By Mark Pszonak
The Oklahoma Sooners took care of one huge piece of their off-season already, with Monday’s hiring of Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to take over the same role in Norman. Now, the real fun begins as the Sooners begin their search for their next quarterback.
Arbuckle’s decision came down to Oklahoma and Utah. The Utes were considered the leader only a couple of days ago, but the Sooners quickly regrouped and got their man. Arbuckle is very young, but talented as he helped lead one of the top offenses in the country this season in Pullman.
Sources: Oklahoma is finalizing a three-year deal to make Washington State’s Ben Arbuckle the school’s new offensive coordinator. Washington State finished No. 9 in scoring offense this year and was a successful coordinator at Western Kentucky prior.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 2, 2024
Getting Arbuckle as quickly as they did may prove to be vitally important in the coming weeks. That is mostly because some believe that he may be a package deal with quarterback John Mateer. Rumors of Mateer possibly transferring became louder and louder this season, just as his play got better and better.
After sitting behind Cam Ward for two seasons, Mateer took the college football world by storm in 2024 by passing for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He also showcased his play making abilities on the ground by rushing for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns. He totaled 3,965 yards of total offense this season. The Sooners as a team totaled 3,870.
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And that’s where the upcoming drama lies. Can Coach Arbuckle convince Mateer to join him in Norman? The Sooners won’t be the only school trying to convince Mateer to transfer (Auburn and Miami come to mind), but having Arbuckle does give Oklahoma an advantage that nobody else has. He not only knows the offense, but he obviously knows how to run it efficiently and successfully.
Oklahoma needs to bring some juice back to the offense. Getting Arbuckle was step one, while adding Mateer would be a huge step two. And that step two might come as early as next week when the transfer portal officially opens.
