It’s a big season for the Oklahoma Sooners and head coach Brent Venables. Their former star quarterback knows that.
Sooners legend Baker Mayfield discussed both at his youth camp on Saturday, speaking to reporters about his trust in Venables’ direction for the Sooner program and about a phone call he had with OU transfer quarterback John Mateer.
Oklahoma, coming off a disastrous first season in the SEC in which they went 3-6 in conference play and lost six of their last eight contests, needs a positive season. Their head coach has perhaps the hottest seat in the entire country and their former top recruit quarterback, after a disappointing 2024, now plays for Auburn.
The steadying words of Mayfield might help ease Sooner stress heading into the new campaign.
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“I have a lot of faith [in Venables],” said Mayfield, donning a “Horns Down” ballcap as he spoke in a very on-brand presentation for the boisterous ex-Sooner.
“Obviously, offensively last year we had a lot of injuries. You can’t win when you have that many different starting rotations on the O-line. It’s injuries, it’s a lot of stuff. But I have a lot of faith. Defense was great last year, obviously that’s the standard [Venables] sets. Tough, hard-nosed guys that hustle to the ball, he’s gonna carry that on, so I have a lot of faith in him.”
A major factor in the Sooners’ success in 2025 will be dependant on the right arm (and the legs, too) of their new quarterback.
Mateer spent last season tearing up the Pac-12 for Washington State, passing for 3,139 yards in 12 games and rushing for nearly 1,000 more while leading the nation in total touchdowns.
Mayfield says he had a phone call with Mateer prior to the former Cougar’s transfer, while he was visiting Norman.
“Well he was still deciding, and you can’t force somebody to do what they don’t want to,” Mayfield said when asked what advice he gave Mateer. “I just told him everything I would’ve said. If you trust it, if you love it there, if you want a chance to go shine in a place that will truly embrace you for everything you are, this is the place to be. There’s tradition here, you can’t beat it. The atmosphere. Once you start winning, people will rally around you.”
Mayfield would know. After transferring from Texas Tech as a freshman in 2013, he went on to post a 34-6 record as the QB of the Sooners, leading OU to a pair of CFB Semifinal appearances.
If the Sooners are to get back there, it’ll take Mateer at his best. Mayfield knows that too.
“It’s up to him now,” Mayfield said.
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