Redemption follows struggles. After a rocky start in the SEC, Brent Venables and Oklahoma are poised to turn things around in 2025. Well, with Venables regaining control of the defense and a fresh offensive approach under new coordinator Ben Arbuckle, the Sooners are primed for a comeback. The addition of transfer QB John Mateer is expected to ignite an offense that faltered in 2024. Now, while Venables’ tenure has been a mix of ups and downs (22-17 overall, 12-14 in conference play), there’s renewed hope. Following a disappointing 6-7 season, optimism is high that 2025 will be the year Oklahoma regains its form and returns to winning ways.

Even CFB analyst Josh Pate is high on Oklahoma’s offseason moves. “Oklahoma’s made some really, really good moves here,” said Pate. Adding, “Quarterback was a major concern for them, and they went and got (John) Mateer out of Washington State, with his offensive coordinator (Ben Arbuckle) for good measure. Check.” But now, things are heating up for Brent Venables. A tough roster update has the Sooners camp on edge, adding pressure to their already high expectations.

On the May 8 episode of Orangebloods, Geoff Ketchum and Chad Hastings dug into Oklahoma’s recruiting struggles. Geoff laid it out bluntly, stating, “Oklahoma has one top-20 kid in the state of Oklahoma committed, and they’ve got, I think, one inside the Texas state top 50. He mentioned that one of those might be close to peeling off. They just lost one of their top wide receiver targets in the 2026 recruiting class to SMU. You know, a year ago, they really only got Michael Fasusi, and we’ve talked about it over the course of the last three years.”

Then, Geoff Ketchum highlighted a major issue for Oklahoma’s recruiting under Brent Venables, stating, “They’ve only been able to pull a total of three super blue-chip prospects combined in the last two cycles. That’s not anywhere near nationally competitive. It’s even below the standards set by coaches like Tom Herman or Charlie Strong.” He went on to reference a chart he had shared with Chad Hastings, showing Texas’ recruiting spikes, going from around 8-10 to suddenly climbing to the 20s. “It’s surprising, really. They weren’t even in the top 10. Venables is kind of where Tom Herman was in 2020,” added Ketchum.

Now, Ketchum pointed out, “I think recruiting is completely out of Venables’s control, not that he ever had it.” But why? Oklahoma isn’t just competing in a different arena than powerhouses like Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and Texas A&M. However, while they’ve struggled in the recruiting game, they did manage to snag one of the top QB targets from the transfer portal this year—John Mateer. And the insider gave credit where it’s due, acknowledging that this was a significant pickup for the Sooners.

However, Ketchum emphasized, “I don’t want to turn this into a ‘How good is Mateer?’ debate. We’ll see.” But he’s clear—the rest of Oklahoma’s program is slipping in terms of talent. There’s no indication they’ve got the NIL muscle to compete with the top schools. Although Venables brought in a general manager focused on finding hidden gems from smaller schools, that’s not enough to turn the tide. Following that, Ketchum added, “When Venables first took over, I said he had great recruiting instincts. That hasn’t changed, but they’re not executing the way they need to.”

So, the pressure is mounting on Brent Venables, and just as tensions reach a boiling point, the head coach takes a heavy blow regarding John Mateer.

Thoughts on Brent Venables’ transfer QB?

John Mateer, coming off an impressive season at Washington State with over 3,000 passing yards and 44 TDs, is set to ignite Oklahoma’s offense. The QB position has been a key focus, especially with Cole Gonzales, a two-time Walter Payton Award finalist, initially joining the Sooners. However, after a brief stint, Gonzales returned to the transfer portal following spring practices, leaving fans disappointed. Now, on the Locked On Sooners podcast, Jay Smith and John Williams dove into the latest transfer portal drama surrounding the Sooners’ transfer QB.

Truly, “Losing Cole Gonzales this late in the portal cycle is definitely a blow,” said Smith. Although Gonzales made waves when he transferred to Oklahoma this winter. But after spring drills, it became clear he wouldn’t beat out John Mateer for the starting QB job. So, Gonzales made the tough decision to hit the transfer portal again. Now, he’s headed to Pittsburgh, reuniting with familiar coaches and aiming for a fresh start.

But according to John Williams, the hunt isn’t over. “I do expect Oklahoma to shop for a quarterback,” he said. Honestly, the Sooners are back in the portal, eyeing another signal-caller to bolster the room. At this point, OU fans have practically become QB-portal detectives. Every offseason brings fresh faces—and fresh question marks. Williams added, “I bet you there are a few quarterbacks in the portal that we will be tied to.”

So, although John Mateer’s talent is undeniable, a lack of depth behind him could become a major concern for Venables’ offense.