Brent Venables says he trusts Oklahoma's backup quarterbacks, but does he really?

Whether it’s unwavering confidence in John Mateer or just a lack of trust in who’s behind him, it doesn’t seem like the Oklahoma Sooners will be making a change at quarterback anytime soon.

OU head coach Brent Venables met with the media on Wednesday during the Sooners’ bye week and was immediately asked about OU’s backup quarterbacks — Whitt Newbauer and Bowe Bentley — for the first question out of the gate. It was the elephant in the stadium, as Mateer has struggled and is coming off a three-turnover outing in a 41-13 blowout loss to Georgia, but was still never benched.

“We got great belief in them, trust in them,” Venables said about his backup quarterbacks. “There’s a body of work that both of those guys, both Bowe and Whitt, have put out there for us to evaluate. They’re doing a nice job. They’re working hard, they’re improving incrementally — doing all the things we want our quarterbacks to do, as a whole, as a group. I like the group.”

Venables’ words, though, contradict his actions. If there was ever a time to bench your starting quarterback, it would be after he turned the ball over in three straight possessions to put your team down 28-0 at halftime. Yet, there was more trust in Mateer on a bad day than in the mystery of his backups.

In fact, that was Michael Hawkins Jr.’s exact fate in 2024. Hawkins, a freshman then, also had two fumbles and an interception during OU’s first three possessions against South Carolina at home.

After the third turnover, he was replaced by Jackson Arnold, who kept the starting job for the rest of the season after losing it to Hawkins early on.

Arnold clearly hadn’t been great if he lost his job to begin with, but he at least had some experience as a sophomore with 11 appearances and five starts at that point. The Sooners had given him some snaps as a freshman in 2023 while sitting behind Dillon Gabriel and he also started the Alamo Bowl after Gabriel had decided to transfer.

What the Sooners have behind John Mateer in Whitt Newbauer and Bowe Bentley is still a mystery

Neither of OU’s backups in 2026, though, have taken a meaningful snap at the FBS level. Newbauer made seven starts for Mercer at the FCS level in 2024 before transferring to OU. He then barely saw the field last season while behind Mateer and Hawkins.

Bentley is a freshman still waiting to make his college debut after signing with the Sooners as a consensus four-star recruit in the 2026 class. The only time we’ve seen Bentley in crimson and cream was during OU’s spring game, where he went 5-of-13 with two interceptions.

“Yeah, I believe in them, (if) they get their opportunity,” Venables said later during his time with local media. “They both have their strengths and weaknesses, and certainly neither one of them have done it from a game standpoint to the depth that you want them to from an experience.

“Obviously, Whitt having done it prior to getting here. But believe he would do a nice job if he was given the opportunity.”

Take that coach speak with a grain of salt. Venables also doubled down on his confidence in Mateer and made it clear he will be the starter for the Sooners’ next game against No. 1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry. It’s fair to argue, though, that Mateer could have a much shorter leash now.

Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle both admitted after the Georgia blowout that there was discussion to bench Mateer, but they concluded he was still their best option, even on a bad day.

If there really was trust in the guys behind Mateer, or at least Newbauer, it seems like there would have been a change after a third straight turnover and a 28-0 halftime deficit. Instead, Mateer was the only quarterback to take a snap against Georgia, even after it was clearly over.

The argument is that the Sooners really have no idea what they have with Newbauer or Bentley. They also won’t ever gain that needed experience unless Venables gives it to them in situations like OU was in on Saturday.

But then there’s the counterpoint that behind a leaky offensive line and with no functioning running game, no quarterback will succeed in the offense right now, especially if a seasoned veteran like Mateer can’t. Mateer has clearly lost his confidence, so why throw an inexperienced player out there with the No. 1 team in the country next to likely suffer that same fate?

Venables said Newbauer and Bentley have gotten more reps at practice this week, but he also later noted that most of the Sooners’ veterans at every position are getting a lighter load and younger players are getting more time.

Bentley has also gotten very little reps against the Sooners’ starters this year, according to Venables, while Mateer and Newbauer have split most of the good-on-good reps.

The Sooners were simply not prepared for Mateer to disappoint. There still could be a change eventually, but only if Mateer leaves Venables with no other choice but to enter the unknown of Newbauer or Bentley.

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