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Brent Venables says he doesn't know when John Mateer will be back for OU

headshotby: George Stoia5 hours agoGeorgeStoia
NCAA Football: Michigan at Oklahoma
Sep 6, 2025; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) celebrates with head coach Brent Venables after the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

OU coach Brent Venables provided no real update on quarterback John Mateer on Monday.

Mateer did not play on Saturday versus Kent State, after undergoing hand surgery during the bye week. On Monday night, Venables was asked on his coach’s show about Mateer’s availability for the Texas game this week.

“I don’t know when John Mateer will be back,” Venables said. “Really not even anything to talk about. He’s on a progression through however long it takes those injuries to heal.”

OU is certainly not going to tip its hand this week. The Sooners practiced indoors on Monday and neither quarterback spoke with local media. The first availability report for the game will be released on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. CT.

Michael Hawkins Jr. started in place of Mateer this past Saturday. He went 14 of 24 for 162 yards for three touchdowns while also rushing for 33 yards and a touchdown.

If Mateer can’t play on Saturday, it will be Hawkins making his second consecutive start in the Cotton Bowl. Last year, Hawkins was the starter in a 34-3 loss.

“I’m assuming (Mateer) can’t,” Venables said on Saturday. “Again, (Hawkins) has experienced playing in there last year, and really my mindset is no different than it was going into today. Again, we need to play well in the areas that we can control, taking care of the ball, making layups when they’re there, not trying to do too much. We’ve got the sum of all of our parts as a football team to complement one another. But I feel great about Mike.”

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