The Oklahoma Sooners will certainly be deep at quarterback in 2025.
Parker Thune of Rivals reported Thursday evening that Norman native Gavin Frakes is returning home and transferring to OU from the Virginia Cavaliers with two years of eligibility left.
Frakes graduated from Norman North High School in 2022 after just one season as the starter. He then started his college football career at New Mexico State as an underrated prospect with no stars and only offers from New Mexico State, Princeton, Yale, Pennsylvania and Houston Christian.
The Aggies' offer immediately paid off, though. Frakes started five games for NMSU in 2022 as a true freshman. He threw for 736 yards and four touchdowns with 143 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground. Frakes eventually lost his job that season to future Vanderbilt legend Diego Pavia.
Frakes didn't see the field in 2023 behind Pavia, then transferred to Virginia for the 2024 season. He also didn't appear in a game for the Cavaliers, so despite having college experience, Frakes hasn't thrown a pass in a game in two years.
Former New Mexico State, Virginia QB Gavin Frakes transferring to Sooners
The Sooners have completely overhauled their quarterback room this offseason while adding four from the transfer portal, plus incoming freshman Jett Niu. They lost Jackson Arnold, Brendan Zurbrugg and Steele Wasel to the portal. OU had also added Cole Gonzales from Western Carolina, but he never even suited up before getting back into the portal this spring.
That now puts OU at five quarterbacks on the 2025 roster and four have started at the college level. John Mateer is the solidified QB1 after transferring from Washington State as the No. 1 player available in the transfer portal at the time.
Behind Mateer is sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr., who started four games for OU last season as a freshman. After Gonzales left, the Sooners went and got Mercer quarterback Whitt Newbauer from the portal. Then there's newcomer Frakes and Niu, the only one without college experience after signing as a late addition to the 2025 class.
Hawkins seems to be the clear option as Mateer's backup unless he redshirts, and Newbauer was needed for more depth, but it's unclear what OU's plan is with four experienced quarterbacks.
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