OU freshman quarterback Bowe Bentley, a former four-star recruit who graded as high as No. 7 at his position in the 2026 class, expressed his eagerness to be a Sooner at their media day ahead of spring camp.
Bentley, a Celina High School product, led the program to a 16-0 record and a Texas 4A Division I state title as a junior before finishing 14-1 his senior year with a run to the state semifinals. As a senior at Celina, Bentley completed 202 of 265 passes for 2,911 yards with 32 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed 104 times for 474 yards and 11 touchdowns. Bentley participated in the Navy All-American Bowl in January 2025, finishing 4 of 12 passing for 46 yards and adding four carries for 25 yards.
As he enters his first year at OU, Bentley said the initial jitters of being on campus have started to wear off.
“I think after about a month, you start to kind of pinch yourself and realize you're here,” Bentley said. “It's been great.”
Bentley will serve as redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer’s backup next season as he begins to learn offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle’s offense. Bentley spoke highly of Arbuckle and his methods on and off the field.
“He’s real,” Bentley said. “That's what I love about him. He gives real feedback. He's always there. He's (going to) get on to you, but he's also (going to) be there for you whenever you're down. I feel like that's what makes a great player.”
Bentley credited Mateer for being at his side for the majority of his recruitment, showing him the ins and outs of everything on and off the field.
“(John and I) got very close. He was with me on every visit,” Bentley said. “(Mateer) walked me through everything. (He) gave me the real part because you go on a lot of visits, and some guys try to just show you the good stuff. But John gets real with you, and he shows you everything.”
Bentley was pleased when he heard Mateer was coming back to OU for his senior year.
“(Mateer) coming back was huge for me, being able to learn from him, the type of guy he is as a leader, as a football player, just being able to learn everything that he does,” Bentley said. “Outside of the football field, just to see how he operates himself, I think it helps me learn in ways that I didn't think I could have.”
With OU’s long lineage of successful quarterbacks, high expectations come. Bentley was adamant that he’s focusing on his own process and confidence.
“(I’m) just taking one step by myself and always believing that I'm here for a reason and have a purpose to be here,” Bentley said. “Finding a way I can better myself and practice certain things, knowing that at the end of the day, I just (got to) go out and do that.”
This story was edited by Joshua McDaniel.
