one of the most potent in college football. In 12 games, Mateer threw for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and only seven interceptions while completing nearly 65% of his passes. While the efficiency was nice, it was the explosiveness that really stood out. He averaged 14.0 yards per completion and completed 26 passes of 30 yards or more, which tied for the fifth most in the country.
But the other thing is his running ability. He led the Cougars in rushing yards (826), attempts (178) and rushing touchdowns (15) while averaging 4.6 yards per carry. His dual-threat ability makes him an excellent centerpiece for an offense. There's a reason why Washington State ranked sixth in scoring offense (36.6 points per game).
If anyone's looking for questions, there's primarily three. The first one is, can Mateer keep up that level of production and efficiency against arguably the toughest schedule in college football? It's a huge adjustment to go from the remnants of the Pac 12 to an SEC schedule that features Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
The other questions: Can Mateer hold up behind an offensive line that faces some question marks? Can Mateer generate quick chemistry with a brand new wide receiver corps, many who didn't play for Oklahoma last season?
— What a whirlwind of a freshman season for Hawkins, and the circumstances certainly weren't ideal. It wasn't all great, and it was particularly rough against South Carolina, but there's still undeniable upside. Hawkins finished with at least 148 passing yards and at least 27 rushing yards in three of his four full starts, and there's clearly dual-threat ability with him if he fully develops.
Again, the circumstances are tough for Hawkins, who will almost certainly (and understandably) sit behind Mateer next season. But he remains critical for this team, both in his role as an exciting backup and for his potential in the future.
(Plus, there's always that interesting subplot through the spring, even if it's unlikely: Is there any chance Hawkins performs like he's the best quarterback?)
— Gonzales had some solid seasons at Western Carolina, particularly in 2023 when he threw for 2,808 yards and 28 touchdowns. Gonzales likely won't see the field much in 2025, but his experience is nice for a quarterback on the third string.
— Niu was an unexpected signee that came shortly after Arbuckle was hired as offensive coordinator. Obviously this next season is fully about development, but the spring will be the first look at just what kind of potential he offers.
SPRING PREVIEW SERIES
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