Oklahoma Sooners Practice Report

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Yes. Michael Hawkins Jr. is starting Saturday against Kent State. And the support he's received through the bye week and during game week prep will determine how he plays in his first start as a sophomore. Ben Arbuckle talked this week about preparing Hawkins and how senior offensive analyst John Kuceyeski plays a big part in getting his quarterbacks prepared to play well on gamedays. Arbuckle also had a message about Jaydn Ott and his readiness to play along with his name being associated with head coaching jobs.

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It's been a long year since Michael Hawkins Jr., was thrust into the spotlight against Auburn. Hawkins was elevated to a starting role, then benched, then put back in the spotlight during last season's bowl game. This time around Hawkins has the support of a capable offensive coordinator, a capable quarterbacks coach and a better offensive line. At least from a protection point of view. No one knows exactly what we'll see from Hawkins this weekend against Kent State. But the belief is strong in Hawkins as the Sooners trying and bide their time before John Mateer returns.

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During the bye week, we did get a chance to catch up with a lot of Oklahoma football players. John Mateer playing through a thumb injury for three quarters really made a huge impression on the team once they found out he was injured at all. Deion Burks and Peyton Bowen are both looking forward to the college football world getting first looks of Javonnie Gibson and Eli Bowen for the first time this season when the Sooners take the field against Kent State. Grayson Miller talks about his journey to Oklahoma and everyone is excited for Michael Hawkins Jr., to get behind center and show the world he's improved since last season.

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It was the final practice of the bye week this afternoon as John Mateer returned home from his surgery in Los Angeles in the hopes of returning to the field as soon as possible. But in the meantime, the Sooners are getting ready to move forward with Michael Hawkins Jr., behind center. The return of Eli Bowen is imminent as well as the debut of wide receiver Javonnie Gibson. Brent Venables talked about preparing to move forward without Mateer for the time being and the confidence and mindset of this team without him after practice on Thursday.

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SoonerScoop was first to report that John Mateer, Oklahoma quarterback, and a leading Heisman Trophy candidate, could possibly miss three weeks after suffering a hand injury against Auburn. The OU QB will have surgery this week and give way to sophomore QB Michael Hawkins, Jr. Eddie and George break it all down and tell you where they think things go from here in Norman.

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The Oklahoma offense has had its fair share of standouts over the first three weeks. Jaren Kanak, Deion Burks, Keontez Lewis and more. And that's the thing. We keep seeing more. Isaiah Sategna broke out against Temple. We've seen flashes from others. And Javonnie Gibson isn't even back from injury yet. A big part of that has to do with the trust that Ben Arbuckle and John Mateer are showing in a lot of different players on the roster. Even second-year talent Zion Kearney is starting to show signs of breaking out. We also have more on the offensive line as well as the arrival of Tory Blaylock as the Sooners newest explosive weapon out of the backfield. And Jovantae Barnes still has a role to play in the offense.

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So many storylines, and not all good ones, continue to develop this week during practice. OU has lost a team captain and season opening starter for the season along the offensive line. And now others are banged up heading into a huge game. What does it look like on the OL headed toward kickoff? R Mason Thomas needs someone to step in and fill his shoes for the first half. Could it be Adepoju Adebawore? In good news, David Stone is starting to step up on the defensive line and that 5-star talent is starting to show. And oh yeah, Jackson Arnold returns to Norman for one of the biggest showdowns of the weekend.

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Oklahoma football's offensive coordinator has been down this road before with a player as unique as Jaren Kanak. He explains his connection to Kanak and his position switch from linebacker to tight end and why it's been so successful. We also explored OU's run game with Arbuckle on Tuesday, whether that be John Mateer or Tory Blaylock and others. The Sooners also look to be putting the pieces together on the offensive line as they hit the road for the first time this season to take on Temple.#AD Over 2 Million Butts Love TUSHY. Get 10% off TUSHY with the code SOONERSCOOP at https://hellotushy.com/SOONERSCOOP.

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The Sooners won one of the biggest matchups of the early college football season against Michigan. But now that everyone is singing the Sooners' praises, how will they deal with success? Will the hunger still be there? And can John Mateer survive a season running the ball as much as he did against Michigan. We've also seen how much OU practices special teams in practice. So how are they struggling in that area? We head to Philadelphia this week. Will the Sooners come back looking like a focused contender? Or a team that bought into all the hype and didn't stay focused on the football?

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