Brent Venables, Oklahoma could be in for disaster with latest transfer portal QB news

I would be very afraid if I were the Oklahoma Sooners right now. OU went 6-6 during Jackson Arnold's lone season as the starting quarterback. He was benched midway through the campaign, only to usurp Michael Hawkins Jr. later on. With former OU offensive coordinator Seth Littrell having been replaced by Ben Arbuckle out of Washington State, we all thought John Mateer would be coming, too.

Well, it seems as though Mateer might actually stay in Pullman to keep on playing for Jake Dickert. To date, Mateer has yet to enter the transfer portal. He would be one of the biggest names potentially entering it at the quarterback position. If he did decide to leave Washington State, Oklahoma would be a fairly obvious fit for him. However, what happens if Oklahoma does not end up with Mateer here?

That would put Brent Venables and his Oklahoma State considerably behind the eight ball. OU had a dreadful first year in the SEC for Oklahoma standards. This is a program that regularly won 10 or more games in the old Big 12. Now, they seem to be little more than a borderline bowl team in a 16-team SEC. Venables did get a mega extension last offseason, but another rough year likely ends his run.

Here is Dickert telling the Washington State media about what is going on with his star quarterback.

If Oklahoma comes up empty-handed in the transfer portal this winter, that is an awful sign for OU.

Brent Venables cannot afford for Oklahoma to miss out on John Mateer

Look. It does not have to be Mateer coming to Norman from Pullman by way of the transfer portal. It would have only been a great opportunity for him to go up to Power Four competition while playing in the same offense under Arbuckle. However, the Sooners have to do something. Auburn now has your former quarterback from last year. These are two teams who must show us something next season.

Of the handful of head coaches who should enter next year on the hot seat, Venables and Auburn's Hugh Freeze are chief among them. These are two of the very best programs historically in major college football. While it may not be easy to win national titles at either school now, history has shown us all that you can win big with the right collection of talent and characters at either SEC institution.

Even if it would be so financially punitive for Oklahoma to move on from Venables this soon into his extension, the OU athletic department may not be left with any choice in the matter. Joe Castiglione may stand by his guy Venables, but this program has standards, one where winning conference championships and being in the national title conversation is an annual thing for the Sooner Faithful.

Arnold may not ever live up to the hype coming out of high school, but Oklahoma must replace him.