FORT WORTH, Texas — Oklahoma coach Brent Venables wanted to keep the focus on the upcoming Armed Forces Bowl matchup with Navy on Friday.
However, he offered his first public comments about John Mateer, who committed to the Sooners last Wednesday.
"Excited about John," Venables said during Thursday's press conference. "I’ll try to keep this to the game that’s in front of us right now, but John’s a leader. He’s experienced. He’s got great arm talent. Really good instincts. He’ll make us better.”
Mateer's acquisition has been the biggest news of the Sooners' offseason particularly as the team has seen more than 20 players enter the portal, including quarterback Jackson Arnold. Mateer was the primary focus of the Sooners' offseason plans after he had a standout season at Washington State, where he recorded nearly 4,000 total yards and 44 touchdowns.
He ranked seventh nationally in passing yards per attempt (9.09), 11th in yards per completion (14.01), 18th in passing yards per game (261.5) and 16th in passing plays of 20 yards or more. He was just as 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 rushes of 10 yards or more, which tied for the 15th most among players and fifth most among all quarterbacks. Mateer entered the portal last Monday as the top-overall transfer recruit.
In Norman, Mateer joins former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who 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 while the Sooners are preparing for their 13th and final game of the season (11 a.m. Friday, ESPN), it's hard to avoid the buzz surrounding the acquisition of Mateer.
“I’ll keep it brief, just kind of on-task here — John, he grew up here in the Dallas area and is very familiar with Oklahoma," Venables added. "Certainly, (with) coach Arbuckle coming, there’s a great familiarity and comfort for him, but we’re incredibly thankful he chose to be a Sooner. It’s a very competitive space, as everybody knows.
"I appreciate the coaching staff for what they are able to do in convincing him to come and just improving that room. We had to really start over in that room, and it’s in a much different space now than what it was just a couple weeks ago, as we know.”
However, Mateer is still months away from his potential OU debut. It'll be Michael Hawkins at quarterback against Navy, as the true freshman will make his fourth start of the season. Hawkins started in a three-game stretch that included Auburn, Texas and South Carolina, and he showed some flashes, But he was benched following back-to-back-to-back turnovers on the Sooners' first three possessions.
Before Mateer's arrival, Hawkins reiterated his commitment to the Sooners and welcomed the addition of any quarterbacks via the portal. Against Navy, Hawkins will have a prime opportunity to show he can be in the mix next season.
"Mike’s taken it like a pro," Venables said. "He’s the same guy every day. He’s a quiet leader, but he’s ultra-consistent, very competitive, focused and locked in. He’s got a maturity about him that is priceless, and he values practice reps, the mindset that you got to have and what that means for you on gam eday. He understands that you play the game well before the game happens.
"I appreciate that mindset he possesses, and that bleeds over into the other guys around him as well. We do have some veterans that have really helped him and embraced him. I think the defensive players as a group have also really helped with his growth and maturation and his confidence along the way. I think the staff has done a really nice job at supporting Mike and helping him grow up.”
Not an OUInsider.com premium member? Sign up today to get loads of inside information on Oklahoma football, softball, basketball, and recruiting, all for just a few dollars a month. Click HERE to get started!
Follow us on Twitter @OUInsider and on Instagram @ouinsiderofficial!
Subscribe on YouTube by clicking here for daily video content on all things Oklahoma!
