When has his Oklahoma stint ever been easy for Brent Venables? Just when the head coach thought that he was going to walk with a pumped-up chest after John Mateer led the Sooners to a 24-17 win over Auburn, the universe landed him with a grounding alert. Mateer got cursed by the injury gods during the Auburn game. The quarterback broke a bone in his right hand. But looks like Venables and Co. found their guardian angel. That’s none other than Dr. Shin, the mastermind behind Mateer’s surgery. Just when the Sooners might have lost all hope, here comes a big update on how the process went. 

“After consulting with medical experts, it became clear that surgery is the best option for John and his short- and long-term future,” one could sense the amount of pain with which the head coach made the statement. That’s when Oklahoma’s search for the best doctor began. Dr. Steven Smith arrived like a savior. Holding three degrees AB, MMSc, and MD from Brown University, Venables was confident enough to leave Mateer in the doctor’s hands. And it has indeed been the best choice.

On September 26, CBS Sports analyst Matt Zenitz tweeted, “A John Mateer update: The feeling is the surgery performed by Dr. Steven Shin went very well, sources tell @cbssports. It’s too early to tell how realistic this is but there seems to be at least an outside chance Mateer could be back as early as OU’s game vs. Texas Oct. 11.” 

The success rate of Dr. Shin is high. Before Venables’ quarterback, he has operated renowned athletes like Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams. Here came an update from Mateer himself. “Thank God for a successful procedure. Dr. Shin is the GOAT. BOOMER SOONER!!” confirmed Venables’ quarterback. Now, a big question mark looms for the Red River Rivalry game.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel’s report read that Venables said that Mateer is simply expected back at “some point this season.” Still, two weeks are left before Oklahoma faces off against Texas on October 11. Zenitz’s “Mateer could be back” assumption might come off as a silver lining for the Sooners fans. But what about the games in between? Oklahoma has only one game against Kent State on October 4. For that, Venables has appointed Michael Hawkins Jr. He will finally get a moment to shine. But will it be worth it for the head coach?

Can Brent Venables count on Michael Hawkins Jr.?

Venables expressed confidence in Hawkins’ ability to lead the offense during this critical period. “We have all the confidence in the world in Michael and are excited for his opportunity to lead our offense while John recovers. He had some big moments for us last season as a true freshman and has just gotten better and better. I’m proud of the work Michael’s put in and the progress he’s made, and know he will attack this opportunity to help lead our football team,” said the head coach.

It has to be so. After all, Venables can now sleep in peace knowing that he got the best backup waiting for him on the sidelines. This season, Hawkins only played against Temple, completing 1 of 3 yards. Last season, he threw 76 of 120 yards and three touchdowns. Venables finds confidence in Hawkins, who took over the starting quarterback duties midway through the 2024 campaign when OU benched Jackson Arnold in Week 5 and started four times ever since. But looks like something might still be pricking Venables in his heart.

Jordan Rodgers came with a wake-up call on the Get Up podcast. “While I think he was the best pure passer in college football, he was also Oklahoma’s leading rusher. The run game has been absent without him, and I think that’s the biggest stressor for Oklahoma moving forward,” said the analyst. With nearly 38% of Oklahoma’s ground game on his back, Mateer has single-handedly lifted an offense that ranks 100th in rushing at 3.58 yards per carry, averaging 4.4 yards himself. 

So, these stats are enough for Brent Venables to know what he will be missing out on without John Mateer. So, let’s hope Matt Zenitz’s prediction comes true.