If there was any question about who would start for the Oklahoma Sooners next Saturday against the Texas Longhorns, head coach Brent Venables provided some clarity on Wednesday night.
Venables said Whitt Newbauer and Bowe Bentley took a lot of reps in practice Wednesday, and reporters asked whether either backup would play against Texas in the Cotton Bowl.
“I have no idea,” Venables told media in attendance. “We’re not there right now. John’s our starting quarterback.”
Venables did say that Mateer and Newbauer have been splitting a majority of the “good” reps with Bentley getting about 20% of those in practice.
Mateer’s play this season, particularly the three turnovers against the Georgia Bulldogs, led Oklahoma’s decision-makers to consider a change at quarterback. But they opted to roll with Mateer in the second half of their loss in Athens.
While Mateer has struggled, he’s completed more than 75% of his passes over the last couple of games. He’s currently ninth in the SEC in passing yards and tied for fourth in passing touchdowns, alongside Ole Miss‘ Trinidad Chambless, Alabama’s Keelon Russell, and Kentucky’s Kenny Minchey.
Mateer gets his shot at turning the Oklahoma offense around against a Texas defense allowing just 13.3 points per game in 2026.
Brent Venables addressing the #Sooners beat after practice today, and he was unsurprisingly asked about the QB situation.
“John’s our starting quarterback.”
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— Parker Thune (@ParkerThune) September 30, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma HC Brent Venables discusses Sooners quarterback situation
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