OU starting quarterback John Mateer will be coming off a miserable performance, heading into the Red River Rivalry game against Texas.
The OU offense had an abysmal game against Georgia, with Mateer throwing an interception and fumbling the ball twice on crucial plays. Head coach Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle even said that there were talks of replacement at halftime.
“We discussed all options, …” Arbuckle said. “I love and trust everybody in (the quarterback) room.”
Mateer ultimately remained in the game in the second half, with the Bulldogs routing the Sooners 41-13. Going forward, Mateer remains the starter, but Venables did not say that Newbauer or Bentley would not play.
“Have no idea, we’re not there right now,” Venables said. “John’s our starting quarterback.”
OU has previously turned to backup quarterbacks after starter mistakes in the Red River Rivalry game. As Mateer struggles with turnovers, here is background information on OU’s current backup quarterbacks:
Whitt Newbauer
Junior quarterback Whitt Newbauer during the game against Georgia on Sept. 26, 2026.
Newbauer, a 6-foot-6 junior, transferred to the Sooners before the 2025 season.
He played in three games as a backup quarterback in 2025. He played against Mississippi, South Carolina and Kent State last season. He rushed three times for 10 yards and completed two out of four passes against Kent State.
Before attending OU, Newbauer had a standout performance at Mercer, earning All-Southern Conference Freshman Team honors. He started seven games, completing 101 out of 179 passes. Newbauer threw for 1,398 yards, with 12 total touchdowns and three passing touchdowns. Newbauer was a three-star quarterback in the transfer portal, according to 247 Sports.
In high school, Newbauer was an unranked recruit out of Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, but upon entering the transfer portal Newbauer was then ranked a three-star quarterback, according to 247 Sports. Although he sustained an injury his senior year, he completed 97 out of 154 passes for 1,186 yards, including 347 yards and four touchdowns in the season opener. He was an all-conference selection twice in high school.
Bowe Bentley
Freshman quarterback Bowe Bentley during the spring game on April 18, 2026.
Bowe Bentley, a freshman from Celina, Texas was a four-star recruit in high school.
Bentley had an impressive recruiting resume, rated as the No. 2 quarterback prospect by ESPN and No. 70 overall by Rivals. Bentley played at Celina High School, where he led his team to a 30-1 record across two years. Bentley compiled over 7,800 yards of total offense and 111 touchdowns in his high school career.
Bentley chose OU over programs like Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and others.
While competing in OU’s spring game, Bentley had a rough offensive performance, only completing 5 out of 13 passes and recording two interceptions. Despite the performance, Arbuckle feels proud of his effort against OU’s defensive starters.
“You still gotta remember he's 18, right?” Arbuckle said after the spring game. “18 with (safety Michael) Boganowski and (defensive end) Danny Okoye coming at him. That’s real.”
Arbuckle sees it as valuable experience that will help him grow.
“You can’t replicate it,” Arbuckle said after the spring game. “I'm just excited for the experience that he got today (because) I think it'll really propel him forward probably in a quicker manner than maybe even he anticipated in the future."
This story was edited by Joshua McDaniel.
