Ad Disclosure
Brent Venables made it official on Monday, naming freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. the starting quarterback for Saturday’s Week 5 game at Auburn.
One day later, the Oklahoma head coach further explained his decision to start Hawkins over Jackson Arnold, who Hawkins replaced late in the 1st half of the Sooners’ 25-15 home loss to Tennessee on Saturday night.
“Didn’t want a decision like that to hang over anyone’s head. … Jackson’s going to have an amazing future and career. He’s going to play this game a long time,” said Venables.
Brent Venables on naming Michael Hawkins Jr. last night as QB1 vs. Auburn: "Didn't want a decision like that to hang over anyone's head…. Jackson's going to have an amazing future and career. He's going to play this game a long time."
— Tom Green (@Tomas_Verde) September 24, 2024
Hawkins threw for 132 yards and 1 touchdown with 0 interceptions after replacing Arnold, and he led Oklahoma in rushing with 22 yards, which tells you how dominant Tennessee’s defense was in Norman. It wasn’t enough to rally the Sooners to victory, but it was enough to convince Venables that Hawkins was the guy going forward — for now, at least.
Venables explained his decision to make the in-game change at QB against the Volunteers.
“It just didn’t feel like we were making good decisions within the scheme,” he said. “Certainly, there were lots of issues, for lack of a better word.”
Brent Venables is here for his weekly presser:
On the QB change vs. Tennessee: "It just didn't feel like we were making good decisions within the scheme. Certainly, there were lots of issues, for lack of a better word."
— Tom Green (@Tomas_Verde) September 24, 2024
Arnold struggled mightily against that ferocious Tennessee defense, going just 7 for 16 for a measly 54 yards, 0 touchdown passes and 1 interception before being replaced by Hawkins.
Venables’ team fell 6 spots in the latest AP Poll to No. 21 going into the matchup on the Plains.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
