The Oklahoma Sooners did not skip a beat in their Week 6 matchup against Kent State, their first game without star quarterback John Mateer under center in 2025. But how well will Oklahoma do without Mateer in SEC play?
Sophomore quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., who started in relief of Mateer on Saturday against Kent State, performed as well as could be expected in his first start in 2025, throwing for 162 yards and three touchdowns, adding in 33 rushing yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown en route to a dominant 44-0 victory.
For as well as Hawkins played in place of Mateer, Oklahoma will likely need more out of the passing game if they are going to compete against some of the top teams in the SEC. Unfortunately for Oklahoma fans, it seems as if Hawkins will be put to the test next week when they host Texas for the latest installment of the Red River Rivalry.
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Speaking to the media after Saturday’s game, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables addressed John Mateer’s status after undergoing surgery last week to repair a broken bone in his right hand, revealing how he does not expect Mateer to be ready to play against Texas.
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If there is a silver lining to be found for Oklahoma going into the Red River Rivalry, it is that Texas isn’t exactly coming into the game playing their best football, losing in a road matchup against Florida on Saturday. In particular, Texas quarterback Arch Manning has continued to show growing pains in his first season as a full-time starting quarterback.
Maybe Oklahoma’s defense, which ranks third in all of college football in points per game allowed through five games, can give Manning and company enough fits to come away with a victory and continue their undefeated season.
But given the fact that Venables didn’t exactly share any specific details as to when Mateer could potentially return, his absence will only continue to loom larger and larger as Oklahoma continues face tougher competition in the SEC.
After facing Texas in Week 7, Oklahoma will face five ranked opponents in their remaining six games of the season. So clearly, unless we see a true breakout from Hawkins, it will only get more important that Mateer returns to the lineup in short order.
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