Newest Oklahoma QB gets high transfer grade from CBS Sports

Oklahoma landed the top overall player in the transfer portal on Wednesday but how did CBS Sports rank the Sooners new addition.

The Oklahoma Sooners landed the top overall player in the NCAA [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] on Wednesday. Former Washington State quarterback [autotag]John Mateer[/autotag] signed with OU and head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], following his former offensive coordinator [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag] to Norman.

Simply put, Mateer was the guy that Oklahoma had to have. Without him, OU wouldn’t have had a veteran option at the position. Now, the Sooners have their QB and offensive playcaller in place for a make-or-break season in 2025. Even better is the fact that they’ve worked well together before.

As the top quarterback in the portal, it was only a matter of time before his move to OU landed on a list of the most notable transfer portal quarterback moves. CBS Sports staff writer Will Backus has a list that is exactly that, and he gave Oklahoma’s signing of Mateer an A+.

Mateer is following his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, to Norman. In 2024, those two produced 3,965 total yards of offense and a whopping 44 touchdowns both on the ground and through the air. Mateer also completed an impressive 65% of his passes while averaging just over 14 yards per completion. It’s appropriate to feel quite bullish on Mateer’s future with Oklahoma. – Backus, CBS Sports

Aside from Mateer landing at Oklahoma, only Devon Dampier (Utah), Darian Mensah (Duke) and Miller Moss (Louisville) earned “A” grades, but none of them graded above Mateer. Of course, Backus’ list is in no way comprehensive, as the portal will be open until Dec. 28.

Pair of Former Oklahoma wide receivers heading to the east coast

Pair of former Sooners find new homes on the East Coast.

More former Oklahoma Sooners have found new homes via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. As of Friday night, OU has added seven players in the portal and seen 25 leave Norman to play elsewhere.

[autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], who spent four seasons at Oklahoma, is transferring to Maryland. He was part of the 2021 recruiting class, the final one under former head coach Lincoln Riley. He decided to stay a Sooner when Riley and quarterback Caleb Williams bolted for Southern California, playing for new head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag].

Farooq had productive seasons in 2022 and 2023 and was supposed to have another one in 2024. However, he broke his foot in the season-opener against Temple, and missed all but one game (Missouri) for the rest of the year.

His fellow wide receiver, [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] hopped in the portal again, after previously playing for the Michigan Wolverines before two seasons in Norman. He was a breakout player for the first half of 2023 before tearing his ACL in the Texas win.

That injury has continued to nag him, as he was only able to play in the Temple game in 2024. He could never get healthy, and he’ll now be moving on.

Anthony will be playing for the Duke Blue Devils, as he’ll try and get back on the field and be the deep threat that he was for a brief handful of games in a Sooners jersey.

Farooq’s move to Maryland and Anthony’s move to Duke are just the latest in a line of pass-catchers leaving OU this offseason. Nic Anderson (LSU), Brenen Thompson (Mississippi State), J.J. Hester (Kentucky) Jaquaize Pettaway (East Carolina) and Bauer Sharp (LSU) have all found new schools as well.

Oklahoma has added Javonnie Gibson (Arkansas Pine-Bluff), Keontez Lewis (Southern Illinois), and Isaiah Sategna (Arkansas) to the roster in an effort to replenish the wide receiver depth chart. They shouldn’t be done, but the returns of Deion Burks and Jayden Gibson will also be a huge help as well.

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Takeaways from Oklahoma Sooners depth chart for Armed Forces Bowl

What stands out from Oklahoma Sooners depth chart for the Armed Forces Bowl against Navy?

The 2024 Oklahoma Sooners still have one final game to play before we can all officially move on to the 2025 season. OU went 6-6 overall and 2-4 in Southeastern Conference play, earning a berth in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl against the Navy Midshipmen.

After a brutal SEC schedule, Brent Venables[/autotag] and his team didn’t get a great bowl draw, as Navy went 9-3 this year. They recently defeated Army on Saturday, who had just won the American Athletic Conference title.

The Sooners have released their official depth chart for the last game of the year, which reflects the 25 players that Oklahoma has currently lost to the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. The Sooners could still see more players enter the portal between now and Dec. 28, but this is where things stand as of right now.

Some positions have seen plenty of change. Of course, OU will lose plenty more players to graduation, lack of remaining collegiate eligibility or the NFL Draft, but they’ll suit up in the crimson and cream one more time.

Here are the four biggest takeaways from OU’s depth chart for the Armed Forces Bowl.

1. No Stutsman, No Bowman

Both [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] have played their final game in an Oklahoma jersey, and both had excellent careers in Norman.

As the duo prepares for their pro careers and the draft in April, let’s remember to salute what they did in their four years as Sooners.

Otherwise, Oklahoma’s defense will have plenty of familiar faces, and the coaching staff is hoping they will return in 2025. There are still plenty of decisions to be made there, but it looks like that unit will be mostly intact in Fort Worth.

2. Hawkins Takes Over Again

On the other hand, Oklahoma’s offensive depth chart is a work in progress, to say the least. Let’s start at quarterback. With Jackson Arnold’s transfer to Auburn, [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] takes over at quarterback one more time in 2024.

Hawkins will make the fourth start of his true freshman season after he spelled Arnold midway through the year. Hawkins has a chance to show Sooner Nation his growth before he settles back into a reserve role behind newcomer John Mateer in 2025.

Hawkins’ decision to stick it out and stay at Oklahoma could prove fruitful for both parties, as he has a chance to be developed properly under new offensive coordinator [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag].

3. Wide Receiver Woes

Oklahoma currently has six scholarship wide receivers on the roster. They could be down to four scholarship players for the Navy game if Deion Burks is unable to play, as Jayden Gibson is still out after his preseason injury.

True freshmen Zion Kearney, Zion Ragins, Ivan Carreon and K.J. Daniels all appear on the depth chart, along with walk-ons like Jacob Jordan.

It’s a position that the coaching staff is doing some work to rebuild this offseason, as they have to find guys who can be both healthy and productive.

4. Barnes Won’t Play

Oklahoma hasn’t seen any of the top four running backs on the roster ([autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], Xavier Robinson, Taylor Tatum, Gavin Sawchuk) enter the portal as of yet. That could change, but there’s a chance that the room will be pretty good in 2025. Those four players all bring different skill sets, but one guy emerging to be the feature back would be ideal.

For a brief minute this season, that was Barnes. He had become OU’s best offensive player, but he was injured against Maine and missed the rest of the year.

However, unlike Robinson, Tatum and Sawchuk, he doesn’t appear on the depth chart. That could be because he’s definitely out, still nursing his ankle injury.

Barnes returning in 2025 would give Venables and Arbuckle a veteran guy in the backfield who is capable of being a workhorse when called upon. That room looks a bit crowded right now, so don’t be shocked if one of the four decides to look for more carries elsewhere this winter or spring.

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Oklahoma Sooners add SEC wideout via transfer portal

OU’s third transfer portal commit from the portal comes from a fellow SEC school.

The Oklahoma Sooners are continuing to rebuild their wide receiver room through the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. After the 2024 season saw the top five wideouts miss all or the vast majority of the season due to injuries, and three of those five players decided not to come back, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his coaching staff have been hard at work building back the wide receiver depth chart in stronger, healthier fashion.

Oklahoma has now added former Arkansas Razorbacks wideout Isaiah Sategna in the transfer portal, marking the third WR that will be transferring to Norman.

Javonnie Gibson (Arkansas Pine-Bluff) and Keontez Lewis (Southern Illinois) will have some work to do when it comes to playing in the SEC, but Sategna will be right at home in college football’s toughest conference. That trio will join returners [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] and Jayden Gibson to try and help the wide receiver room rebound.

Sategna is a smaller receiver at 5’11 and 185 pounds, but he managed to haul in 37 receptions for 491 yards this season. He also had a punt return touchdown for the Hogs.

There’s still plenty of work to be done when it comes to remaking OU’s wide receiver depth chart, but three additions in a few days is a good start.

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Oklahoma Sooners target named best available QB in transfer portal

OU’s top transfer quarterback target is among the best in the portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners have to get busy in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] this winter. Coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has had 25 players hit the portal from the 2024 roster as of Tuesday night, and the Sooners have added just two transfers.

But help could be on the way. OU is reportedly pursuing one of the portal’s best available players, former Washington State quarterback [autotag]John Mateer[/autotag].

Mateer ranked at the top of the list of best quarterbacks in the transfer portal, according to USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg. Ten QBs were ranked by Myerberg, including players who have already found new schools.

Myerberg’s list includes two former Sooners, Virginia’s Chandler Morris and Auburn’s Jackson Arnold, who are ranked eighth and ninth, respectively. But no one topped the player Oklahoma’s coaching staff has reportedly set its sights on.

“Mateer is the jewel of this transfer class and the one addition capable of matching Dillon Gabriel and Cam Ward — himself a former WSU transfer — as a top-level Heisman contender on a playoff contender,” Myerberg said. “Playing off the national map in Pullman, the rising junior threw for 3,139 yards, ran for 826 yards and had 44 total touchdowns. Mateer could be a transformative addition for a quarterback-starved program such as Oklahoma, which recently hired his former offensive coordinator, [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag].”

It’s hard to imagine Oklahoma would be described as a “quarterback-starved program,” but that illustrates exactly how much the Sooners need Mateer.

Many of the other players on Myerberg’s list have already chosen their next schools: Darian Mensah (Duke), Devon Dampier (Utah), Miller Moss (Louisville), Connor Weigman (Houston), Morris and Arnold. If OU cannot persuade Mateer to come to Norman, it could be in deep trouble at a very important position in 2025.

On the other hand, there’s a reason Mateer is so highly sought. He was a star this season and could help the Sooners turn their offense around next season if he decides Oklahoma is the right place for him.

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Former Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold set to visit Auburn, per report

Former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold will visit the Auburn Tigers per reports.

Former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] could be staying in the same conference as his old team.

The [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] quarterback has a visit set up with the Auburn Tigers, according to Justin Hokanson of On3.

According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Auburn, Mississippi State, or Georgia reportedly have an interest in Arnold. The Bulldogs, coached by former OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who recruited Arnold, will reportedly be attempting to set up a visit with Arnold this weekend.

Mississippi State is considered to lead for Arnold’s services because of the connection between Lebby and Arnold. Bulldogs freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren has entered the portal, which could be a signal that the former five-star is heading to Starkville.

Georgia, on the other hand, is in the College Football Playoff, and the play of Gunnar Stockton, who takes over for the injured Carson Beck, could determine how heavily they are involved in the portal QB sweepstakes.

Arnold was supposed to be a generational QB at Oklahoma, the guy to lead [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and the Sooners into the Southeastern Conference. Instead, he made just ten total starts in an OU uniform, struggling in his only season as the starter.

He was benched in favor of [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] for three games in the middle of the season but returned to replace Hawkins for the final five games of the year.

Despite his play in the upset win over Alabama, Arnold had a rocky go of things, especially in the passing game. He turned in a few “wow” moments, but turnovers, bad offensive coordinators, and a bad supporting cast did him in. Now, he’ll play elsewhere.

With Arnold gone and Casey Thompson out of eligibility next season, Hawkins is the only current QB on the roster with any collegiate experience. He’s joined by Brendan Zurbrugg, Steele Wasel, and 2025 quarterback [autotag]Jett Niu[/autotag].

Hawkins could stay and compete for the starting gig next year, but the Sooners will certainly be looking for a high-level starter in the portal this offseason.

Ideally, that role is filled by John Mateer, who worked with new offensive coordinator [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag] this season at Washington State.

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Oklahoma Sooners lose star wide receiver to the transfer portal

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Nic Anderson expected to enter the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners saw another big name on their roster announce his intentions to enter the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] on Thursday.

Wide receiver [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], who spent three seasons in Norman, will enter the portal when it opens on Monday, according to a report from Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer of 247Sports.

Anderson missed all but one game this season due to injury. In his only appearance against Tennessee, Anderson was targeted once and had to leave the game after reaggravating the hamstring injury he dealt with from the beginning of fall camp. He didn’t register a catch in 2024.

That’s a stark contrast from his 2023 season, when he caught 10 touchdowns, enjoying a breakout campaign. He’s a key member of the defining play of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era at Oklahoma: the game-winning touchdown pass from Dillon Gabriel against Texas in 2023.

Anderson was a four-star prospect and a member of the [autotag]2022 recruiting class[/autotag], Venables’ first at OU. Now he’s looking for a fresh start.

Anderson joins Jaquaize Pettaway, quarterback Jackson Arnold and running backs [autotag]Kalib Hicks[/autotag] and [autotag]Emeka Megwa[/autotag] as players who intend to enter the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] less than a week after OU’s regular season came to a close.

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Where does the Oklahoma defense rank in stop rate after the regular season?

Analyzing where Oklahoma Football ranks in defensive stop rate after 12 games.

This year, the Oklahoma Sooners boasted the best defense they’d had in a long time. It may not have been the elite unit that head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and defensive coordinator [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag] were shooting for, but it was still the best in years.

Unfortunately, OU’s offense fell off a cliff, the Sooners went just 6-6 in 2024 and posted just a 2-6 record in Southeastern Conference play. Despite a rough performance in the finale against the LSU Tigers, it’s been a good season overall for this defense.

One metric that shows how well the Oklahoma defense played this year is “stop rate.” ESPN and staff writer Max Olson compiled all 134 FBS defenses in 2024 after the regular season, ranking them by their defensive stop rate.

What is stop rate? It’s a basic measurement of success: the percentage of a defense’s drives that end in punts, turnovers or a turnover on downs. – Olson, ESPN

Exiting the final week of the regular season, Oklahoma’s defense ranks 23rd in the country, stopping the opposition 69.7 percent of the time. That’s an 11-spot drop from last week, and it’s also a drop of over two percentage points in stop rate after the Tigers rolled offensively against this unit. However, the Sooners allowed just 1.53 points per drive over 12 games.

The highest stop rate in the country belongs to the rival Texas Longhorns, who are headed to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] Championship Game on Saturday.

The job Venables and Alley did with the defense this season was excellent, especially considering the woeful place it was in when the head coach found it three years ago. No one can argue that he hasn’t improved that side of the ball mightily.

However, it’s what he does on the other side of the ball that will determine whether or not the Sooners get back to the place they want to be alongside the elites of college football. Venables has bet his head coaching career on new offensive coordinator [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag], whom he hired on Monday.

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Oklahoma’s Ben Arbuckle has impressive quarterback track record

Oklahoma’s new offensive coordinator is something of a QB whisperer.

The search for the next Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator is over. Coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] hired Ben Arbuckle away from the Washington State Cougars to call plays and coach quarterbacks in Norman.

Though Arbuckle is just 29 years old, he has already called plays for three seasons. He cut his teeth under new Florida Atlantic coach and previous Texas Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley. He may be young, but he has earned a reputation as a quarterback whisperer in a very short time.

After Sooners fans suffered through a 2024 season of watching a broken offense and quarterbacks who weren’t handled or coached correctly, Arbuckle is a sight for sore eyes. Whether it’s [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] or a [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] quarterback who starts for the Sooners next year, they’ll have Arbuckle as his primary teacher.

But who has Arbuckle coached prior to landing in Norman? Here is each QB he’s tutored at the college level.

Bailey Zappe

Houston Baptist (FCS), 2018-2019; Western Kentucky, 2021

Arbuckle’s coaching career started as a quality control coach at FCS Houston Baptist in 2018 and 2019. It was there that he worked with Bailey Zappe, and was instrumental in the young QB’s development.

Zappe threw 58 touchdowns to just 28 interceptions over those two seasons. After a year in the high school ranks in Texas, Arbuckle found his way back to Zappe in 2021 at Western Kentucky. Arbuckle was an offensive quality control coach, and Zappe was once again the starter under center. They worked closely together again.

Zappe broke Football Bowl Subdivision records that season, throwing 62 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions and almost 6,000 yards. He was drafted by the New England Patriots after the year, starting a few games for them over a couple of seasons.

That performance earned the OC, Kittley, the same job at Texas Tech. Arbuckle was chosen to succeed Kittley in 2022.

Austin Reed

Western Kentucky, 2022

In his first stint calling plays. Arbuckle worked with WKU’s Austin Reed. A 40-to-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2022 speaks for itself, but Reed also threw for 4,744 yards for one of the best offenses in college football. His yardage total led the nation.

Arbuckle left Tyson Helton’s staff to take the same job under Jake Dickert at Washington State. Reed stayed with the Hilltoppers, but saw his stats dip in 2023 without Arbuckle. He signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent and is in the midst of his rookie season.

Cam Ward

Washington State, 2023

In his first of two seasons in Pullman, Arbuckle mentored Cam Ward, a former Incarnate Word transfer. Ward threw for over 3,700 yards, 25 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, all improvements over his previous season with the Cougars.

Ward’s 2023 campaign made him a high-profile player and the new quarterback of the Miami Hurricanes after he transferred to South Florida for 2024. He’s been arguably the best quarterback in the country, leading Miami to a 10-2 regular season. He’ll likely be a Heisman Trophy finalist and a high pick in April’s NFL Draft.

After Ward transferred, Arbuckle needed another QB for the 2024 season.

John Mateer

Washington State, 2024

Arbuckle found his guy in unheralded three-star prospect John Mateer. Mateer has been a revelation for the Cougars this year. He has thrown for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He added 15 scores on the ground to lead the Football Bowl Subdivision with 44 total touchdowns.

The interesting part of this equation is Mateer is a candidate to enter the portal this offseason. OU and Arbuckle are a distinct possibility for a landing spot if he does. Other schools will certainly vie for his services as well, making Arbuckle’s next QB protégée still up in the air for 2025.

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Where do Oklahoma Sooners rank in USA TODAY Sports’ 1-134 rankings?

Where does OU rank in USA TODAY Sports latest 1-134 rankings after falling to 6-6?

The Oklahoma Sooners finished the 2024 regular season at 6-6, after losing against LSU on Saturday night. It was a bitter end to a very difficult campaign.

As OU awaits their bowl destination, some teams will still be playing on conference championship game weekend. USA TODAY Sports staff writer Paul Myerberg took on the challenge of ranking all 134 FBS teams after Rivalry Week, and he has the Sooners as the No. 48 team in the country.

As a team that is a regular in the Top 25, typically the top 10, this is a far fall for the Sooners under [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]. In fact, No. 48 might be a generous ranking from Myerberg, as Oklahoma is a .500 team in their first year in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

The Sooners fall between 7-5 Pittsburgh (No. 47) and 6-6 Nebraska (No. 49) on the 1-134 list. Their ranking is good for 13th in the SEC behind Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, Ole Miss, Missouri, Texas A&M, LSU, Florida, Vanderbilt and Arkansas. In fact, only Auburn, Kentucky, and Mississippi State ranked behind the Sooners on Myerberg’s list from the SEC.

With a new offensive coordinator in tow and plenty of roster decisions to make, the road to the 2025 season has already begun in Norman.

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