The winds are reaching highway speeds, severe thunderstorms are all the rage, and the sun is finally coming back to the plains, which means it must be the start of Oklahoma Sooners spring football! The Sooners are looking for a strong start to 2025. Plus, with so much turnover in the transfer portal, there’s a lot of talent hungry for now vacant top spots.
What To Look for in Oklahoma Sooners Spring Football Program
Position Battles and More for Oklahoma Football
Like many teams around the nation, the Sooners are choosing to forgo a spring football game this year. Between concerns over talent poaching, and how devastating the transfer portal was for the Sooners in particular, it’s an understandable move. That’s not going to stop them from putting in the work, though.
Offensive Coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who now has total control over the offense, is already off to a good start. Arbuckle will need to really put his side of the roster through the ringer this spring. This includes managing position battles. The most important of them all, undoubtedly, is going to come from the quarterback room.
A general lack of experience, and a mishandling by Seth Littrell, kept Michael Hawkins Jr. from the top spot last year. After some time off, he’s ready to hit the field again and earn the starting position. Unfortunately, though, he’s going up against the man who was the 2024 leading national scorer with 22.3 points per game.
Is John Mateer the Next Big Thing?
After failing to plan for a post-Dillon Gabriel team, Head Coach Brent Venables isn’t making the same mistake. For his efforts, he’s been rewarded with Washington State’s John Mateer. Not only was Mateer a leading scorer per game, he was also one of many leaders in touchdowns last year.
Currently he’s looking for a repeat, or better, this year. Mateer will even have some real talent to throw to, while getting some much needed protection from new tight ends. This is something to look forward to, especially because his receivers are primarily coming from the FCS level. Keep in mind, these aren’t guys who ‘weren’t good enough’ for the FBS level. These receivers have fought and clawed their way to the top, which means nobody is looking to prove themselves quite like these guys.
In the first practice of the year, Mateer is showing off a strong arm and an accuracy that Jackson Arnold could have used last year. Yes, it’s just a practice, and a lot can change from now to August, but there’s something here. If he can avoid injury, Mateer may just become the heir-apparent to the Sooners dynasty.
Is the Defense Really Getting Worse?
While Mateer and Arbuckle work to rebuild the offense from the ground up, the defense is still trying to come up with a plan. The turnover year is hitting at the worst time as graduation has taken the best of the best, such as Danny Stutsman, and is replacing them with whoever is next in line. Adding to these woes is the, frankly, chaotic reshuffling of the defensive staff.
Kendall Daniels, the former Oklahoma State linebacker, is where Venables is hanging all of his hopes. Daniels will also likely be the defensive captain. Daniels will likely see action as a linebacker and as an edge rusher. With his experience and impressive ability to jump off the line, Daniels has to be the buoy upon which the rest of the defense will have to hold onto in order to stay afloat.
The defensive line is looking to stay strong, though, and that’s where it may count the most. Players such as R Mason Thomas, Damonic Williams, and Jayden Jackson are all returning. Kip Lewis will also be starting at defensive back. If they can figure out what to actually do with all this talent, it’s looking to be another stellar year for Sooners’ defense.
Last Thoughts on the Sooners Spring Football Program
The aspect to really focus on in this year’s Sooners spring football program is that we honestly don’t know what’s going to happen. Uncertainty can generate a lot of buzz, it can generate hype, and it can generate interest. In Oklahoma, however, all of that uncertainty is generating nothing but anxiety.
The practices are solid, but the potential for disaster is just way too high. On offense we’re looking at another quarterback battle and trying to bridge together SEC recruits and FCS standouts. The defense as a whole is just another big question mark in a long list of uncertainties for Oklahoma. Could it be great? Sure, but last year’s roster was supposed to be great too.
So, what are we needing to look for in the Sooners’ Spring football program? Ultimately, it’s some kind of assurance that 2025 won’t be a repeat of the high stakes gamble last year’s team was. So far we don’t have it, and it’ll be up to Venables, Mateer, and Arbuckle to provide it in the coming months.
Main Image: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
